Learn practical methods for growing orchids with peat soil

I first came into contact withorchidswhen I started university, and after graduation I gradually tried growing one or two pots. In those days it really was: first year enjoy the flowers, second year enjoy the leaves, three pots become two, two pots merge into one, and finally there was nothing left. Later I read some books aboutorchids, and although some could be kept alive, the number of seedlings still grew fewer and fewer, and the plants grew smaller and smaller. Occasionally one could live a few more years, but it rarely bloomed. Once a plant that had been grown for several years produced a single flower, everyone around who knew would spread the news far and wide; it was truly a great happy event, and people were delighted enough to dance for joy. From this one can see how difficult it is to groworchidsin the north before one has grasped the basic rules, and at the same time it also reflects the special fondness people in the north have fororchids. Later, I was fortunate enough to join the Beijing Orchid Research Society and got to know some northernorchid growerswho were highly skilled, especially under the repeated guidance of my teachers and friends Mr. Wang Jianjun and Mr. Wu Lei, I learned to use peat soil forgrowing orchids, and only then did I begin to get a feel for it. It is often said, "Watering takes three years of skill, and ten years to learn watering." This saying is absolutely true, and I have experienced its sweetness and bitterness quite deeply. In the Beijing area, spring and summer weather is dry, and dry hot winds often blow. For orchids that grow under cool, humid conditions, this is truly a great calamity. The water just poured on is blown by the dry hot wind, and in less than half a day the surface of the pot is dry, so one has no choice but to water again in the afternoon. By the time the rainy season arrives,orchid plantsmostly already have black spots on the leaves and scorched, yellowed tips; when the pots are turned out, the orchid roots are almost gone. In the north, the spring and summer climate is dry and hot; after watering, the surface of the pot quickly dries, but the growing medium in the middle and lower layers of the pot is still not dry, especially soft growing media, which are sometimes still very wet. Watering again at this time means adding wet to wet, causing the orchid roots to be soaked for a long time and rot, so the above-ground parts show adverse reactions. Later, following my teachers and friends, I switched to using peat soil as the growing medium, and watering became easy to manage. Peat soil is produced in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing and was dug out and moved to the surface because of construction (digging water diversion projects and digging fish ponds). This deep-layer peat soil forms blocks when dry, is relatively firm, and does not easily crumble when it meets water. When using it, it must be processed into different particle sizes. It can first be soaked for a while in the water used for wateringorchids, then taken out and sealed in a plastic bag for one day, and then the large blocks of peat soil are broken by hand into different particles as required. It is best to pass them through 20 mm, 10 mm, 5 mm and 2 mm screens. Take the large particles (about the size of a broad bean) and place them at the bottom of the pot in a layer 1-2 cm thick; place the small particles (about the size of a small red bean) on the surface of the pot, about 1-2 cm; and use medium particles (about the size of a soybean) in the middle part of the pot. After planting in the orchid pot, water once thoroughly. Because the particles have already been soaked in water during processing, one watering to settle the roots is enough. During the peak growing season, some chemical fertilizer may be applied appropriately. The author uses a self-mixed complete nutrient solution once a week, at a concentration of about 0.1%. The author also made a small improvement to the orchid pot: regardless of the material of the pot, the bottom hole should be enlarged, in order to allow the water that seeps to the bottom of the pot to flow out of the pot as much as possible, which helps drain the remaining water and prevents water from accumulating in the pot. At the same time, a small plastic cover full of holes is placed upside down over the bottom hole (take the upper part cut from a small beverage bottle, then heat No. 8 iron wire and burn as many small holes as possible), with a diameter matching the bottom hole of the pot (about 5 cm) and a height of about 5-10 cm, depending on the height of the pot, to increase permeability. With this growing medium, even after long soaking in water it does not crumble, which helps with drainage and aeration, and even if one waters too much it will not cause water accumulation. Recently some orchid friends wanted to try growing orchids with peat soil and asked about the scientific basis for growing orchids with peat soil. In order to further verify the effectiveness of using peat soil as a growing medium, the author conducted a preliminary test and analysis of it. The water extract of this growing medium has a pH value of about 6.5-7.0, an organic matter content of 30%-70%, and a bulk density of 0.38-0.42 k/cm. Among the major elements, the contents of N, P, K, Fe and Ca are respectively 0.548% (total N), 0.11%-0.22% (calculated as p2O5), 0.588%, 1.006% and 0.223%. In addition, there are trace amounts of Cu (0.003%), Mg (0.055%), Zn (0.058%), Mn (0.027%), etc. From the analysis and test results, its air and water permeability are similar to hard growing media, while its organic matter content and other nutrient elements are similar to soft growing media. In a sense, it concentrates some of the advantages of both types of growing media, and it is also inexpensive. As long as you bring it back and process it yourself into different particles, it can be used. The author has studied and used it for six years, with some plastic pots and also purple clay pots. Satisfactory results were obtained with glazed pots as well. Although this growing medium cannot be said to be the best, for beginners using it to grow orchids always gives a kind of "sense of security." The author has only made a preliminary study, and deeply feels that the knowledge of growing orchids in northern households is profound. Different living conditions and different measures often lead to different results. As a household introduction trial, the difficulty lies in the fact that the experimental materials cannot be sufficiently numerous, and the observation time cannot be as long as the requirements of introduction experiments, so the results obtained often carry an element of chance. That is why most people's orchid-growing results are unstable, and the author's experience of learning to grow orchids with peat soil is the same. Those who are interested may as well give it a try. Correspondence: P.O. Box 5109, Beijing Postal code: 100094 Telephone: (010) 62815876 (O), 628158O5 (H) Email: [email protected] Yu Fengyi