Orchid Selection and Introduction: Methods and Key Technical Points

OrchidsSelection and introduction is a very complex matter; if the selection is poor, it will directly affect your enthusiasm fororchidcultivation; introducing inferior plants or fake plants will directly harm your economic interests. Therefore, when selecting and introducingorchids, every orchid enthusiast should adopt a cautious attitude and must not select and introduce blindly. I will now discuss a few personal views on how to select and introduce orchids from the aspect of cymbidium orchids, which may serve to draw forth better ideas. According to traditional methods of judging orchids, there are plum-petal, lotus-petal, narcissus-petal, pure-heart and butterfly-petal types, and those meeting the above conditions are considered superior varieties. At the same time, these plum-petal, lotus-petal, narcissus-petal, pure-heart and butterfly-petal flowers not only require a well-formed flower shape, delicate colors, and broad, large petals, but also require good substance - a long flowering period and lasting form that does not change. An old proverb says: "A thousand plum petals may be found over a lifetime, but a single lotus petal is nowhere to be sought." This shows that true plum-petal, lotus-petal, narcissus-petal, pure-heart and butterfly-petal types are relatively difficult to obtain. An orchid that has attained grade and is also pure-hearted is a once-in-a-thousand-lifetimes encounter, the supreme rarity among orchids. When selecting and introducing, orchid enthusiasts may base their choice on their own preferences, and there are two factors to consider. The traditional aesthetic regards elegance and plainness as the first choice, pursuing purity of variety, with well-formed flower style as superior. The other is the pursuit of novelty and uniqueness - pursuing new flowers, strange flowers, especially mutatedwild-collected orchids. Regardless of individual preferences, when selecting and introducing cymbidium orchids, one should focus on considering the following aspects: First, one must consider how theorchid'sfragrance is. Under normal circumstances, famous cymbidium varieties from Jiangsu and Zhejiang are almost all richly fragrant. Theorchid'sfragrance can generally be described with words such as subtle fragrance, delicate fragrance, strong fragrance, light fragrance, and sandalwood fragrance, among which subtle fragrance is the most elegant, and the cymbidiums of Jiangsu and Zhejiang almost all belong to the subtle-fragrance type.Spring orchidsfrom Hubei, Anhui and Henan often have no fragrance. Among true cymbidium orchids, plum-, lotus- and narcissus-petal types have a stronger fragrance than willow-leaf-petal orchids, and strangeflowers'fragrance surpasses that of petal-form flowers. Comparing meaty-hearted with pure-colored flowers, pure-colored flowers are necessarily a notch higher. Among the various cymbidiums, their fragrances each have their own merits. An ancient poem says: "Though she has no gaudy beauty like a pampered maiden, she has a subtle fragrance like a virtuous person." One should choose cymbidiums of the subtle-fragrance type. Second, one must distinguish the flower types of famous orchid and cymbidium varieties. When selecting orchid and cymbidium flowers, the flower form must be well-formed, the three outer petals must be balanced, with a level shoulder or flying shoulder; when the orchid and cymbidium petals unfold and bloom, the main petal must be rooted and rounded, with a contracted base and flared corners, tight edges, and the tips of the two lateral sepals clearly forming a hood - these are the flower types of famous varieties. The flower types of famous orchid and cymbidium varieties differ from those of ordinary ones. Ordinary orchid and cymbidium petals are pointed, long and thin, while the petals of famous varieties are short, round and thick, and the two are easily distinguished when placed side by side. In this way, when selecting and introducing, one will not be deceived, and can selectively choose the orchids one likes with clear purpose. Only by selecting and introducing such orchids will they have vitality. Third, one must choose good flower colors of orchid and cymbidium. The flower colors of orchid and cymbidium are based on green, and green appears plain and elegant. Among greens: tender green is first; old green is second; red turning to green is next, and those with dark color and purple tinges in the green are even lower. Fourth, one can also select and introduce by looking at flower buds; selecting and introducing by looking at flowers is relatively narrow, and in actual selection and introduction, it is impossible to come into contact with many blooming orchids for you to choose from. That requires orchid enthusiasts to determine the quality of orchid varieties by looking at flower buds, which requires two prerequisites: first,Cymbidium faberiflower buds are relatively difficult to identify; second,Spring orchidflower buds are best examined after the beginning of winter;Spring orchidflower buds of famous varieties and ordinary spring orchids are relatively easy to distinguish; the flower buds of famous spring orchid varieties often have an outer bract that is slender and tightly wrapped, with the tip slightly hollow inside, swollen in the middle, appearing round and bullet-shaped, and the bract tip mostly has rice-grain-like white dots; the bract is thick and solid, often with pink hues and blurred sand-like speckles, with fine green veins running to the top, distinct and clear. The flower buds of ordinary spring orchids are pointed and long. The outer bract of pure-hearted spring orchid flower buds must be a green bract or a white bract with white veins. Fifth, some people also select varieties based on the orchid's leaves, for example, the leaves of many famous orchid varieties such as Luyun, Huanqiuhe, and Zhengtonghe have relatively thick and fleshy leaf surfaces, spoon-shaped leaf tips, and fine, round fleshy roots, which are relatively obvious and distinctive. They differ from the leaves of ordinary cymbidiums. This can only serve an identifying role after the famous orchid has been confirmed. But beginners inorchid growingneed special attention: many orchid peddlers now chemically treat orchid leaves, turning long leaves into short grass, wide leaves, round heads, with leaf shapes like famous orchids. Ordinary grass is turned into variegated grass; the price is very cheap, and the temptation is very strong, and if one is not careful, one will often be deceived. Sixth, orchid selection and introduction cannot be done in isolation within a small circle, especially for orchid enthusiasts in the north; the north does not produce orchids, and in the internet age, one will inevitably need to go online to purchase the orchid varieties one likes. Buying orchids online is convenient and the range of choices is wide, and it is indeed a good way to exchange orchids. But there is also a problem: after looking at a few photos online, can you really see whether the flower is good or bad? If what you confirmed as an exchange is this variety, but what is sent is ordinary grass or diseased grass, then what do you do? I believe that if buying orchids online, one must find a sincere and reliable orchid nursery. One must never buy just because someone says it is good grass; in the end, the one who suffers a loss will definitely be you. It is best to select and introduce among orchid friends, and at orchid exhibitions where one can see the flowers and the plants. Seventh, when selecting and introducing, one must choose carefully and prudently, and set the price according to quality. For the same variety, there are differences in generation; seedlings of mother-and-child generation with orchid roots that are pure white or grayish-white without too much damage, seedling roots with crystal tips, orchid roots slightly yellow, and those without crystal tips but with firm and sturdy root bodies are the best grass and the first choice. Orchid roots that are blackish-brown with water-soaked appearance, or whose root skin is already hollow, or diseased grass must absolutely not be selected. I personally believe that in orchid selection and introduction, one must choose strong seedlings, large seedlings, and disease-free grass; it does not matter if the price is a bit higher; suchorchid grasshas a high survival rate, a high rate of producing new shoots, flowers again easily, and gives quick returns. Selecting and introducing new varieties can also follow these requirements. Article source: Siming Library