What kind of potting medium is actually better for growing orchids?

In the mountainous area of Enshi in western Hubei where the author lives, peaks vie in beauty and the mountains are high with deep forests. Beneath the thick fallen leaves in the mountains, a layer of black, loose soil has accumulated; it is a fertile layer of rich soil formed over many years as fallen leaves rotted and crumbled. People call this layer of black soil leaf mold, and those who grow Chineseorchidscall itorchidmud. Most people in the mountainous area who are just beginning to grow Chineseorchidsuse this orchid mud as theorchid-growingpotting medium. Using this orchid mud togrow orchids, as long as water is supplied reasonably and appropriately, this orchid mud can also grow Chinese orchids perfectly well. If an appropriate amount of particles of fired red brick or tile rubble 0.5-1 cm in diameter is added to the orchid mud, it helps with drainage and aeration, and the orchids will grow even more luxuriantly. For growing orchids, which potting medium is actually best? To answer this question, the author's three orchid-growing friends each used a different potting medium, and how well the orchids they grew turned out is the best answer. Mr. Deng Zhongxuan, the author's neighbor, is already over seventy years old and has read the Four Books and Five Classics. He began growing orchids in 2001, using leaf mold dug back from the growing sites ofCymbidium faberi ⟧17⟧, Douban orchid, Duoxiang, Douban orchid, DuoxiangCymbidium goeringii, which after being sifted was used to grow orchids. Elder Deng often reads books and periodicals about orchids and deeply believes in the orchid-growing wisdom in them. He has always used leaf mold to grow several dozen pots ofCymbidium faberi ⟧21⟧, Douban orchid, Duoxiang, Douban orchid, DuoxiangCymbidium goeringii, and every year the new growth buds are strong, the flowers bloom well, the new growth does not fall over, and the old growth does not burn at the tips. Elder Deng says that growing orchids with leaf mold is good: the potting medium is inexhaustible and costs no money, and the moisture level of the medium is easy to control. The key is to manage well, according to the different seasons, the proper timing of water supply and the quality, quantity, and temperature of the water. Mr. Deng Zhengshun, director of the Changling branch business department of the Shuibuya credit cooperative, has just passed forty, and his life and career are at their zenith. After graduating from high school, Mr. Deng served as a grain manager, worked as a primary school teacher, and studied law. He began growing orchids as a hobby in 2002, purchased quite a few books by orchid masters, and subscribed to the two publications Chinese Orchid and Orchid. Mr. Deng is cautious, steady, calm, and thoughtful, handles matters earnestly, and likes to explore and research things that interest him. To this day he uses large particles of fired brick (no more than 1 cm in diameter) and fine particles below 0.5 cm, mixed with thirty percent orchid mud, as the potting medium. The more than twenty pots he grows of wild-collectedCymbidium faberi ⟧25⟧, Douban orchid, Duoxiang, Douban orchid, DuoxiangCymbidium goeringii ⟧27⟧Four Seasons、Four SeasonsOrchid ⟧29⟧Cymbidium kanran、Cold orchid, and rabbit-ear orchidorchid plantsare growing extremely well, making people feel very pleased when they view them. In November 2003, Mr. Deng came upon a clump of a single plant with variegation at the leaf tips, a mouth orchid (Douban orchid). He grew it with this kind of potting medium, and after careful tending, in the early summer of 2004 it put out one growth bud whose form and color were very unusual; by after mid-autumn, a silvery-white striped variegated plant had grown into a mature plant, with linear markings, truly beautiful to look at. In February of this year, Mr. Deng parted with it reluctantly, and an orchid dealer from Suizhou, Hubei, bought it for 2300 yuan RMB. According to what Mr. Deng revealed, a clump of wild-collected Douban orchid with marginal variegation that he bought also shows promise of producing a fine variegated plant; the growth bud it has put out is already 1 cm long, and its growth is again quite good. Teacher Deng Xuejian, who lives in Yesanguan town, has been retired for several years. During a physical examination, fatty liver was found, and the doctor advised increasing the amount of appropriate exercise. So, starting in the spring of 2003, Teacher Deng left the mahjong and card tables, picked up a flower basket, took a small hoe, and climbed the mountains to search for and dig uporchid plants, beginning the activities of growing orchids, enjoying orchids, and chanting about orchids. Based on the potting medium Teacher Deng uses to groworchids, probably the vast majority of orchid friends would not agree with it. The potting medium Teacher Deng uses to groworchidsis just yellow mud dug from the mountains, stiff and lifeless, seemingly with no fertility at all and not loose either. Yet the orchids Teacher Deng grows with yellow mud do not rot at the roots, the roots grow well, and the crystal root tips are white and tender. One pot of Cymbidium faberi has three flower stalks bloomingflowers. The orchid leaves are deep green, glossy, without burned tips, and the leaf sheaths do not wither. Teacher Deng's orchid kingdom is on the top floor of his residence, with no canopy, grown completely in the open air. "This lets theorchid plantsfully receive the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, and there is no worry that the orchid plants will not grow well." Teacher Deng said solemnly: "Yellow mud is also soil, and soil gives birth to all things. Wherever orchid plants grow, it is not just one kind of soil that suits orchid growth; emphasizing scientific methods is very important." The water Teacher Deng pours into the orchid pots is clarified water after soaking burned plant ash. The above three orchid friends each used a different potting medium for growing orchids. From the growth condition of the orchid plants, it shows that the potting medium for growing orchids can be adapted to local conditions and sourced locally, but different situations must be distinguished and scientific growing methods must be emphasized. My knowledge is shallow; I ask orchid masters and friends to generously offer guidance, with thanks! Hubei Chen Fangchu May 15, 2005 Contact address: Fangchu Orchid Kingdom, Group 8, Badouping Village, Shuibuya Town, Badong County, Hubei Province Contact phone: 13986853989 Postal code: 444329