Orchid Cultivation Tips: Managing Orchids According to Their Individual Characteristics

OrchidsCultivation：Orchids's "Individual Character" Management

All kinds of orchids share "common" management requirements in their growth, such as shading, ventilation, moisture retention, looseness, air permeability, and fertilizer retention. However, because the growing environments of various orchids differ to some extent, their growth habits also show certain "individual character" differences. For example,Cymbidium goeringiitolerates moisture, summer orchids tolerate sun, autumn orchids tolerate fertilizer,Cymbidium kanrantolerates dryness, andCymbidium sinenseprefers shade. Therefore, the habits of orchids cannot be generalized or treated as all the same. On the premise of following "common" care and management, it is also necessary to take into account the "individual character" of each kind of orchid when managing them. One should establish the concept of "knowing orchids togrow orchids." Strive to carry out planting and management according to the growth laws and habits of each kind of orchid. Only in this way can various orchids be scientifically cultivated and managed well. How can the different habits ("individual character") of orchids be recognized?

① Orchids differ in cold resistance: because the growing environments of various orchids differ to some extent, there are also certain differences in cold resistance, such asCymbidium faberi, and Cymbidium goeringii, especiallyCymbidium faberi, which are more cold-resistant than other orchids, while Cymbidium sinense andCymbidium ensifoliumare poorer in cold resistance than other orchids, andCymbidium tortisepalum, Chun Jian, Cymbidium kanran, etc. are between Cymbidium faberi and Cymbidium goeringii on the one hand and Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium ensifolium on the other in cold resistance. The differences in cold resistance provide a scientific basis for arranging the order in which orchids are brought in and out of the house for winter insulation management and for the placement positions of various orchids in the greenhouse: orchids with low cold resistance are brought indoors first and taken out last, while orchids with high cold resistance are brought indoors later and taken out first, overcoming the drawbacks of bringing them indoors too early or too late and ensuring that the orchids are not damaged by cold. At the same time, the placement positions of various orchids also differ. Drought-tolerant, sun-lovingCymbidium faberishould be placed on the upper level near the window in a sunny spot, while shade-loving, moisture-tolerant Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran should be placed on the lower level toward the inside in diffused light, which helps the orchids overwinter safely.

② Orchids differ in light requirements: among orchids, Cymbidium ensifolium, Cymbidium faberi, and Cymbidium goeringii prefer sun more, while Cymbidium sinense, Cymbidium kanran, Cymbidium tortisepalum, variegated-leaf orchids, and dwarf orchids prefer shade more. This difference provides a scientific basis for the different shading requirements of orchids. During care, adapt to their light requirements in a differentiated way so that the orchids grow better.

③ Orchids differ in humidity requirements: Cymbidium faberi and Cymbidium kanran have strong, long, well-developed root systems and relatively strong drought tolerance, so the principle is to keep them slightly dry at ordinary times. Cymbidium sinense and Chun Jian, by contrast, require somewhat more moisture.

④ Orchids differ in fertilizer requirements: Cymbidium faberi, Cymbidium kanran, and Cymbidium tortisepalum require more fertilizer than other orchids, because these orchids have small pseudobulbs that store few nutrients, while they have many leaves and many flowers and consume a large amount of fertilizer, so nutrients are inevitably in short supply and must be absorbed and replenished in time by the roots and leaves; thick roots and long leaves further require supplementation with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Cymbidium ensifolium has thick, strong, vigorous roots and obvious, round, large pseudobulbs that can store relatively more water and nutrients. The leaves and pseudobulbs of Cymbidium sinense both contain a large amount of phosphorus, and its old roots also have a very strong ability to absorb phosphorus, so Cymbidium sinense requires less phosphorus. However, Cymbidium sinense has thick plants and broad leaves, so its demand for nitrogen and potassium is relatively large.

⑤ Orchids differ in growing medium requirements: Cymbidium faberi has especially thick, strong roots. To ensure air permeability and ventilation for the orchid roots and healthy growth, the growing medium must be loose, and the particles should be coarse rather than fine. Cymbidium kanran and Cymbidium tortisepalum are the opposite, requiring fine rather than coarse. Referring to the soil quality of their native habitats, choose a soft growing medium rich in humus. Whatever the growing medium, some mountain soil (decayed soil) should be mixed in; Cymbidium kanran and Cymbidium tortisepalum grown this way have the best growth.

⑥ Orchids differ in deep versus shallow planting: Cymbidium faberi has strong roots and luxuriant leaves and a high foot sheath, so it is suitable for deep planting. Cymbidium tortisepalum and Cymbidium kanran should be planted shallowly; Cymbidium tortisepalum and Cymbidium kanran have many long roots and especially favor air, and there is a saying, "If you want orchids to grow well, they should topple in the wind." Shallow planting helps air permeability. For general orchids, when planting, the pseudobulb can be exposed 1/3 to 3/2 above the soil surface, while Cymbidium tortisepalum and Cymbidium kanran should preferably be exposed 3/4 above the soil surface. The pseudobulb of Cymbidium faberi can be buried in the growing medium.

⑦ Orchids differ in requiring vernalization and avoiding excessive warmth: Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium faberi, and Chun Jian, having long adapted to the cold climate of winter, need a low-temperature period of "vernalization" during flower bud development before they can bloom normally. In southern places such as Fujian and Guangdong, because winter temperatures are high and there is no low-temperature period for vernalization of Cymbidium faberi and Cymbidium goeringii, the flowering rate is low, and the flowers produced are poor in quality, which proves the importance of the vernalization period forflowering.

Cymbidium kanran, Cymbidium ensifolium, Cymbidium sinense, and others do not need a vernalization period.

⑧ Orchids differ in the habit of growing in clumps: for most orchid species, this habit is not important, but a few orchids have a habit of necessarily growing in clumps, such as Cymbidium faberi and Cymbidium tortisepalum. Because their pseudobulbs are small and their leaves are long, if they are separated and planted singly, they lose the conditions for pulling together and their resistance is weakened; when propagated as single plants, even if they barely survive, they become smaller and smaller the longer they are grown, and it is very difficult for them to bloom in the short term, so the result is more loss than gain.

According to the different individual characters that orchids possess, cultivating orchids cannot be uniform in every case; management should be differentiated and should vary with the plant. On the premise of following the "common" cultivation requirements of orchids, it is also necessary to take into account the "individual character" of each kind of orchid and carry out differentiated scientific cultivation and management; only then can orchids be cultivated well.