What Is the Best Potting Medium for Cymbidium tortisepalum? A Detailed Guide to Mixing It

Cymbidium tortisepalumThe substrate in the native habitat of this orchid is mainly leaf mold and dead branches, with gravel and sand as a supplement. So leaf mold has naturally become theCymbidium tortisepalumorchid's staple food. However, in my several years of growing them, I have found that growing them entirely in leaf mold is indeed quite good for the first half year, but as watering and moving are repeated again and again, the leaf mold gradually settles, the air permeability of the potting medium progressively worsens, and the moisture becomes very hard to control, with most plants suffering more or less from root rot and scorched leaf tips. After comparing the cultivation of several potting media,cultivationI now use 60% leaf mold (cili pear leaves and mali pear leaves fully composted, then disinfected, sun-dried, and sifted to remove the finest part) + 40% granular potting medium (choosing large, medium or small grades according to the condition of the orchid roots and the plant being grown. For example: for Daxuesu use coarse grade one leaf mold and large-grade granular potting medium; for wild-collected dragon-root seedlings use slightly finer leaf mold and small-grade granular potting medium). This way it is both nutrient-rich (if you feel it is not enough, you can add some, for example, tree fern, rotten oak wood or other hardwood leaf mold to that 60% leaf mold. Add 5%-10% active soil to the granular potting medium.), well-draining and moisture-retaining, and also airy and breathable. Watering once every two or three days will not cause root rot, and watering once every seven or eight days is also fine. During the growing season, occasionally do a few foliar sprays to supplement trace elements, and supplement some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer during the bud stage and that is OK. However, nothing has a single fixed standard; there are only some common characteristics. To truly growOrchidsBased on the condition of the roots and the plant, choose large, medium, or small grades. For example: for Daxuesu use a coarser grade-one leaf mold and large-particle granular potting medium; for wild-collected dragon-root seedlings use slightly finer leaf mold and small-grade granular potting medium.) 40%. This way it is both nutrient-rich (if you feel it is still not enough, you can add some, for example, tree fern, rotten oak wood, or other miscellaneous-tree leaf mold to that 60% leaf mold. Add 5%-10% activated soil to the granular potting medium.), drains well and retains moisture, and is also airy and breathable. Watering once every two or three days will not cause root rot, and watering once every seven or eight days is also fine. During the growing period, occasionally do a few foliar sprays to supplement trace elements, and supplement some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer during the bud-bearing period, and that is OK. However, nothing has a uniform fixed standard; there are only some common characteristics. To truly takeorchidswell, it mainly depends on your own diligent observation, more thinking, and, according to your own environmental conditions, growing habits, and the local climate, adapting to local conditions to create a microclimate suitable fororchidgrowth so that it thrives.Growing orchidsis a kind of leisure; growing orchids well is what makes it a true enjoyment. Excerpted from "Orchid Treasure Classic" Author: Wu Yongcai, Tonghai, Yunnan