What key points need to be mastered before orchid care?

(1) Pay attention to regulating the dryness and moisture of the substrate. If the substrate is too dry, the flower scape's development stalls, or it even wilts, and bud drop occurs; if it is excessively moist, water damage and root rot easily occur, causing the flower scape's development to lose its supply line, so it either cannot open smoothly or its flowering period is shortened. (2) Pay attention to regulating temperature well OrchidsThe differentiation and development of flower buds require a temperature of 12-13°C or above. If it is too low, the flower buds develop slowly and are difficult to open; even if they can slowly open, the fragrance of their orchid nectar is not easily volatilized, so there is little or no fragrance. If the temperature is below 0°C, the flower scape will be frozen and rot; if the temperature is above 32°C, the flower scapes and flowers are also difficult to develop normally, and are prone to wilting and early fading due to muggy heat.Cymbidium goeringiiThe flower buds of this type need a low-temperature vernalization stage with a temperature below 10°C and above 3°C, lasting 15-22 days, and then must be moved into an environment managed at 12-13°C or above before they can open normally. Therefore, during the flowering period, attention should be paid to regulating temperature so that it is within the optimal range. (3) Pay attention to adjusting the amount of light. InorchidsDuring the flowering period, if there is too little light, the flower color will appear dull, the appearance will be poor, and the fragrance will be insufficient; if the light is stronger,orchidswill have bright flower color, a lively appearance, and abundant fragrance. But it also cannot tolerate strong direct light, and should preferably open in an environment with normal shading. This requires that when light is strong in summer and autumn, normal shading conditions should be available to ensure that the orchids open; although light in winter and spring is weak, the light around noon is still strong, so appropriate shading should also be provided. (4) Thin out flower scapes and flower buds. For potted orchids and clustered orchids with too many and too dense flower scapes, one thinning should be carried out early, keeping the strong and removing the weak; forfloweringtraditional varieties and stable varieties that do not need to bloom, their flower scapes should also be removed early; for those with too many buds on the scapes, the plump ones may be kept and the shriveled ones removed, with appropriate thinning. In this way, the consumption of the plant body can be reduced, which can not only make the flowers opening that year large, brightly colored, and fully fragrant, but also benefit the later growth of the orchid plant and the sprouting and flowering of the following year. (Xu Dongsheng)