Scientific orchid cultivation: the optimal requirements and environmental conditions for orchid root growth

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Based on the optimal growth needs of organisms, simulate the optimal growth environment, equip with the best management measures, and produce the highest quality products. This has always been the goal of modern agriculture, including the earliest chemical agriculture for high yield, convenience and speed; including the later Japanese natural farming method with no pollution, low input and sustainable development. Including modern physical agriculture, biological agriculture, green agriculture, modern greenhouses and so on.

When we grow and cultivate Chinese orchids, it can be said that ninety percent of what we do is based on tradition and hearsay, but we have never considered what their optimal growth needs are, because we do not even have a basic understanding of botany and the most basic physiological characteristics of Chinese orchids.

The Chinese orchid is just a plant. Why do people still say it is difficult to grow in today's advanced science? I think it is because we do not understand its plant physiological characteristics. If we understand its botanical and physiological characteristics, and then analyze its optimal growth and needs, then I think the Chinese orchid would be very easy to grow.

Dissecting the Chinese orchid, we can see several major characteristics: first, fleshy roots; second, apart from the lignified root core, they are entirely living cells; third, no root hairs; fourth, small and short stems; fifth, shade-loving plants.

1. Fleshy roots, entirely living cells. Where there is life, there is respiration. Cells also need to breathe. In ordinary plants, only the root tips are living cells, and most of the rest is lignified.

From this we can see that the living cells of orchid roots far exceed those of ordinary plants, so correspondingly, the amount of oxygen needed for their respiration also far exceeds that of ordinary plants. We know there are two types of respiration: one is aerobic respiration, and the other is anaerobic respiration. If there is not enough air, it is anaerobic respiration, which produces alcohol and lactic acid. In excess, this leads to poisoning, death, and necrotic rot, which produces harmful substances that continue to spread.

At the same time, the cell walls of living cells are thin, and it can also be seen that this makes them more prone to injury and infection. Because they are living cells, they are also more easily infected. If even a small part is diseased, all of it becomes infected.

No root hairs. We know that root hairs are also living cells. Root hairs function like straws; with root hairs, water can be absorbed from areas far from the root, while without root hairs, water can only be absorbed through osmosis by the cells on the root surface. We know that water can block air, so under normal circumstances, orchid roots in traditional planting methods have water but no air, or air but no water. To solve surface water absorption, aeration is needed.

Finally, it is not difficult to see that in daily management there is no lack of water, because we can water every day, but if the growing medium is not aerated, we cannot blow air into it every day.

This is the root reason why orchids are difficult to grow. Therefore, if we want to solve the difficulty of growing the roots, first we must solve the air permeability of the material. The best choice is that the material should be permeable and full of capillaries. To reduce damage, the material should be loose.

Finally, we see that the orchid is a shade-loving plant, requiring shade, coolness, warmth and moisture. But we know that the optimal growth environment for pathogens is dark, damp and warm. These two environments are similar, and can be said to be the same much of the time, so they are prone to disease. This is why orchids are difficult to grow from the perspective of physiological and anatomical characteristics.

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