Orchid roots turn soil-gray; do this and new shoots sprout quickly

I have been growing orchids for years, and I have gained some understanding of their growth habits and care characteristics. The first step in orchid care is learning to promote shoots; with more shoots and robust plants, you get more flowers and lush green leaves.

Orchid shoot-promoting method

Willow bark for promoting shoots

If there are no willow trees where you are, you can buy it online, or you can buy an organic nutrient solution that promotes rooting; the effect is the same. If there are willow trees, when you see gardeners pruning or shaping them, take the opportunity to ask for some. Willow bark can be dried and stored for later use with orchids.

Benefits of willow bark for orchids:

Willow bark is loose in texture and light in weight, absorbs water and evaporates slowly, and has water-retaining and fertilizer-retaining functions. If you forget to water, the roots will absorb water from the willow bark, preventing orchid roots from drying out.

How to use:

After drying the collected willow bark, soak it in water again, cut it into pieces about 1 cm, then sterilize it in a pressure cooker. It can be mixed with orchid soil at a ratio of 1:2, or used as a top dressing on the surface of the orchid pot.

Willow bark not only provides good water-retaining and fertilizer-retaining functions, but also contains a great deal of salicylic acid, which can promote orchid shooting, rooting, and leaf photosynthesis, giving orchids more shoots and strong roots.

If you accidentally break an orchid root, you can also soak the orchid in water in which willow bark has been soaked, which helps the wound heal. If willow trees grow locally, you can also use young branches, crush them, soak them in water, and then pour it onto the orchid pot; it is also a very good rooting-promoting liquid.

To promote orchid rooting, besides using willow branches, you can also use these 2 pills

Aspirin

Aspirin can effectively promote orchid root growth, and can also improve the orchid's shooting ability and immunity, preventing orchid pests and diseases, such as black spot, southern blight, and so on.

How to use

Crush half an aspirin tablet into powder, then mix it with 50 g of water and pour it onto the orchid's roots.

Some flower growers also wrap aspirin powder in gauze and then attach it around the orchid's pseudobulbs. When watering, the tablet will dissolve onto the pseudobulbs, promoting orchid rooting and improving immunity.