Detailed Explanation of Golden Thread Orchid Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods
Golden Thread OrchidThere are more than 30 species in the genus, generally distributed in hilly areas at altitudes of 300-1200 m. Wild Golden Thread Orchid is found in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan in China. Among these, Wuping County in the Longyan area of Fujian is currently one of the largest trading and distribution centers for wild Golden Thread Orchid in China, and Wuping Golden Thread Orchid has now been granted geographical indication product protection by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. Mingxi and Yong'an in the Sanming area are also the central production areas with the richest distribution of wild Golden Thread Orchid, and Yong'an was rated by the China Economic Forestry Association as the only "Hometown of Chinese Golden Thread Orchid" in China.
Golden Thread Orchid prefers cool, shady and humid conditions, and especially likes to grow in damp areas along ditches and on rock walls with loose soil among evergreen broad-leaved trees. It requires a temperature of 20°C-32°C and light of about 1/3 of normal sunlight, and direct sunlight is most taboo. Its plant height is 8-20 cm, the rhizome is slender and soft, the stem is cylindrical, upright at the tip and creeping at the base, with obvious nodes; the leaves are alternate and stalked, elliptic, glossy on the surface, dark green with a network of golden veins, and pale purple-red on the underside; the flowers are complete flowers, and the raceme has 1-6 loose flowers, with a peduncle 8-13 cm long covered with soft hairs, and pale purple ovate-lanceolate bracts. In addition to its medicinal use, Golden Thread Orchid is also a precious indoor foliage plant with great ornamental value. Because of its strict requirements for the ecological environment and the severe destruction of the natural environment in recent years, wild Golden Thread Orchid is becoming increasingly scarce.
Ecological Habits of Golden Thread Orchid
(1) Temperature The suitable temperature for growth is 20-32°C. Golden Thread Orchid has relatively strong adaptability to temperature. During cultivation, under greenhouse cover, a continuous 30 d low temperature of 0-5°C still causes no obvious damage to Golden Thread Orchid. 15 days of daily temperatures above 34 degrees can easily cause leaf curling.
(2) Moisture Golden Thread Orchid prefers humidity. Moisture is the most important factor affecting the survival of Golden Thread Orchid. Golden Thread Orchid cannot survive in an environment with a dry climate and water-deficient soil. Golden Thread Orchid is naturally distributed in forest environments with high humidity and near some streams. Artificial cultivation should keep Golden Thread Orchid in a micro-environment with relative humidity above 70%. Water can often be sprinkled around the planting pots.
(3) Light Golden Thread Orchid is a shade-loving plant, and its light saturation point for photosynthesis is low. The suitable light intensity is about 3000 lux. 80% shade net + 80% shade net + 1 layer of plastic film. Under natural conditions, the canopy density of the upper tree layer is 70%-80%, and the coverage of the lower vegetation layer is about 40%.
(4) Soil The soil should be loose, breathable and moist. Under natural conditions, Golden Thread Orchid is distributed in humus soil, yellow soil and red soil types. Golden Thread Orchid is suitable for rooting in acidic soil conditions. High-quality humus soil is recommended.
Key Points of Artificial Cultivation Techniques
Artificial cultivation of Golden Thread Orchid currently mainly uses greenhouse cultivation. When building a greenhouse, according to the growth requirements of Golden Thread Orchid, choose a mountain gully with forest and water to ensure shade, water for irrigation, wind shelter and warmth in winter, reduced heat loss, maintained humidity, and convenient transportation. Artificially tissue-cultured seedlings can be planted all year round, with 300 plants planted per sq m in special square trays. Planting should be shallow rather than deep. After planting, cover with clean and dry cultivation medium, spray clean water, keep the temperature in the greenhouse at 20-30°C, and pay attention to moisture retention.
The quality of field management is related to the survival rate, growth and yield of Golden Thread Orchid, and the following should be done well:
(1) Light The degree of light transmittance in the greenhouse is closely related to growth and development, and light transmittance of three parts sun and seven parts shade is suitable. In general cultivation, a double layer of 80% shade net can be used to control it at about 3000 lx.
(2) Medium Golden Thread Orchid belongs to the Orchidaceae family and is also a medicinal plant, so a clean and suitable cultivation medium must be used. A suitable medium must have not only good air permeability but also good water retention. The company's bottle seedlings are robust and can be planted immediately after coming out of the bottle. When planting, soil mainly consisting of sandy soil among red soil and yellow soil is used as the cultivation medium; it is loose in texture and acidic, suitable for Golden Thread Orchid cultivation. Peat soil and perlite are recommended.
(3) Humidity Higher air humidity helps growth and increases plant fresh weight, but the cultivation medium should not be too wet, as excessive wetness easily leads to stem rot, and measures for ventilation and light transmission should be taken. Environments above 20 degrees require good ventilation conditions.
(4) Fertilization Apply fertilizer once every half month, preferably farmyard liquid fertilizer or biogas slurry, diluted to 1000 times.
(5) Harvesting The determination of the suitable harvest time is closely related to the length of cultivation time, and it is at least more suitable to harvest after 10 months of cultivation out of the bottle (8 months after planting). When Golden Thread Orchid grows to a plant height of more than 8-10 cm, with 5-6 leaves and a fresh weight of 4 g/plant, it can be harvested.