What are the eco-friendly methods for controlling flower diseases and pests?

Using pesticides to control flower diseases and pests not only pollutes the environment but is also costly, and sometimes they are even hard to buy. If you make your own homemade pesticides to control flower diseases and pests, the raw materials are easy to obtain, preparation is convenient, it saves money and time, and it is pollution-free and harmless, with very good control results too. Below, the Boqi.com editor introduces several homemade pesticide recipes and how to use them, for everyone to learn from.

Flower diseases and pests

Soapy water Soapy water controls pests mainly by clogging their respiratory organs (spiracles) and suffocating them to death. In addition, because soapy water has low surface tension, it readily clings to various pests, and it is effective against many small pests such as aphids and scale insects. To prepare it, use 1 part soap and add 50-60 parts water. First shave the soap into thin slices with a small knife, put them into a basin, bucket or other container, then pour in hot water and stir; once dissolved and cooled, it is ready to spray.

Laundry detergent water Use 1 part neutral laundry detergent and add 150 parts water, then spray the flower plants; this can kill aphids, red spider mites, whiteflies, scale insects and more. Note that after killing the pests, you must immediately rinse the leaf surfaces 2-3 times to clear the stomata on the plant leaves.

Tobacco leaf water The nicotine and nicotinic compounds in tobacco leaves have a good killing effect on pests, and pests do not easily develop resistance to them. Take 100 g of tobacco leaves, add 3 kg of clean water, and soak for 24 hours; during soaking, rub and knead repeatedly several times, then remove the leftover residue and filter, or boil for half an hour and then filter. Add 0.1%-0.2% neutral laundry detergent to the filtrate, stir thoroughly, and it is ready to spray. It has good control effects against aphids, red spider mites, whiteflies, leaf rollers, thrips, true bugs and various other leaf-eating pests.

Chili pepper water Take 100 g of dried chili peppers (preferably a very pungent variety such as facing-heaven chili), add an appropriate amount of clean water, boil for 10-15 minutes, filter, and spray on the flower plants. It can control pests such as aphids, red spider mites and whiteflies.

Tea seed cake waterCrush the tea seed cake, soak it in an appropriate amount of boiling water for 1 day and night (to extract the alkaloids and saponins in the tea seed cake), filter, then dilute the filtrate with clean water 20-30 times and spray. It has a good control effect on aphids, snails and planthoppers.

Peach leaf water Take 1 kg of peach leaves, add 5 kg of water, boil for half an hour, filter, and spray the filtrate; it can control inchworms, aphids and soft-bodied pests. Dry the peach leaves in the sun, grind them into powder, and bury it in the soil to control underground pests such as white grubs, termites and mole crickets.

Tobacco leaf lime water Take 500 g of tobacco leaves and 500 g of quicklime, add 30-40 kg of water; either hot soaking or cold soaking will do. The extract can control many pests that harm flowers, such as aphids, thrips, psyllids and flea beetles. Within 5 hours after application, tobacco leaf lime water can exert its best fumigant and contact-killing effects.

Thunder god vine Thunder god vine, also known as yellow vine root, is rich in 5 kinds of alkaloids and has antifeedant, stomach-poison and oviposition-deterrent effects on many flower pests, with good control effects on true bugs, scale insects, yellow squash beetles, tobacco cutworms, armyworms and more. Generally, first dry the root bark of thunder god vine in the sun and grind it into powder, add water and boil until it becomes sticky, then dilute with water to the desired concentration and spray. You can also mix 500 g of root bark powder with 4-5 kg of plant ash and dust it on, or mix 4.5 kg of root bark powder with 500 g of tobacco leaf powder and broadcast it on the flowers.

Castor bean water Mash 100 g of castor beans, add 1 kg of clean water and soak for 2-3 hours; after filtering, add a small amount of neutral laundry detergent and 6-8 kg of water. Stir well and spray; it can control pests such as aphids, leafhoppers and scarab beetles. Dry the castor leaves and stalks in the sun, grind them into powder, and bury it in the soil or in pots to control underground pests such as termites, white grubs and mole crickets.

Garlic water Mash purple-skinned garlic, squeeze out the juice, then dilute the juice with clean water 10 times, and it is ready to spray. It can control aphids, red spider mites, scale insects, gray mold and root rot, among others. Pouring the juice into the soil can control earthworms, root-knot nematodes and more.

Ginger water Mash fresh ginger and squeeze out the juice, dilute the juice with clean water 10-15 times and spray; it can control sooty mold and rot disease in many flowers, and can inhibit the germination of spores of many pathogens that harm flowers, keeping disease outbreaks under control.

Eco-friendly control methods for flower diseases and pests

Common methods for controlling orchid diseases and pests

Today the Huahui Penjing Feng editor wants to share with you an article about common methods for controlling orchid diseases and pests. Let's take a look.

Plants of the orchid family (scientific name: Orchidaceae), commonly known as orchids and also called huji hua, are a cosmopolitan and diverse family of flowering plants, with blooms that are often colorful and often fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family.

Orchids are herbaceous plants, and under artificial cultivation their disease incidence is much higher than when growing naturally in the forest. Under artificial cultivation, because of differences in temperature, humidity, light and air, plus unclean ambient air, orchids are most prone to leaf diseases such as anthracnose, black spot, sheath blight and rust spot.

Add a meaning item? Orchid. This is a word with multiple meanings. Please choose one of the following meaning items to browse (6 meaning items in total):

One of China's ten famous flowers; Chinese painting; a character appearing in the second part of "Mermaid Melody"; a 2006 film directed by American director Bryce Dallas Howard; a 2010 book compiled by the Royal Horticultural Society; a poem by Zuo Heshui

Orchid - one of China's ten famous flowers. Free editing. Edit the meaning item name.

Category: Plants

Orchid (scientific name: Cymbidium ssp.): epiphytic or terrestrial herb, with several to many leaves, usually born at the base of the pseudobulb or on the lower nodes, two-ranked, ribbon-shaped or rarely oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, the base generally with a broad sheath that clasps the pseudobulb, with a joint. The raceme bears several to many flowers, in colors of white, pure white, white-green, yellow-green, pale yellow, pale yellow-brown, yellow, red, blue-green and purple.

Among China's traditional famous flowers, the orchid refers only to several species of terrestrial orchids distributed among plants of the genus Cymbidium in China, such as Chunlan (Cymbidium goeringii), Huilan (Cymbidium faberi), Jianlan (Cymbidium ensifolium), Molan (Cymbidium sinense) and Hanlan (Cymbidium kanran), that is, what is usually called "Chinese orchid." This type of orchid is very different from the large-flowered, brightly colored tropical orchids: it has no striking gaudy display, no huge flowers or leaves, yet it has a plain, quiet, elegant and noble temperament, very much in line with Eastern aesthetic standards. It has a cultivation history of more than a thousand years in China.

The Chinese have always regarded the orchid as a symbol of nobility and elegance, and have ranked it alongside "plum, bamboo and chrysanthemum," collectively called the "Four Gentlemen." The term "lan zhang" is usually used as a metaphor for the beauty of poetry and prose, and "lan jiao" for the sincerity of friendship. Orchids are also used to express pure love: "Its spirit is like the orchid, never changing; its heart is like the orchid, never shifting," and "Having found a secluded orchid to give to a kindred spirit, one branch is enough to send a dream to the Xiang River." In May 1985, the orchid was rated fourth among China's ten famous flowers.

Basic information

Chinese name

Orchid

Alternative names

Chinese orchid, Chunlan, lancao, lanhua, youlan, shanlan, guoxiang, fairy of the empty valley, ancestor of fragrance

Phylum

Angiosperms

English name

Orchid

Species

29 species

Kingdom

Plantae

Tribe

Epidendreae

Order

Microspermae

Family

Orchidaceae

Latin scientific name

Cymbidium ssp.

Class

Monocotyledons

Subfamily

Orchidoideae

Namer and year

Sw.,1799

Genus

Cymbidium

Subclass

Liliidae

Contents

1 Basic introduction

2 Morphological characteristics

3 Distribution range

4 Value introduction

5 Commercial value

6 Hometowns of orchids

7 Cultivation-related

8 History of orchid art

9 Other related

Edit this section: Basic introduction

Plants of the orchid family (scientific name: Orchidaceae), commonly known as orchids and also called huji hua, are the largest and most diverse family of flowering plants, with more than about 800 genera and 25,000 species (some sources list more than 30,000 species), plus another more than 100,000 hybrid species and varieties cultivated by horticulturists. The Royal Botanic Gardens' "World Checklist of Orchids" lists about 24,000 accepted species names, with about 800 new species added each year. The orchid family has more species than all vertebrates including the class Osteichthyes, accounting for about 1/4 of all species in the class Monocotyledons. Early classification systems (the Cronquist system) placed Orchidaceae and Burmanniaceae within Microspermae; in the APG classification published in 1998 they were placed in Asparagales, and the improved APG II classification of 2003, which classifies by genetic relatedness, placed them under Asparagales as well and considered them closely related to Hypoxidaceae. Because of the extreme complexity of the orchid flora, all the flower's features fully express a high degree of adaptation to insect pollination, and they form symbiotic relationships with fungi; they are regarded as the apex of plant evolution.

Orchid family plants are all perennial herbs. Their lifestyles include terrestrial (such as Galearis, Bletilla and Spiranthes), epiphytic (or lithophytic; the vast majority of orchids have epiphytic habits) and the strangest of all, saprophytic (such as Gastrodia, Galeola, and the large-rooted and multi-rooted species of Cymbidium), and a few are climbing vines (such as Vanilla), with fibrous roots, and epiphytic ones have aerial roots; stems are upright, hanging or climbing; leaves are simple and alternate, with leaf sheaths; because of their pollination pattern with insects, the flowers have specialized into a labellum, and the floral structure is complex; the pseudobulb is an organ unique to orchid family plants, mainly seen in epiphytic orchids. Some varieties have large and beautiful flowers with different colors and shapes, so they are often cultivated as ornamental flowers.

Edit this section: Morphological characteristics

Orchids are herbaceous plants that are easy to keep alive. The roots are fleshy and thick, without root hairs, and have symbiotic fungi [2]. They have pseudobulbs, commonly called lu tou, wrapped outside by leaf sheaths, often connected together with multiple pseudobulbs, existing in rows at the same time. Leaves are linear or sword-shaped, leathery, upright or drooping; flowers are solitary or in racemes, with many bracts borne on the pedicel. Flowers are bisexual and fragrant. The corolla consists of 3 sepals and 3 petals plus the column. The middle sepal is called the main petal. The lower 2 are the secondary petals, and how the secondary petals spread is called hu. The upper 2 petals are upright, relatively thick and fleshy, with the tips curling inward, commonly called peng. Bilateral symmetry, the labellum, pollinia and the gynostemium are the basic features of orchid family plants: the feature of pollen forming masses has some exceptions, however; except for the Apostasioideae and Cypripedioideae, which lack it, most other orchid family plants also have a pollinium stalk. The ancients said, "One stem with one flower is lan," and one stem with many flowers is hui.

Chunlan and Huilan are divided, according to differences and changes in the shape and texture of the main petal, secondary petals, peng and lip, into plum petal, narcissus petal, lotus petal, butterfly petal, rare types and suxin, and so on. Plum petal means the sepals are short and round, relatively thick and fleshy, slightly curved inward, with a narrow base; the peng petals are thick and fleshy with tips curving inward to form a pouch; the lip is short and hard; the flower is slightly upward-facing when first opening. Famous varieties include Songmei and Xishenmei. Narcissus petal means the sepals are slightly longer than in plum petal, with tips gradually pointed; the peng petals are thick in texture and also form a pouch at the tip; the lip hangs slightly or curls back. Famous varieties include Wangzi and Cuiyipin. Cha petal means the sepals are broad and large, thick in texture, narrow at the base, wide with a protruding pointed tip; the peng petals do not form a pouch; the lip is relatively moist and slightly curled back. Famous varieties include Dafugui and Cuigaihua. Butterfly petal means the inner side of the two downward sepals becomes thicker in texture, wavy and wrinkled, with red patches, and sometimes the number of sepals or petals suddenly increases (such as in Luyun, whose corolla usually has about 8 parts), or the flower shape has special changes. Suxin means the perianth, flower stem and bracts are the same color, pure green, yellow-green, etc., without variegated markings of mixed colors, yellow-green, etc., without variegated stripes. Precious varieties include Zhanghesu and Laowentuanse.

Orchids like shade and fear direct sunlight; they like moisture and avoid dryness; they like fertile environments rich in a large amount of humus and prefer well-ventilated conditions [2]. Climate and environment in different places can all affect orchid growth, so the choice of growing medium differs. For example, in southern Fujian, the weather in all four seasons is relatively warm and does not get too cold, so orchids grow fast and are suited to being grown in small pebbles: first, it saves resources. Second, pebbles help with ventilation and do not hold standing water.

Edit this section: Distribution range

Because most varieties of terrestrial orchids originate in China, orchids are also called Chinese orchids and are ranked first among China's ten famous flowers. Chinese orchids are mainly Chunlan,

Huilan, Jianlan, Hanlan, Molan, Chunjian and Lianbianlan, seven major categories, with thousands of horticultural varieties.

Chunlan is also known as caolan and shanlan. Chunlan is widely distributed and rich in resources. Its flowering period is February to March of the year, and it can last about 1 month. The flowers have a rich, pure fragrance. Precious varieties include lotus, plum, narcissus and butterfly petal types in various colors. In terms of petal type, the famous varieties from Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the most typical.

Sample: Huilan Dayipin

Sample: Huilan Dayipin

Huilan has thick and long roots, narrow ribbon-shaped leaves, relatively rough and hard texture, gray-green color, obvious serrations along the leaf margins, and a prominent midrib. Its flowering period is March to May. The flowers have a strong fragrance that spreads far and lasts long. Flower colors include yellow, white, green, pale red and multi-color; most are colorful flowers, and there are also plain flowers and butterfly flowers.

Jianlan is also called four-season orchid, including summer orchids and autumn orchids that bloom in summer. Four-season orchids are robust and upright, with green leaves and abundant flowers, strong fragrance and beautiful blooms; they fear neither heat nor cold, have strong vitality and are easy to cultivate. Different varieties have different flowering periods, and flowers can be seen from May to December.

Molan, also known as baosuilan, baisuilan and fengsuilan, etc., is native to China's Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, Taiwan, China and Hainan, among other places. Orchid growers in various parts of southern China, especially Guangdong and Yunnan, most love to cultivate and appreciate it.

Chunjian is often called authentic Sichuan orchid. Although Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan all have famous varieties, the famous Sichuan orchid varieties are the most precious. Flower colors include red, yellow, white, green, purple, black and multi-color; they are dazzling and eye-catching, with graceful bearing and elegant charm, strong fragrance and pure scent, and are often the first choice praised by orchid growers. Hanlan

Hanlan is distributed in Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong and the southwestern regions of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, among other places. Hanlan's leaves are more slender than those of four-season orchid, especially narrower at the leaf base; the leaf posture is elegant and unrestrained, verdant and delicate, and there are large-, medium- and fine-leaved varieties as well as edged varieties. Flower colors are rich, including yellow, green, purple-red and deep purple; generally there are variegated veins and spots, and there are also clean, flawless plain flowers. The sepals and peng petals are relatively narrow and fine, with a distinctive style, delicate and lovely, with an intoxicating fragrance.

Lianbianlan is a terrestrial orchid mainly produced in the northwestern Yunnan region of Yunnan Province, blooming each year around New Year's Day and the Spring Festival. The petals of this orchid are elliptical and strip-shaped, closely resembling the petals of a blooming lotus root flower; people use one flower to describe another, and named it "Lianbianlan."

Edit this section: Value introduction

Medicinal

According to records, the orchid has the reputation of "queen of flowers," and the roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds of orchids all have certain medicinal value [1]. The roots can treat pulmonary tuberculosis, lung abscess and sprains, and can also set bones; decocting Jianlan roots in soup and taking it is said to be a miraculous medicine for inducing labor. The leaves treat whooping cough, the fruit can stop vomiting, and the seeds treat eye films. The whole plant of Huilan can treat women's diseases, and the whole plant of Chunlan treats neurasthenia, roundworms and hemorrhoids, among other illnesses. Jianlan leaves can treat deficiency of lung qi in the weak (also written as liver qi). Orchid flower stems can treat malignant ringworm. Suxin orchid petals can induce labor. The dried-in-the-shade suxin petals of Huilan can also induce labor.

In rural areas of some parts of Sichuan, orchids are called "labor-inducing flowers." It is said that if a woman has a difficult labor, quickly bringing a pot of "labor-inducing flowers" into the delivery room will let the pregnant woman smell the orchid fragrance and then give birth smoothly. Whether this has any scientific basis still awaits verification by obstetrics and gynecology experts.

China's traditional orchids are precious flowers with graceful posture and rich fragrance (the fragrance of kings). But physicians through the ages have summarized very little about their medicinal value. The whole orchid plant can be used as medicine. Its nature is neutral, its taste is pungent and sweet, and it is non-toxic. It has effects such as nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, promoting diuresis and draining dampness, and clearing heat and detoxifying. It can be applied clinically to various internal and gynecological conditions. Summarized as follows:

1. Nourish yin fluids, promote fluid production and moisten dryness, treating the aftereffects of dry mouth and excessive thirst caused by radiotherapy for malignant tumors.

[Ming dynasty] Li Shizhen, "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Lancao, its odor is pungent, neutral, sweet and non-toxic." "Its qi is clear and fragrant, promotes fluid production and quenches thirst, moistens the muscles, and treats wasting-thirst and gallbladder jaundice." "...To treat wasting-thirst, use orchid leaves in a fluid-producing drink; this is probably the basis for it." Modern medical science uses radium (cobalt-60) for radiotherapy after surgery for some malignant tumors or cancers, achieving certain therapeutic effects, but causing a certain degree of damage to and functional impact on the tissues and organs near the tumor. For example, radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, malignant tumors of the salivary glands (mucoepidermoid carcinoma), and upper and middle esophageal cancer damages the various glands of the oral cavity, especially the three pairs of major salivary glands, the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands, and the mucosal gland cells of the upper digestive tract, causing a large decrease in glandular secretion and producing symptoms of upper wasting-thirst such as dry burning throat, dry tongue and scorched lips, and thirst with a desire to drink. Using orchids can treat this condition caused by radiotherapy for malignant tumors, with very good results.

According to clinical experience, pairing radiotherapy patients with malignant tumors in different locations and organs with certain Chinese herbal medicines gives good results. For example, radiotherapy patients with laryngeal cancer are routinely combined with Vietnamese sophora root, cogongrass rhizome and dandelion; radiotherapy patients with esophageal cancer should be combined with scutellaria barbata, oldenlandia diffusa, prunella vulgaris and clematis, among others.

2. Clear heat and cool blood, nourish yin and moisten the lungs, treating dry cough and prolonged coughing, and hemoptysis from the lungs.

Modern traditional Chinese medicine research shows that the whole Jianlan plant has the effects of clearing heat and cooling blood, nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, and is often used clinically for hemoptysis from pulmonary tuberculosis and for regulating the condition of prolonged dry coughing that will not stop.

To treat patients with mild to moderate hemoptysis from pulmonary tuberculosis, use 50-100 g of fresh Jianlan roots, mash and squeeze the juice or decoct in water and take it, 2 times a day; obvious effects appear in 4-6 days.

To treat patients with dry coughing that will not stop, use 30-50 orchid stamens, decoct in water, add rock sugar, 2 times a day; miraculous effects appear after 3-5 days of taking it. This matches the discussion in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" that "lancao mainly treats generating blood, regulating qi, nourishing the nutritive qi, and removing phlegm accumulation in the chest."

3. Regulate qi and harmonize blood, drain dampness and reduce swelling, treating urinary tract infections and leukorrhea in women.

According to the records in "Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica": "The yellow orchid, called honey orchid, can stop diarrhea and leukorrhea, promotes urination, kills parasitic toxins, reduces abscesses and swelling, regulates menstruation; taken over a long period it boosts qi, lightens the body, prevents aging, and clears the mind." Modern traditional Chinese medicine holds that orchid roots have the effects of regulating qi and harmonizing blood, draining dampness, and reducing swelling. They are used to treat urinary tract infections and excessive leukorrhea in women.

Take 50g of orchid root, 30g of cogongrass root, and 30g of winter melon rind, decoct in water, and take continuously for 6 to 10 days to treat urethral infection.

For excessive leukorrhea in women, take 50g of orchid root, 30g of asparagus root, 30g of lily, and 1 free-range farm chicken, stew them together, drink the soup and eat the meat, once every 2 to 3 days, for 2 to 3 times in a row.

4. Soothes the liver and relieves depression, harmonizes qi and blood, and treats dizziness and vertigo, and neurasthenia.

Modern pharmacological research shows that the aromatic component of orchids - aromatic oil - makes people feel relaxed and happy, clears stale qi, relieves depression and dispels boredom, and refreshes the mind.

It is effective in treating dizziness and vertigo (Meniere's syndrome). Prescription: 30g of orchid stamens, 15g of chrysanthemum, 15g of dwarf lilyturf tuber, and 20g of agrimony, decocted in water, 1 dose per day. Take continuously for 4 to 6 days. This is based on the records in "Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica" that "the plain-hearted Jian orchid removes stale qi and relieves depression" and "honey-preserved green orchid flowers steeped as tea harmonize qi and blood, soothe the middle, and dispel drunkenness."

Take 50g of orchid root, 20g of canna rhizome, and 20g of Cynanchum paniculatum, decoct in water, 1 dose per day, and take continuously for 10 to 15 days to treat neurasthenia.

5. Other medicinal uses

According to the record that "orchid leaves receive the qi of metal and water yet seem to contain fire; people know the value of their floral fragrance but do not know that the leaves have medicinal formulas, for the leaves can powerfully disperse long-accumulated stale and stagnant qi, which is what is now placed on the right," to treat constipation, stagnation and accumulation in the large and small intestines, thick and greasy tongue coating, dry throat and lung dryness, and foul breath, take 20 to 30 autumn orchid flowers and 50g of orchid leaves, decoct in water, and when lukewarm, add 30g of honey and take it, continuously for 2 to 3 times. This conforms to the theory that the lungs and large intestine are interior-exterior paired.

Use 50 to 100g of fresh orchid root, wash it clean, pound it into a paste, and apply it to the affected area to treat traumatic injuries, subcutaneous bleeding, and muscle tumors.

Edible uses

(1) Floral fragrance can scent tea

The fragrance of orchids is clear and mellow, and when used to scent tea, the quality is the highest. In orchid-producing areas or large-scale orchid nurseries, orchid tea has promising prospects for development.

It is recorded: "Flowers can enhance tea, and paste can substitute for drink." In Fujian Province, villagers preserve Jian orchid flowers in honey and then drink it. There is also a record: "Using salted plum dried until drunk to extract juice, called plum oil, to soak fresh flowers and make fragrance." In Japan's ancient capital, east of Kyoto, there is an old small shop that for decades has sold a hereditary "orchid tea." This is made by picking spring orchid flowers grown on the mountains north of Kyoto, drying them semi-dry by a special method, then salting them and putting them in small clay bottles. When using, take two flowers, place them in a teacup, and pour boiling water over them to drink. After soaking, the orchid flowers regain their original shape, are both beautiful and have a special fragrance, and the flavor when drinking is extraordinary. The flowers can also be eaten at the same time.

(2) Flowers can be eaten

Flowers can be made into soup. It is recorded that flowers can be added to soup; just before adding, first blanch them with hot water, and the flower color will be fresh and the soup taste delicious. Orchids can be used as dishes and are famous Sichuan dishes at banquets, with a delicate fragrance that fills the table, making them unforgettable for a lifetime. Famous dishes in Sichuan cuisine include "orchid shredded pork tripe," "orchid shredded pork," and "orchid steamed buns" are also endlessly flavorful.

Edit this section: Commercial value

A Singaporean merchant has produced a very unique souvenir by soaking orchid flowers in 18K or 22K gold liquid, and after they solidify, making them into brooches, small clips, earrings, plates, and other ornaments. Because orchid flowers are naturally grown raw materials, no two flowers can be exactly the same, so each gold-plated orchid jewelry piece is also different. In addition, orchid flowers are also placed in a special wax to make various souvenirs such as small alarm clocks and pen holders. Singapore is a multiracial country, so souvenirs are also diverse. Walking into Chinatown, with Chinese music lingering, various small souvenirs with Chinese characteristics can be seen everywhere. Stepping into "Little India," people will find its "Indian flavor" is very rich, with saris, spices, garlands, peacock feathers, and more visible everywhere. And "Holland Village" sells Western souvenirs, such as Dutch clogs.

In addition to tourist souvenirs for viewing and wearing, Singapore now also turns some high-quality foods into tourist souvenirs for tourists to choose from. Specialties such as Singapore bak kwa and rock sugar bird's nest are deeply loved by tourists.

Edit this section: Hometown of orchids

Luotian, Hubei

On the morning of April 2, 2013, the awarding ceremony was held in Luotian County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province. This awarding ceremony was hosted by the China Wild Plant Conservation Association and undertaken by the Hubei Wildlife Conservation Association, the CPC Luotian County Committee, and the Luotian County People's Government.

Luotian has a mild climate, abundant rainfall, many mountains and dense forests, and a forest coverage rate of 68.8%, providing good ecological conditions for orchid growth and promoting the coexistence of multiple communities of orchid family plants. In high-altitude forest areas, Goodyera schlechtendaliana, Cypripedium japonicum, and Cleisostoma scolopendrifolium are abundant; in middle- and low-altitude mountain forests, Jian orchids, cold orchids, and Huilan are abundant. A total of 18 genera and 25 species of orchid family plants have been discovered within the territory, with a growth area reaching 1.32 million mu. [5]

Edit this section: Cultivation-related

Chinese orchids

Shaoxing orchids

Shaoxing is one of the earliest places in China where orchids were cultivated and has long been called the "hometown of orchids." The Southern Song Baooing "Kuaiji Xu Zhi" records: "Orchids: the Yue Jue Shu says: Goujian planted orchids on Lanzhu Mountain. The old classic says: Lanzhu Mountain is the place where Goujian planted orchids." Lanzhu Mountain is in present-day Lizhu Lanting and is still famous at home and abroad for its abundance of spring orchids. Shaoxing orchids have many varieties, and their flower shapes, colors, and fragrances are all unique. With one branch in a room, a clear fragrance fills the air and refreshes the heart. The Ming dynasty painter and calligrapher Xu Wei wrote in a poem "Orchid": "Do not be surprised that spring light does not belong to me; one fragrance is enough to surpass a thousand reds. Even if picked and placed in Han Niang's sleeve, it will not become the musk wind of the world." Traditional famous orchid varieties such as "Song Mei," "Lou Mei," "Huanqiu Heding," and "Zandie" all come from Shaoxing. Shaoxing's rare variety "Lüyun" is a national-level protected rare resource. In 1959, a rare-petaled famous Shaoxing orchid was named "Zhongshan Hudie He" by Beijing Zhongshan Park. In 1982, the Standing Committee of the Shaoxing Municipal People's Congress designated the orchid as the city flower of Shaoxing and established the country's first orchid association, namely the Shaoxing Orchid Association.

Major orchid-producing county

Yifeng County in Jiangxi is a major orchid-producing county, and orchid resources within its territory are very rich. Spring orchids, Huilan, Jian orchids, and cold orchids are all distributed there, with cold orchids being the most prominent and renowned nationwide. In recent years, orchid cultivation in Tanshan and Tianbao in the county has developed rapidly, and a number of large orchid-growing and orchid-cultivating households such as Heping Orchid Garden and Baiyi Orchid Garden have emerged, and the orchid industry has begun to take shape. In order to guide and support the orchid industry to become bigger and stronger and form scale, the county orchid association carefully organized orchid enthusiasts to participate in the Second China Cold Orchid (Chongqing) Expo. At this exhibition, the county won a total of 3 awards: Shenmao, submitted by the county's major orchid grower Yang Heping, won the Special Gold Award, the down-mountain spring orchid line art won Silver, and the side-petal butterfly won Bronze.

Distribution and collection

In China, apart from North China, Northeast China, and Ningxia, Qinghai, and ** in the Northwest, every province and region has different species of Cymbidium plants. Generally speaking, terrestrial orchids mostly grow in temperate and subtropical regions, such as Jiangsu and Anhui; epiphytic orchids mostly grow in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Guangdong, Fujian, and Taiwan, China.

Collecting wild orchids in the mountains is of great significance for discovering new varieties and selecting excellent hybrid parents. During collection, consideration should be given to choosing the flowering period, improving the survival rate, the local climate, and the local orchid soil's dryness and moisture. Factors such as different growing environments in different places should also be taken into account, while also paying attention to safety, fire prevention, not trespassing into restricted areas, and keeping collection records.

In the process of orchid cultivation and business operations, due to the frenzied speculation by orchid merchants on some novel orchid varieties, orchid prices once rose abnormally, and "sky-high-priced orchids" constantly appeared. Driven by huge economic interests, large-scale destructive collection of wild orchid resources appeared, and many wild orchid habitats were extremely damaged. For this reason, the state adopted protective measures such as establishing no-collection reserves, setting protection levels for varieties, improving legislation on wild resources, and strictly punishing illegal collectors.

From the perspective of long-term and effective use of orchid resources and respect for and advocacy of environmental protection, orchid enthusiasts should establish a scientific, reasonable, environmentally friendly, and law-abiding awareness of orchid collection.

City flower of Guiyang, city flower of Shaoxing, and provincial flower of Zhejiang.

Chinese orchid Huilan

Orchids are world-famous flowers. Within the national orchid family there are more than 15,000 varieties. In Asia, China's national orchid is Huilan; in Oceania and Africa, many are Feng

orchids, Singapore's Vanda, Finland's lily of the valley, Yugoslavia's lily of the valley, Seychelles - Yucca, Zimbabwe - Gloriosa, and national orchids designated by South American countries: Brazil's Cattleya, Costa Rica's Cattleya. Ecuador and Guatemala both have Cattleya, Colombia's Cattleya, and Ecuador's white orchid.

Chinese orchid Huilan usually refers to a portion of terrestrial species in the genus Cymbidium. The pseudobulbs are relatively small, the leaves are linear, and the roots are fleshy; the flower stem is upright, with 1 to more than 10 flowers, and the flowers are small and fragrant, usually light green with purple-red spots. Different species vary greatly in leaf and flower morphology and flowering period. They are produced south of the Qinling Mountains and in the southwest region. The history of cultivation is long, at least more than a thousand years, and it is one of China's ten traditional famous flowers. Since ancient times, people have regarded orchids as a symbol of nobility, elegance, patriotism, and unyielding integrity. This has formed an orchid culture with strong Chinese national characteristics. Propagated by division, sowing, or tissue culture. Pot cultivation with humus soil requires good aeration and drainage; it prefers semi-shade and a humid environment. The overwintering temperature for Cymbidium sinense, Jian orchid, and cold orchid is about 10°C, and for the other species about 5°C.

What is called Chinese orchid today was called "Hui" in ancient times. Just as Huang Tingjian (1045-1105) of the Northern Song dynasty described orchids in "Youfang Pavilion": "One stem with one flower and abundant fragrance is an orchid; one stem with five or seven flowers and insufficient fragrance is a Hui."

Ornamental appreciation and cultivation

We Chinese have appreciated and cultivated orchids much earlier than the Western cultivation of exotic orchids. As early as the Spring and Autumn period, 2,400 years ago, China's cultural teacher Confucius once said: "Angelica and orchids grow in deep valleys and do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there; a gentleman cultivates the Way and establishes virtue and does not change integrity because of poverty."

Orchid, fragrant plant. -- "Shuowen"

Henglan Zhiruo. -- "Book of Han: Biography of Sima Xiangru"

The root of Lanhuai is angelica. -- "Xunzi: Encouraging Learning"

The root of Chinese orchid is angelica dahurica, and angelica dahurica symbolizes the common people. Huizhi has been the essence of the traditional virtues of benevolence, righteousness, and civil governance since ancient times. The great Tang poet Li Bai wrote, "The secluded orchid's fragrant wind blows far; the hui grass spreads its fragrant roots." Huilan's roots lie with the people.

History of Chinese orchid art

Chinese orchid

Confucius, "The Confucian School Sayings: In Adversity": Angelica and orchids grow in deep forests and do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there; a gentleman cultivates the Way and establishes virtue and does not change integrity because of poverty. The Song dynasty was the peak period in China's history of orchid art, with many books and descriptions related to orchid art. For example, Luo Yuan of the Song dynasty wrote in "Erya Yi": "The leaves of the orchid are like those of the sedge and sprout in early spring. The flowers are very fragrant and mostly grow in forests. When a breeze passes, their fragrance rises clearly to the outside, hence they are called zhilan. Orchids in Jiangnan bloom only in spring; those in Jingchu and central Fujian bloom again in autumn and summer." The Southern Song Zhao Shigeng's "Jinzhang Lanpu," written in 1233, can be said to be the earliest surviving work in China researching orchids and also the world's first monograph on orchids. The whole book is divided into three volumes and five parts, briefly describing the morphological characteristics of more than 30 varieties of purple orchids (mainly Cymbidium sinense) and white orchids (that is, plain-hearted Jian orchids), and also discussing the grade of orchids. After "Jinzhang Lanpu," Wang Guixue wrote "Wang's Orchid Manual" in 1247, which gave detailed descriptions of more than 30 orchid varieties. In addition, the Song dynasty also had "Aokai Orchid Manual," which mainly described cultivation methods and was divided into seven parts: division method, planting method, placement and watering method, watering method, flower fertilizer and soil method, ant and louse removal method, and miscellaneous methods. As for Wu Zan's "Zhongyi Biyong," it also introduced orchid cultivation. In 1256, Chen Jingyi's "Quanfang Beizu" gave a relatively detailed account of orchids. The complete printed edition of this book was collected in the Japanese Imperial Palace Library, and in 1979 Japan returned a photocopy to our country. In the Song dynasty, works entering Chinese painting with orchids as the subject included "Spring Orchid" painted by Zhao Mengjian, which has been regarded as the earliest surviving famous orchid painting and is now treasured in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, orchid art entered another prosperous period. With the continuous increase in orchid varieties and the growing richness of cultivation experience, orchid cultivation became an object of public appreciation. At this time, there were relatively many books, painting albums, poetic lines, and orchid patterns printed on porcelain and certain handicrafts describing orchids, such as Zhang Yingmin's "Luoli Zhai Orchid Manual" of the Ming dynasty and the records about orchids in Gao Lian's "Zunsheng Bajian." Li Shizhen, the Ming dynasty pharmacologist, also gave a relatively complete discussion of orchid naming, categories, and uses in his book "Compendium of Materia Medica." The Qing dynasty also produced many monographs on orchid art, such as the 1805 "Lanhui Tongxin Lu," written by a man surnamed Xu from Jiaxing, Zhejiang. He was addicted to orchids, good at painting orchids, and had rich experience in orchid art. The book is divided into two volumes; volume one discusses knowledge of orchid cultivation, and volume two describes methods for identifying and classifying orchid varieties. The whole book records 57 varieties and includes his line drawings. Others such as Yuan Shijun's "Lanyan Shulüe," Du Wenlan's "Yilan Sishuo," Mao Xiang's "Lanyan," Zhu Kerou's "First Fragrance Notes," Tu Yongning's "Lanhui Mirror," Zhang Guangzhao's "Xinglan Pulüe," Yue Liang's "On Cultivating Orchids," Wang Hao's "Guang Qunfang Pu," Wu Qijun's "Illustrated Investigation of Plant Names and Reality," and the late Qing Ou Jince's "Linghai Lanyan" still have certain reference value today.

Orchid art

In modern times, orchid art development includes "A Brief History of Lanhui," published in 1923, written by Wu Enyuan of Hangxian, Zhejiang. Using "Lanhui Tongxin Lu" as a model, he divided it into three volumes and gave a relatively comprehensive introduction to orchid varieties and cultivation methods at the time. The whole book records 161 famous Zhejiang lanhui varieties and is equipped with many photographs and illustrations, both pictorial and textual, fascinating to read. In addition, "Methods of Growing Orchids" written by Xia Zhibin in 1930; the book "Orchids" co-edited by Yao Yumiu and Zhu Youren of Hangzhou in 1950; "Sichuan's Lanhui" compiled by the Chengdu Parks Bureau in 1963; "Xiamen Orchid Manual" compiled by Yan Chujiang of Fujian in 1964; the two books "Orchids" written by Wu Yingyang in 1980 and "Chinese Orchids" written in 1991, as well as books and magazines introducing Chinese orchids published in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, China, can be said to be a major achievement in modern Chinese orchid art research.

Orchid art originated in China and spread abroad to Japan and Korea. Today Japan has a very strong interest in Chinese orchids, and its historical origin also began in China. Today Japan's orchid cultivation has formed its own system and developed into a base known as "Oriental orchids." As for Korea, orchid art has inevitably become something the Korean people admire, and orchids have become an elegant flower for today's Korean people to display in bedrooms, residences, and halls. Even more praiseworthy is that they present orchids as a high-grade gift.

Humans are the most intelligent of all things, and orchids are the finest of all flowers. May lanhui naturally enter people's spiritual world, and may we together carry forward orchid art, this traditional national essence of the Chinese nation, making friends through orchids and advancing together.

Ancient orchid cultivation formulas

The "Twelve-Month Formula" is spoken according to the lunar calendar and is recorded as follows:

In the first month, place it in the east, facing the sunlight away from bright exposure; do not worry about sun exposure morning or evening, just keep its green appearance unchanged.

In the second month, cultivation is truly difficult; beware of leaves developing partridge spots; insert bamboo around it to prevent wind breakage, and cherish the leaves as if cherishing a jade ring.

In the third month, new shoots emerge from the old clump; remember that the flower pot must not face the west wind; guard against damp places breeding lice, and at the roots it still dislikes strong manure.

In the fourth month, the courtyard sun suddenly becomes hot, and the soil in the pot dries immediately; do not water with fresh well water, and occasionally pour greasy water, whose taste is sweetest.

In the fifth month, fresh fragrance fills the old stand, and the depths of green shade are most peaceful; at this time the leaves withdraw according to their nature, and after trimming they appear even more numerous.

In the sixth month, the scorching sun adds summer heat, and the fragrant branches and leaves are just producing flowers; a cool pavilion or waterside chamber is suitable for placing them, or a frame can be made in front of the eaves for shade.

In the seventh month, although the summer heat has somewhat subsided, it is only suitable to water once every three days; earthworms are most detested for damaging the roots, and bitter soap boiled into soup mixed with urine can be used.

In the eighth month, the weather feels slightly cool, and wind and sun do no harm; after a year, the dirty water must now be changed, and instead use water soaked with chicken feathers.

In the ninth month, there is light frost in the season; be careful about placement under the steps and eaves; if ants or insects appear, guard against yellow swelling, and sprinkling oil tea on the leaves can prevent harm.

In the tenth month, the warm spring-like air returns, and next year's flower shoots are again conceived; not exposing the secluded roots is truly a wonderful method, and when the pot is full, especially urgently repot.

In the eleventh month, the weather should face the sun, and at night it must be carefully stored. Always keep the soil surface slightly moist; when dry, the leaves turn yellow.

In the twelfth month, wind is cold and snow flies again; strictly store it in a warm place to protect the young branches; wait until the freeze thaws and spring takes command, then move it to the courtyard to face the sunlight.

Propagation methods

Orchids are commonly propagated by division, sowing, and tissue culture.

Division propagation: This can be done in both spring and autumn, generally once every three years. Any plant with robust growth and densely clustered pseudobulbs can be divided; after division, each clump must retain at least 5 connected pseudobulbs. Before division, reduce watering so the potting soil is relatively dry. When potting after division, first cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot with broken tile pieces, then spread coarse gravel to occupy 1/5 to 1/4 of the pot depth, then place coarse-grained soil and a small amount of fine soil, and then plant with sandy loam rich in humus. The planting depth should just bury the pseudobulbs in the soil, leave a 2cm rim at the edge of the pot, spread Selaginella uncinata or fine gravel on top, and finally water thoroughly, place in a shaded place for 10 to 15 days, keep the soil moist, gradually reduce watering, and carry out normal maintenance.

Seed propagation: Orchid seeds are extremely fine, and the seed contains only one incompletely developed embryo, so germination power is very low. In addition, the seed coat does not easily absorb water, so sowing by conventional methods cannot germinate. Therefore, orchid fungi or artificial culture medium are needed to supply nutrients for germination. For sowing, it is best to select fruit that has not yet split; after sterilizing the surface with 75% alcohol, take out the seeds, soak them in 10% sodium hypochlorite for 5 to 10 minutes, take them out and rinse 3 times with sterile water, then sow them in culture bottles containing medium, then place them in a dark culture room and maintain the temperature at about 25°C. After they begin to sprout, move them into the light and they can form protocorms. From sowing to transplanting takes half a year to one year. Tissue culture has already been successful, and where conditions permit, this method can be used for propagation.

Propagation techniques

Site selection: The surroundings should be open, well ventilated, close to water surfaces, humid, and free of coal smoke pollution. On the southwest side of the site, evergreen broadleaf trees can be planted, and the canopy density should be about 0.7. This can reduce afternoon sunlight exposure and regulate humidity and temperature.

Watering: Rainwater or spring water is preferable; water containing salt and alkali should not be used. If tap water is used, it should be left standing for several days before use. Watering depends on the temperature: in spring, water less; in summer, water more; during the plum rain season, when orchids are sending out leaf buds, the potting soil should be slightly dry; after autumn when the weather turns cool, reduce watering appropriately and just keep it moist. In winter indoors it should be dry, reduce the frequency of watering, and it is best to water at noon. Orchids can tolerate light rain, but continuous rain or heavy rain can easily cause rot in the heart and leaves, so attention must be paid to rain protection.

Fertilizing: For cultivating orchids, cake fertilizer is suitable. Mix 4 parts plant ash, 10 parts soybean cake, and 10 parts bone meal evenly, place in a vat, add water several times until the soybean cake is soaked and swollen, then cover and seal, let it decompose for one year, and then make it into dry granules. When using, place it on the pot surface. If using whole manure, it should also be decomposed for one year, diluted with water, filtered, and used. Generally, fertilizing starts in May and stops at the beginning of autumn, with the principle of thin fertilizer applied frequently. Fertilizing should be done in the evening, and the next morning water once with clear water.

Shading and cold protection: Except in early spring and winter, they should all be placed under open-air sheds. The shade shed requires good ventilation. When orchids first come out of the room in March to April, they can get more sunlight, and afterward the shading time gradually increases. In winter, orchids must be moved indoors for cold protection, and the room temperature only needs to be kept at 1 to 2°C. In addition, after orchids come out of the room in spring and before they enter the room in autumn, attention must also be paid to frost protection.

Planting methods

For divided orchid clumps, do not separate them too sparsely. Each clump should have at least 3 to 5 shoots, and it is best to keep one-year-old plants, two-year-old plants, and three-year-old plants in the same clump.

Pot padding

Cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot with a piece of tile, then gradually fill with bricks, tiles, or shells, filling large gaps with mud particles or pea gravel, generally about 1/2 to 1/3 of the pot height. The remaining clear height is about 10 to 15cm, reserved for the cultivation soil layer. The specific height should be determined according to the orchid species and the length of the orchid roots and the height of the pot. The padding should not be filled too densely or too solidly; some pores should be retained. Practice has proved that some new roots can grow well in the pores of the padding layer.

Planting

On the padding layer, first fill 2 to 3cm of cultivation soil, press it slightly with the hand, then place the orchid upright on it. According to the size of the plant and the flower pot, several single plants, 2 clumps, 3 clumps, or more clumps can be planted in one pot. Three clumps are suitably planted in a tripod arrangement. Four clumps can be planted in a square. Five clumps are suitably arranged in a plum-blossom shape. The orchid roots should stretch naturally, and the leaves should spread in all directions. Slowly place the orchid roots into the pot so that the orchid roots stretch naturally and avoid rubbing against the inner wall of the pot as much as possible. After the orchid plant is in the pot, gradually fix the posture of the orchid plant. For one clump per pot, the old pseudobulbs should be placed toward one side so that new buds have room to develop. For several clumps per pot, the old pseudobulbs of each clump should be relatively gathered in the middle of the pot so that new roots and new buds developing outward each have enough space.

Filling soil

When planting, hold the leaves with one hand and add nutrient soil with the other, hold the base of the orchid plant and lift it slightly upward to stretch the root system, while shaking the orchid pot. Let the cultivation soil go deep into the root zone; continue adding soil and shaking the orchid pot to adjust the position and height of the orchid plant. Press with the hand along the edge of the pot, but do not press too hard or the roots will be damaged. Continue adding soil and pressing until the soil surface is 2 to 3cm above the pot rim, slightly in a steamed-bun shape. The cultivation soil should cover all orchid roots, burying them up to the base of the pseudobulbs. Regarding the depth of soil filling, tradition holds that spring orchids should be planted shallowly and Huilan deeply, but generally the criterion is not to bury the leaf bases on the pseudobulbs. When newly collected orchids grow in the wild, the plants retain obvious markers above and below the soil surface, and these markers can be used as the standard. The size of the flower pot should also match the size and number of the plants; it should be neither a large pot with small and few plants, nor a small pot with large and many plants. Generally, the number of plants should be based on the principle that after 2 to 3 years they will just fill the pot. Plant size should match pot height. This is beneficial to growth and also meets ornamental requirements.

Surface covering

After planting is completed, spread a layer of small stone grains or moss on the surface of the potting soil, preferably high-quality moss from under the forest. It is both attractive and can regulate moisture, and can also protect the leaf surface from being polluted by muddy water. New buds will also not rot at the heart due to infection by pathogens in the soil; in addition, it can slow the washing away of potting soil by rain and keep the potting soil loose.

Watering

After planting is completed, water the first time immediately, and the potting soil must be thoroughly wet. Water droplets should be small, and the impact force should not be strong. If placing it in a water basin to soak, never soak too long. Once the potting soil is soaked, immediately take the orchid pot out, then move it to a shaded place for maintenance.

Test-tube cultivation

With the continuous development of orchid tissue culture techniques and aseptic sowing techniques, the phenomenon of orchids flowering in test tubes is receiving increasing attention. The main reason this phenomenon attracts the attention of breeders is that artificially hybridized new varieties that formerly required many years of conventional cultivation to flower can now, in test tubes, be artificially induced to flower through 1 to 2 culture cycles. In this way, individuals with excellent traits can be purposefully selected according to flowering conditions, and relatively poor individuals can be eliminated, thereby shortening the entire breeding cycle and greatly reducing the workload of cultivating large numbers of varieties that have not yet flowered, making breeding work more targeted.

Because we have long been engaged in the development and research of several conventionally cultivated terrestrial orchid species in the genus Cymbidium, the orchids mentioned below all refer to these orchid species, including spring orchid, Jian orchid, spring sword, lotus petal, Huilan, cold orchid, and others.

According to current observation results, the ways orchids flower in test tubes can be roughly divided into three types. The first type is when the axillary buds of the orchid seedling develop into flower buds. This way is the same as the flowering way of orchids in conventional cultivation, except that in conventional cultivation it is a clump of seedlings that flowers, while in test tubes it is a single seedling that flowers. This situation is relatively common in Jian orchids and relatively rare in varieties such as spring orchid and spring sword. The second type is when the terminal bud of the orchid seedling develops into a flower bud, similar to what is usually called "arrow in the grass" (grass-heart arrow), with the flower growing from the very center of the orchid seedling. This situation appears in all orchid species, especially commonly in spring orchids. The third type is when the tip of the protocorm directly differentiates into flower buds. This type is completely controlled by the hormone level in the medium, flowers quickly and uniformly, and has a high differentiation frequency. It is currently the main method of inducing flowering.

The flowers that orchids produce in test tubes will not change their basic varietal characteristics. For example, plain-hearted varieties produce plain flowers and absolutely will not produce colored flowers. For any variety with fragrance, the flowers in test tubes are also fragrant, and the fragrance is rich, not inferior to the fragrance of potted orchids, which may be unexpected to many people. Due to reasons such as temperature and other environmental conditions in the test tube, the flowering period is usually only a few days, not as long-lasting as potted orchids. Under low-temperature conditions, the flowering period can be greatly extended. The proportion of deformed flowers produced by orchids in test tubes is relatively high, and for some varieties it can reach 10 to 20%. Generally speaking, these deformed flowers are usually caused by physiological reasons and external culture conditions, such as hormone levels, inorganic salts, and other physicochemical factors, rather than corresponding genetic changes. Therefore, the appearance of these deformed flowers is meaningless in terms of genetics and breeding. We have tracked and observed many strange-flower strains, hoping to select new excellent varieties from them, but the vast majority later produced normal flowers again, and very few were truly stable.

A phenomenon very useful to orchid breeders is that for flowers produced in test tubes, in most cases the column can develop normally and has normal pollination ability and seed-setting ability. We have examined the development process of microspores under a microscope and found that the meiosis process and the formation process of pollen grains are basically normal. In particular, for flowers produced by the axillary bud method, after pollination the fruit easily develops normally until the seeds mature, and these seeds set in test tubes have a certain germination ability. Although the germination rate is lower than that of seeds from potted orchids, for breeders it is already sufficient.

With the continuous advancement of technical levels, people's ability to control orchids flowering in test tubes is becoming stronger and stronger, which will undoubtedly have a positive and far-reaching impact on orchid cross-breeding work. Because the main ornamental point of orchids lies in flower art, for an unknown variety it is basically impossible to judge its quality from the leaves before flowering. Therefore, breeders not only have to select suitable excellent parents for hybridization and cultivate seedlings, but also have to plant all these seedlings, good or bad, into the greenhouse and wait bitterly for several years until flowering before they can screen excellent individual plants from them. The workload of this process is very large. Even if an excellent individual plant is obtained, unfortunately the number of each individual plant is also very small, usually only a few shoots, which simply cannot meet market demand. It is also necessary to use this excellent individual plant as an explant and do another round of tissue culture from the beginning. From starting cross-breeding work to finally supplying commercial seedlings to the market, this process must go through two tissue culture cycles and two cultivation cycles from bottle seedlings to flowering, generally taking more than ten years. The perfection of test-tube flowering technology allows us to screen excellent lines in test tubes without going through the cultivation process, and once selected, they can be directly rapidly propagated without going through the protocorm induction process, shortening the entire breeding cycle by nearly half the time.

Another convenience brought by orchids flowering in test tubes is that it makes in-bottle hybridization of orchids possible, which is a completely new applied research field. Some breeding work requires repeated hybridization, backcrossing, and selfing to achieve the breeding goal and select excellent new varieties. For example, in the hybridization of plain-hearted varieties and plum-petal varieties, the first filial generation is usually plum-petal but definitely not plain-hearted. This requires one backcross of the first filial generation with the plain-hearted parent, or one selfing of the first filial generation, and then selecting plain-hearted plum-petal from the second filial generation. Using conventional methods, this process definitely takes more than ten years. Now with methods to promote orchids flowering in test tubes, we can let the first filial generation flower in test tubes and carry out self-pollination in test tubes or mutual pollination between first filial generation plants, and cultivate seeds. These seeds can be sown directly on the medium without disinfection to obtain the second filial generation, and then flowering can be induced, so the desired variety can be selected from the second filial generation. This process can save at least two cultivation cycles from bottle seedlings to flowering compared with conventional methods.

In addition, because flowering in test tubes is not limited by season and can be induced at any time, this provides great convenience for hybridization between orchid varieties that flower in different seasons or between orchid varieties whose flowering periods do not coincide. In other words, orchids flowering in test tubes provide a stable pollen source for cross-breeding work. Based on this idea, we have largely escaped the limitations of flowering season and the limitations of the number of source materials (for some varieties with very small numbers, seeing them flower once may require waiting many years, and when they flower there may not necessarily be very suitable other parent materials flowering at the same time), and have successfully achieved hybridization between orchid varieties that flower in different seasons.

At present, research work in the field of orchids is still in a just-starting stage, and there are still many unsatisfactory aspects. Not every variety can be induced to flower, nor can every variety reach the required flowering rate, and there is still no ready-made procedure that can make all varieties flower. Each variety requires a large amount of experimentation and exploration. However, these are basically technical problems, and it is believed that with technological progress and as more people of insight join the research and development of this field, these problems will gradually be solved.

Watering methods

Watering orchid plants should be based on various natural factors affecting transpiration, such as humidity, temperature, light, wind, season, and weather, so as to make different water management measures.

First, look at humidity. If air humidity is low and transpiration is strong, water more; conversely, if air humidity is high or even saturated and transpiration almost stops, water less or even not at all.

Second, look at temperature. When air temperature is high, transpiration accelerates, water demand is large, and watering frequency should increase accordingly; conversely, when air temperature is low, water molecule activity is slow and diffusion is weak, so water demand is low.

Third, look at light. When light is strong, transpiration accelerates and water molecule diffusion speeds up, so water demand is high; conversely, water demand is low. Therefore, different light and different shading degrees require different water management: water more for those receiving sun, water less for those facing away from the sun.

Fourth, look at wind. When wind is strong, water evaporates quickly; when wind is weak, water evaporates slowly; dry southwest wind strengthens evaporation, while on the contrary humid southeast wind causes transpiration to weaken relatively; orchid pots placed at wind openings receive more wind and evaporate water quickly, while orchid pots in leeward places receive less wind and evaporate water slowly.

Fifth, look at season. Different seasons have different temperatures, humidity, and light, and the transpiration of orchid plants also differs greatly. In the hot and dry summer, water more; in the plum rain season, water less or not at all; in the low-temperature, overcast, and cold winter, do not water; in the relatively low-temperature early spring, water less; in the mild late spring, which is the germination period, water more; in the dry autumn, water more.

Sixth, look at weather. Natural weather changes are unpredictable, and different weather has different light, temperature, and humidity, and the transpiration of orchid plants also varies greatly. The basic practice is: water more on sunny days, water less on cloudy days, no need to water much when rain is imminent, and do not water on rainy (or snowy) days.

Accordingly, it is very difficult to have an accurate and unified management method for watering orchid plants. The saying "water once every few days" lacks scientific basis.

Precautions

Wounds must be protected from bacteria - when repotting or dividing, if the roots have wounds, first apply fungicide to the wounds to prevent bacteria from invading.

Do not use too large a pot - planting a small plant in a large pot uses a lot of substrate and easily leads to poor ventilation, and watering is also difficult to control. If too much water is absorbed, the substrate is not easy to dry, and bacteria invade and cause root rot.

Orchids should be planted shallowly - orchid plants must not be planted too deep, otherwise long-term moisture will cause rot. When planting, fill the substrate around the roots, and the base or pseudobulbs must be exposed.

Roots should be spread out - when planting orchids, the roots should be evenly spread out and must not be squeezed together, so that each root can contact the substrate and ventilation is also good.

Do not water for several days - newly planted orchids may have injured roots. After applying fungicide to the wounds, do not water for 3 to 5 days so the medicine can take effect and also promote the growth of new buds and new roots.

Avoid strong light - newly planted orchids must avoid direct strong light to prevent dehydration, and should be placed in a warm and shaded place. Spraying can be used to increase air humidity until the orchids return to normal growth.

Light requirements

Orchids mostly belong to semi-shade plants, and most species fear direct sunlight and need appropriate shading. In early to mid-April, orchids can get more sunlight to promote growth, and after late April they should be appropriately shaded. For Huilan and Jian orchid, upright-leaf varieties are best placed in the south entrance of a shaded place so they receive appropriately more sunlight; for drooping-leaf Jian orchids and spring orchids, 2 hours of light per day is best. From June to September, they should be placed in shade earlier each day, using shade nets or curtains. After October, the weather turns cool and sunlight is weaker, but around noon attention must still be paid to shading work.

Precautions for spring orchid care

Spring has many overcast and rainy days, temperatures change greatly, and cold waves easily appear. If orchids are not well maintained and managed, they will rot at the roots and buds, seriously affecting their normal growth.

Household balcony-style orchid-growing sites should have cold-proof and rain-proof facilities. Baosui orchids and spring orchids must be placed indoors for protection and management. Jian orchids, cold orchids, and others can be placed outdoors, but attention must be paid to drainage and moisture protection for the orchid pots. It is best to set up plastic film above the orchid pots to shield rain, pull it open when clear and cover it when raining, to prevent invasion by cold wind, cold rain, and frost and snow.

When growing orchids, good ventilation must be ensured at every stage. Orchid plants in greenhouses and warm sheds should be fitted with exhaust fans to exchange the air and regulate humidity. Ordinary simple warm sheds and low ground-planted sheds covered with plastic film for frost protection and rain shelter should also have windows opened frequently or part of the film lifted to allow air convection, so as to ensure fresh air and a moderate temperature inside the shed.

After the Spring Festival, cut off the flower stems of Cymbidium sinense and other orchids so they do not set seed. Use 0.1% omethoate or dichlorvos solution to gently wipe the upper and lower surfaces of orchid leaves, and use sterilising agents and insecticides to spray the balcony, the surrounding area and the potted orchids once every 7 days and 10 days respectively. Two hours after applying the insecticide, spray clean water once on the leaf surfaces of the potted orchids to remove residual pesticide.

Stop watering 3-5 days before dividing orchid plants. When the potting medium is about 70-80% dry, carefully tip out the orchid plants together with the medium, taking care not to break the orchid roots. Wash them clean with disinfected water or clean water and let them dry, then repot once the roots have softened and turned white. Use sterile new potting medium for repotting, with the roots pressed against the medium, new growths facing outward and old growths facing inward, and with one third of the orchid head exposed above the soil surface. After planting, place in a shaded shed and mist the leaves morning and evening; water thoroughly 24 hours later to settle the roots, and after 15 days move to normal management.

For orchids planted in new potting medium, apply a light, dilute fertiliser once every half month to one month. During the large-seedling and strong-growth stages, apply nitrogen fertiliser frequently, once every three to five days. Rejuvenated orchids can go from fertilising once every half month to once a week, depending on whether the orchids can absorb it. Weak plants, rootless plants and leafless bulbs, however, must absolutely be given plain maintenance with no fertiliser, otherwise haste makes waste and harm is done instead.

Cold regions

To grow orchids well in northern regions, one should create environmental conditions suited to their growth and development as far as possible and meet the requirements of the orchids' biological characteristics, so that they grow and flower well. The following tasks should be done specifically.

Choose good pots and potting soil

For ordinary home orchid growing, clay pots are still the best choice. If a decorative effect is wanted to add beauty, a glazed porcelain pot can be placed outside the clay pot. The size of the pot should be such that the orchid roots can spread out completely inside it. The potting soil is best made of orchid soil. It can also be mixed at home. Use 6 parts leaf mould or peat soil, 3 parts sandy soil and 1 part cake fertiliser, or mix 5 parts leaf mould, 3 parts compost soil and 2 parts coarse sand evenly. For the potting method, see: Common knowledge on buying orchids and cultivation techniques.

Watering should be moderate

Watering orchids is a routine task and also an important link in whether orchid cultivation succeeds. The potting soil of orchids should be kept moist at all times, but excessive water content should be avoided. In cultivation, the amount of water should be decided according to the different seasons and the different growth stages of the orchids. Generally, starting in spring, as the temperature rises, orchids enter a period of vigorous growth, so watering should be gradually increased, watering once every 1-2 days; in summer the temperature is high and it is also the peak growth period for orchids, so it is usually best to water once each in the early morning and in the evening, and watering at noon must be avoided. When the rainy season comes, the amount of watering should be flexibly controlled according to how much rain there is and how damp the potting soil is, and waterlogging in the pot that causes root rot must be avoided; in late autumn, when the temperature begins to drop, watering should be gradually reduced, watering once every 2-3 days is enough; in winter, when the temperature is low, most orchids enter dormancy, so watering should be controlled at this time, watering once every 5-7 days, except that Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran, which flower in winter, should be watered somewhat more.

Light fertiliser should be applied skilfully

When fertilising orchids, apply light fertiliser and never strong fertiliser; there is a saying that "orchids want clear, jasmine wants rich". Newly planted orchids should not be fertilised in the first year; start fertilising from after Qingming in the second year until the start of autumn. Apply fully rotted dilute cake fertiliser water 1-2 times a month. Because orchids have fleshy roots, never apply unrotted fertiliser, lest the roots rot. Before each fertilisation, withhold water for 1-2 days and apply once the potting soil is slightly dry. On the morning of the second day after application, water once to prevent unclean matter in the fertiliser liquid from contaminating the roots and harming the orchid roots. When applying liquid fertiliser, take care to avoid splashing the leaves. For orchid plants that have been cultivated for several years and have reached flowering age, nitrogen fertiliser should be the main type in the early stage to promote the sprouting and rapid growth of new shoots; in the later stage, phosphorus and potassium fertiliser should be the main type, which helps the pseudobulbs enlarge, the leaves become wide and thick, and provides enough nutrients for flower bud differentiation. Specifically, before flower bud differentiation each autumn, it is advisable to apply two consecutive liquid fertiliser applications based mainly on phosphorus and potassium; during the bud stage, on a clear evening first wash the leaves with clean water, and after they dry, use a small sprayer to spray 0.2% monopotassium phosphate solution on the leaf surfaces and undersides, or apply wood ash water to the roots. Foliar fertilisation at this time is beneficial for promoting the development of orchid roots, stems and flowers. Do not fertilise on rainy days, and stop fertilising during the winter dormant period too. About 20 days after the flowers fade, apply two more liquid fertiliser or compound fertiliser applications based mainly on nitrogen, which can promote plant growth.

There are two commonly used fertilisation methods for orchids: one is soil application and the other is foliar application. Foliar fertilisation can make up for a shortage of trace elements in orchids, but it should not be done too often; once every 15 days during the peak growth season is best. Soil application is further divided into two cases: fertiliser applied in the soil is base fertiliser, and fertiliser applied on the soil surface is called top dressing. Base fertiliser should not be too much, to avoid the fertiliser heating up and damaging the roots.

Light should be suitable

Orchids by nature like shaded, cool environments and dislike direct sunlight. Therefore, in the north, from April to early May they can be given a little more sunlight before 9 a.m., and after mid-May they need shading, at which point they should be placed in a cool, ventilated place for cultivation; in winter place them near a south-facing window to receive more light, so as to strengthen their vitality and promote flower bud differentiation. Especially for Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran, which flower in winter, they should be placed in a sunny spot indoors in winter; without light they will not flower well. In short, growing orchids should follow "not out in spring, no sun in summer, not dry in autumn, not wet in winter", meaning that in spring one should guard against cold wind attacks and not move them outdoors; in summer they fear direct sunlight and should be placed in a cool, ventilated spot; in autumn one should guard against the potting soil drying out, as this is exactly the orchid's bud stage and watering should be appropriately increased; in winter they are in a dormant state, and too much water easily rots the roots, so the principle is to alternate between dry and moist.

Pest and disease control

The main pests and diseases of orchids are:

(1) Southern blight: mostly occurs in the plum rain season. Prevention should focus on ventilation and light transmission and good drainage of the potting soil; after onset, remove the infected potting soil and sprinkle on pentachloronitrobenzene powder or lime.

(2) Anthracnose: occurs all year round, and is more rampant in hot, rainy seasons. In addition to improving environmental conditions, during onset spray first with 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 800-1500 times dilution, once every 7-10 days, then supplement with 1% Bordeaux mixture of equal parts, once every half month.

(3) Scale insects: they reproduce fastest under conditions of high temperature, high humidity and poor air circulation. Use conventional control methods.

(4) Root rot, also called nematode disease. Nematodes parasitise orchid roots, causing root rot, poor growth of above-ground leaves, leaf colour fading to green and turning yellow, and even plant wilting. Nematode damage causes many wounds and also invites infection by other soil-borne pathogens, leading to plant disease and accelerating plant death. The cultivation medium should be disinfected; 100 degree steam sterilisation can be used to kill the eggs. In severe cases, repot immediately, soak the diseased plants in the medicinal solution for 20-30 minutes, take them out and dry them, and replant with new medium. In summary, to grow orchids well, one must master their natural growing environment conditions, take reasonable measures and strengthen cultivation management. According to "Orchid Growing Rhymes": "not out in spring, no sun in summer, not dry in autumn, not wet in winter" - this is a summary of our country's experience in growing orchids.

Pollution-free pest and disease control methods:

Below are some small folk remedies handed down among the people for pollution-free control of orchid pests and diseases. "Small" remedies can often perhaps solve "big" problems, so orchid enthusiasts may as well give them a try.

1. Tea seed cake

Tea seed cake, also called tea dregs or tea seed cake, is the residue left after tea seeds are pressed for oil, and farmers often use it to wash clothes. Tea seed cake contains saponin and glycosides, and its water extract is alkaline, with good stomach-poison and contact-killing effects on pests.

Control methods: 1. Soak crushed powdered tea seed cake and boiling water at a ratio of 1:5 for a day and a night, then use the liquid to drench orchid pots and also the place where the orchid pots are kept and other orchid pots; it has a fairly good control effect on snails. 2. Spray orchid plants with tea seed cake water; the control effect on aphids and red spiders is very good, reaching over 90%. 3. Tea seed cake water can also kill earthworms. Drench the potting soil thoroughly with tea seed cake water, and after a moment the earthworms will drill out to the soil surface; pick them out and remove them. Opinions differ in orchid circles on whether earthworms help or harm orchids. One view holds that earthworms in the pot damage some orchid fungus hyphae when they move and injure the root tips of orchid roots, so they are pests and must be removed. Another view holds that earthworms in orchid pots can eat much of the rotting matter in the pot and the rotten orchid roots, that their activity loosens the soil, and that their droppings can serve as orchid fertiliser, so their benefits outweigh their harm and there is no need to kill them. Which is right and which is wrong remains for orchid enthusiasts to judge according to their own practical observations and by weighing the pros and cons.

2. Strong-smelling vegetables (spring onion, garlic, Chinese chives, ginger, onion, etc.)

Strong-smelling vegetables each have their own distinctive odour, and that odour can play a role in killing pests and sterilising.

Control methods: 1. Take 25 g of garlic, crush it and squeeze out the juice, dilute it in 10 L of water, and spray the orchid plants immediately; it can treat aphids, red spiders, scale insects and grey mould. Press peeled garlic into small pieces, place them at equal distances on the surface of the potting soil, and after a few days earthworms and ants will be gone. 2. Soak chopped spring onion and water at a ratio of 1:30 for a day and a night, then filter, and use the liquid to spray orchid plants several times a day for several consecutive days; it has good effects on controlling aphids, soft-bodied pests and preventing and treating powdery mildew, etc. 3. Take 1 jin of ginger, add half a jin of water, crush and extract the juice, add 6 jin of water to each jin of juice, and spray orchid plants; it can control aphids. 4. Mix Chinese chive juice and clean water at a ratio of 1:60, use it to spray orchid plants twice a day for several repeated days, and it can cure black spot disease. 5. Take 15 g of chopped onion bulbs, put them into 2 jin of water, seal and soak for 7 hours, then filter, and spray orchid plants with the filtrate; it can treat red spiders and aphids.

3. Cigarette butts

Tobacco leaves contain about 3% nicotine. Nicotine has a strong contact-killing and stomach-poison effect on pests. Take about 20 smoked cigarette butts and one portion of quicklime, add water, stir, soak and filter, then add 30 portions of water, and use it to spray orchid plants, potting soil and the bottom of the pot; it can eliminate ants and other pests without a waxy coating on their bodies.

4. Washing powder and detergent

Washing powder can dissolve the waxy covering of scale insects and at the same time form a layer of foam that wraps around the insect body, suffocating the scale insects to death. Washing powder solution can prevent and control some pests and diseases.

Control methods: 1. Dissolve a small amount of washing powder in warm water, then dilute with water to a 1000-times solution and spray orchid plants; it can kill aphids, whiteflies and red spiders. Dilute to a 600-times solution, spray once every three days for three consecutive sprays, and all scale insects will die. 2. Mix pig bile and clean water at a ratio of 1:100, add a small amount of washing powder, and use it to spray orchid plants; it can prevent and treat anthracnose and soft rot. After spraying orchid plants with washing powder solution, once the pests are dead, the leaves must be rinsed several times with clean water so that the orchid plants grow normally.

5. White spirit

Mix white spirit and water at a ratio of 1:2, spray orchid plants once a week for three consecutive sprays, and it can kill scale insects.

6. Orange peel

Putting orange peel at the bottom of the pot can prevent ants and other pests from entering the potting soil to harm orchids. Orange peel can also be cut into small pieces and scattered on the surface of the potting soil, and with no watering for a few days it can treat aphids, scale insects, etc.

7. Brown sugar

Mix powdered brown sugar and boiling water at a ratio of 1:100, and after it cools use the brown sugar liquid to spray orchid plants once every 3 days for three consecutive times; it has a fairly good effect on preventing and treating downy mildew, powdery mildew, black spot disease and leaf blight.

8. Diesel oil

Mix diesel oil and water at a ratio of 1:60 into an emulsion, then dilute with 100 times water and spray orchid plants; it can treat scale insects, etc.

9. Wood ash

Soak wood ash and water at a ratio of 1:50 for two days and nights, then filter, and spray orchid plants with the filtrate; it can both treat aphids and increase potassium fertiliser.

10. Table vinegar

Mix table vinegar and clean water at a ratio of 1:8, and use it to evenly spray the upper and lower surfaces of orchid leaves; it can treat scale insects. If the scale insects have already become adults, the acidity of the mixed liquid can be slightly increased, spraying once every three days for three consecutive times, and the adult scale insects can be killed. Spraying vinegar liquid on the leaves can also eliminate black spot disease, powdery mildew, leaf spot disease and yellowing disease, etc. Industrial acid vinegar must not be used.

. For the control of orchid leaf surface diseases, I adopt three control methods:

First, the leaf surface spray method. A 1000-times solution of thiophanate-methyl, or an 800-times solution of carbendazim, can be used for spraying to sterilise and prevent disease. Dimethoate 1000-times solution can be mixed in to kill insects, but thiophanate-methyl and carbendazim must not be mixed together for use, because mixing these two chemicals will produce resistance and lose the control effect. In hot and humid seasons, controlling once every 10 or 15 days according to the solution ratio gives an even better effect.

Second, the root drenching sterilisation method. Diseased plants with severe black spot disease, anthracnose, etc. can be treated with root drenching sterilisation and disinfection measures. Specifically, use a 1000-times carbendazim solution to drench the potting soil or soak the pot, and at the same time spray the leaf surfaces with the medicinal solution to sterilise; doing this once every 1 week gives a very good effect.

Third, the injection disease removal method. For the diseased leaves of orchid plants that have already severely developed black spot disease and anthracnose, the usual method is to cut them off. If a rare artistic orchid is diseased, cutting off the leaves is truly a pity, so one can imitate the principles of medicine and give the diseased orchid leaves an injection to remove the disease, with especially good results.

Specific method: using a pre-prepared 800-times thiophanate-methyl solution, draw 18 ml of the medicinal solution into a disposable 20 ml syringe, insert the needle at the disease spots on the orchid leaf surface and inject the medicinal solution at the same time. Give 1 injection at each disease spot, and the effect is obvious. When injecting, use a piece of sterilised foam plastic as a backing to prevent the needle from pricking the hand.