Whether an orchid has strong growth vigor is an important criterion for selection and aesthetic appreciation
Promote Chinese orchid culture, spread orchid knowledge
Fellow orchid growers all know that the selection and aesthetic appreciation of orchids involves conditions and requirements in various aspects, such as petal shape, color, and so on. But the question of growth vigor seems to be discussed rather little in the various orchid literature; in fact, it is very important and deserves sufficient attention.
The growth vigor referred to here mainly means that brought about by genetic factors, and does not discuss the decline caused by improper cultivation or diseased, thin, and weak seedlings. To emphasize growth vigor, the first question is whether the plant's growth vigor is strong. A plant with strong growth vigor should, under normal environmental conditions, have a high rate of producing new shoots, rapidly send out new leaves, grow healthily, and ultimately be able to grow into plump, strong seedlings with glossy, lustrous, and resilient leaves. Even in rather hot and dry conditions, the leaves' "sensation of seeming to be dehydrated" is not severe.
It displays exuberant vitality, giving people a feeling full of life force. At the same time, only such plants have strong adaptability and stress resistance, are not prone to pests and diseases, and are easy to develop and spread far and wide, so that they can be passed down. In fact, those famous varieties that have spread the most widely often possess such qualities in their plants and leaves. For example, Song Mei, Wang Zi, and Zheng Tong He, and especially Zheng Tong He, which is praised as "having inherently strong leaves; therefore, whether they are semi-pendant or completely pendant, their majestic momentum is unaffected."
The second is the flower. Regardless of which type of variety it is, its blooming should display such a process: the flower bud accumulates fully, sprouts at the right time, reaches the height at which this variety should bloom, then the buds line up (specifically referring to multi-flowered types such as Huilan and Lianbanlan), the "phoenix eye" is revealed, and the flower opens. And within three weeks the flower scape remains upright and strong, the small flower stalks do not soften and droop, and the petal shape and color remain basically unchanged. Some orchid growers summarize this as: a perfect blooming process, good flower retention.
The most charming famous varieties in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, besides the previously mentioned Song Mei, Wang Zi, and Zheng Tong He, also include Ji Yuan and the finest among Huilan, such as Cheng Mei and Xie Pei, which are just like this, standing gracefully like jade, with moving elegance, and are good varieties that remain beautiful in bloom for a long time. Yunnan's "four great" traditional famous varieties, Da Xue Su and Xiao Xue Su, Weishan Zhu Sha Lan, and Tonghai Jian, likewise all display such excellent characteristics. On the contrary, if the flower opens while lying on the pot surface, with a weak scape and soft stamens, and turns ugly three days after opening, such a flower can only make people feel listless and dispirited; even if it has some merits in certain aspects and enjoys favor for a time, it is difficult for it to have true vitality and it will ultimately be eliminated. We orchid enthusiast hobbyists should be determined to strive to collect fine varieties whose leaves and flowers both possess vigorous vitality and the potential for long-lasting bloom periods. Once obtained, cultivate them carefully, enable the plants to grow and multiply, and ultimately spread them far and wide. Only this is the true success of an orchid enthusiast.
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