How to grow Cymbidium sinense? Care methods for the Chinese New Year flower Cymbidium sinense
Because its flowering period falls around the Spring Festival, Cymbidium sinense is also called baosuilan, baisuilan, fengsuilan and rensuilan. It is the leading orchid species among Chinese cymbidiums for the Chinese New Year flower market, mainly distributed in Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, China, Fujian, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi and other provinces and regions, and has a long history of cultivation in our country. By comparison, Cymbidium sinense is relatively easy to cultivate and manage.
First, it likes cool shade and fears scorching sun. In its natural wild habitat, Cymbidium sinense mostly grows in relatively shady environments, with 3 to 5 leaves growing in clusters; dark green, glossy, with endless variations of leaf patterns, joints on the lower part, 60 cm to 90 cm long and 2 cm to 4.2 cm wide. It is the most majestic of the Chinese cymbidium species in leaf form. Because its leaves are wide, long, drooping and soft, and its leaf cuticle is thin, the greatest taboo in daily care is exposure to sunlight. From late spring, summer, autumn and early winter, shading is necessary, especially at noon and in the afternoon, or it can be placed on the lower tier of a multi-tier orchid rack for care; otherwise the leaves are easily scorched, which detracts from their ornamental value.
Second, it likes moisture and dislikes dryness. Wild Cymbidium sinense mostly grows beside streams in the shade of trees at the foot of mountains, where water mist is often pervasive and the air humidity of the environment is relatively high. In winter in the north, air humidity tends to be low, which is not conducive to its growth. Various methods such as humidifiers, water trays and water curtains can be used to increase humidity, raise the relative air humidity, and strive to create a small environment suitable for the growth of Cymbidium sinense; in addition, it is advisable to spray a little water on the pot surface every day, which can also increase the air humidity around potted Cymbidium sinense.
Third, it likes warmth and fears freezing damage. The places of origin of Cymbidium sinense are mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, with a warm climate, and winter temperatures rarely around 0°C. Therefore, Cymbidium sinense is the Chinese cymbidium species that most likes a warm environment and most fears freezing. Practice has shown that in winter, the care temperature for Cymbidium sinense should not be lower than 5°C. Except in Hainan, Taiwan, China, Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi and other places, it is best to overwinter it in a greenhouse or a room with heating equipment elsewhere, so as to avoid freezing damage.
Fourth, apply light fertilizer frequently and use large pots for planting. Cymbidium sinense plants are tall, with broad and thick leaves, well-developed root systems, and multiple flowers on one scape, so their demand for fertilizer is relatively large. In daily care, apply light fertilizer frequently; this is an important condition for promoting vigorous roots and leaves in Cymbidium sinense. No matter what kind of growing medium is used to grow Cymbidium sinense, appropriate fertilization is necessary, and the amount can be somewhat more than for other Chinese cymbidiums. Because its root system is well developed, the pot chosen should be larger rather than smaller; select an orchid pot one size larger according to the number of plants and the condition of the root system.
Household management of Chinese New Year flowers
In the Chinese New Year flower market, all kinds of novel and exotic flowers are dazzling, yet these flowers each have their own “temperament,” and managing them is a bit troublesome.<家庭莳养>
1. Light: Because there are many kinds of Chinese New Year flowers, we should first understand the growth habits of the plant and then determine specific management measures. For sun-loving plants such as Oncidium, Dendrobium orchids, bromeliads, cactus family plants, pitcher plants, sweet alyssum and freesia, when placed indoors it is best to put them by a south-facing window so they can get as much sunlight as possible; for shade-loving plants such as Aspidistra, Pilea cadierei, Boston fern, bird's nest fern, Rohdea japonica and Cymbidium sinense, place them as close to the north side as possible to avoid long-term direct sunlight, since too much light intensity can cause leaf drop and similar problems; and for semi-shade-loving plants such as violet, saxifrage, spider plant, Nephrolepis cordifolia, Alocasia and Syngonium, they can be placed on a table or desk 1 m to 2 m from the window, which can both meet the growth requirements of the plants and produce a good beautifying and decorative effect. 2. Temperature: Because the weather is already very cold when Chinese New Year flowers are purchased, indoors the room temperature can be regulated by turning on air conditioning, heaters, stoves and so on to meet the growth requirements of the plants. A well-sealed room can generally keep the room temperature above 10°C, and will not cause freezing damage to the flowers.
3. Water: If Chinese New Year flowers are watered directly with tap water, the root cells will have their functions blocked by the sudden cold environment, affecting the normal growth of the flowers; in severe cases it can also cause leaf drop and flower drop, which both affects the ornamental effect and shortens the ornamental period. We can fill a beverage bottle with tap water and leave it indoors for 2 to 3 days, which both volatilizes chlorine and raises the water temperature; then watering the flowers will not affect the root cells of the Chinese New Year flowers; or at noon on a sunny day, draw tap water and let it warm in the sun for 1 to 2 hours before watering the flowers.
4. Fertilizer: Because newly purchased flowering Chinese New Year flowers have already begun to bloom, apply a light fertilizer once every half month (or according to specific circumstances) (liquid fertilizer or granular compound fertilizer can be applied) to meet the fertilizer needs of Chinese New Year flowers for normal flowering. Generally, the symptoms of flowers lacking major elements (N, P, K) mostly appear on old leaves, so when you observe that old leaves begin to discolor extensively and are accompanied by leaf drop, you should consider whether it is caused by fertilizer deficiency and take timely measures. For foliage plants, fertilizer can be applied once a month; after all, the weather is cold, their growth rate is not very fast, and their demand for fertilizer is not very great.
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1. Make dried flowers: Cut flowers that have not yet completely withered from the plant, process them appropriately by natural drying or chemical drying until they are completely dry, and then use them as dried flowers. For example: globe amaranth, Gerbera, carnation, marigold, statice, baby's breath, aster and so on.
2. “Plum” blooms twice: When the flowers fade, cut off the flower scapes, dead leaves and so on to avoid letting them continue to consume nutrients in the plant, keep the potting soil moist, pay attention to the supply of temperature and light, and apply a little light fertilizer after some time; before long you will certainly see those profusely blooming fresh flowers again. For example: African violet, begonia, dianthus, scarlet sage and so on.
3. Propagation material: After the profuse blooming period, move the plants kept for seed to a balcony or other place with good light and suitable temperature, keep the potting soil moist regularly, and before long you can obtain the seeds of the flowers (note that many Chinese New Year flowers are horticultural cultivars that only bloom and do not set fruit, and cannot be used as propagation material; ask the merchant clearly when purchasing). For corms, bulbs and so on, after flowering you may consider as appropriate whether to cut off the flowers; if all flower branches are cut off to preserve nutrients and let the mother bulb produce more daughter bulbs, you can also obtain a lot of propagation material. For example: Amaryllis, clivia, tulip, hyacinth, saffron crocus, calla lily, dahlia, gloxinia, Musella lasiocarpa and so on.
Do not discard all Chinese New Year flowers after the festival
During the Spring Festival, many households bought quite a few seasonal potted flowers and plants, and now they are gradually fading. How to deal with them has become a difficult problem. Once the flowers have faded, is there no need to care for some plants anymore? And how should the plants that can be kept be cared for?Do not discard all Chinese New Year flowers after the festival
1. After the flowers fade, they can be treated differently
According to plant experts, not all Spring Festival seasonal flowers are worth keeping long term. After the flowers fade, some flowers can be discarded, saving the cost of care. Generally speaking, annual and biennial flowers, some bulbous flowers and particularly difficult-to-grow flowers, such as cineraria, Calceolaria, New Guinea impatiens, Rieger begonia, primrose, gloxinia, Chinese narcissus, trumpet narcissus, tulip, hyacinth, saffron crocus, freesia, lily and so on, can be thrown away after these flowers have bloomed, or thrown away after enjoying their green leaves for a while. Giving up these flowers can save the effort of care.
There are also some flowers that are themselves of little value and not easy to keep. If the grower has rich experience in growing flowers, they can continue to grow them; if the grower lacks experience, they can also give them up, such as cyclamen, pitcher plant, poinsettia, potted rose, lipstick plant, kumquat, red azalea, alpine rhododendron and so on.
Some flowers have a certain value for keeping, and through care they can bloom again; some, although they cannot bloom, can still be grown for their foliage. These flowers and plants include: Phalaenopsis, large-flowered cymbidium, spring Dendrobium, gladiolus, Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium faberi, Cymbidium sinense, Cymbidium kanran, clivia, Belgian azalea, geranium, Amaryllis, tree peony and so on.
Do not discard all Chinese New Year flowers after the festival
2. Care of flowers kept after the festival
1. Humidity: Most of the flowers grown at home during the Spring Festival are orchids, but most tropical native flowers such as orchids like humid environments, and most households cannot reach the humidity of professional greenhouses. Therefore, spray more water around the flowers to increase air humidity.
2. Sunlight: In early spring, flowers can be allowed to receive sufficient sunlight so that they can carry out photosynthesis and increase nutrition. Try to keep the flowers in a sunny and well-ventilated place, which can avoid the occurrence of pests and diseases.
3. Temperature: The flower varieties kept are generally suitable for growth at temperatures between 15°C and 20°C. If the temperature is too high, the flowers bloom quickly and problems are also likely to occur. But the room temperature should preferably not be lower than 5°C.
Do not discard all Chinese New Year flowers after the festival
4. Fertilizing and watering: Fertilize the flowers regularly and water them moderately. The fertilizer applied should also be different fertilizers suitable for each growth stage, avoiding malnutrition caused by not fertilizing or applying too heavy a single dose of fertilizer. Flowers mostly like neutral or slightly acidic soil. Tianjin's tap water is slightly alkaline, and long-term watering will make the soil alkaline, affecting flower quality. Therefore, water moderately, basically controlling it to the degree of alternating moist and dry. In early spring, evaporation is small, so do not water too frequently; too much water easily causes root rot. Before watering, be sure to touch the potting soil with your hand, so you can grasp the degree of dryness and moisture of the soil.
5. Potting soil: Pay attention to the quality of the potting soil. If the soil is sticky, heavy and not breathable, it also affects root respiration and can even cause root rot.
6. Pests: The flowers kept are generally susceptible to damage by scale insects, red spiders, aphids and snails. At noon, if the temperature is relatively high, open the windows for ventilation, which can reduce pests and diseases. Scale insects can be brushed off with a toothbrush.