Orchids Explode with Root Growth in Half a Month Using Sawdust: Learn 4 Steps to Grow Orchids Well
China's traditional orchid-growing substrates are mountain soil, bamboo root soil, pond mud and the like, or these mixed with a little river sand. In recent years, fern roots, tree bark, gravel and other materials have been used as substrates at home and abroad. These substrates are not easy to gather and pre-treat, or they are heavy in specific gravity and inconvenient to carry. Based on the growth habits of orchids and inspired by predecessors, I chose fresh sawdust - loose and breathable, draining, water-retentive, light in specific gravity, easy to carry and with few pests and diseases - to plant wild Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium tortisepalum and mature plants of Cymbidium ensifolium. After a year of observation, the results show that among more than ten kinds of substrates, sawdust promotes the sprouting and growth of orchid roots the fastest. Planted in early May, they can explode with root growth in about half a month, with a high sprouting rate, fast growth, deeper green leaf color and good gloss. The method is:
Growing Orchids in Sawdust
1. Choosing a pot or building a bed
For pot culture, use a medium-sized pot or a 6-inch plain clay pot; for a bed, make it 1.2 m wide and about 15-20 cm high, with no limit on length.
2. Preparation
(1) Divide the orchid plants into clumps of 3-5 plants, cut off dry leaves, diseased and pest-damaged leaves, empty roots and broken roots, soak in 500-800 times diluted carbendazim solution for half an hour to disinfect, then air-dry for later use.
(2) Sprinkle sawdust with 0.1 percent potassium permanganate to disinfect it, and disinfect the flower pots for half an hour; water the sawdust to moisten it thoroughly.
Growing Orchids in Sawdust
3. Planting
(1) Time: April-May and October-November are best.
(2) Method:
Pot culture: Cover the bottom hole of the pot with a tile plus foam or a small tile as a drainage layer, add a little sawdust, place the orchid plants into the pot, arrange the orchid plants and roots so they can stretch out naturally, add sawdust up to the base of the pseudobulbs to fix the orchid plants, and make the edge 3-5 cm lower than the pot rim, with the center level with or slightly lower than the pot rim, forming a steamed-bun shape.
Bed culture: Spread sawdust 15 cm thick in the bed, plant at a density of 5 by 10 cm, first dig out a 15 cm trench, place the orchid plants evenly into the trench, make the base of the pseudobulbs level with the surface, arrange the orchid roots well, and fill the trench with sawdust.
4. Fertilizer and water management
One month after planting, foliar topdressing with Lanjunwang, Yemianbao and the like can be done; after new roots have formed, apply clear, thin liquid fertilizer every 10-15 days, which benefits the growth of orchid buds and also flowering.
When planting, the sawdust must be thoroughly moistened; afterward, just keep the top 2-3 cm of sawdust moist. Even in the plum rain season, orchid roots will not rot. It has been reported that using fresh sawdust will burn roots due to fermentation. But after more than a year of planting, whether in pots or beds, no root rot has been found. This may be because frequent watering lowers the temperature and dissipates heat, making the sawdust unlikely to ferment and burn roots.
Growing Orchids in Sawdust
Because fresh sawdust has the advantages of few pests and diseases, looseness and breathability, good drainage, water retention, light specific gravity and resistance to the plum rain, it is an ideal orchid-growing substrate, especially suitable for the rainy regions south of the Yangtze River. Fellow orchid growers, have you ever tried the method of growing orchids in sawdust? If you also like growing orchids, you are welcome to follow and share, and thank you for your comments and likes, thank you!