How to grow orchids best? A detailed guide to daily care and management methods

Orchids are flowers that combine the three beauties of fragrance, bloom and foliage, and together with chrysanthemums, narcissus and acorus, they are known as the four elegant flowers and plants, and are one of China's ten famous flowers. In ancient times, good writing was called "orchid prose", and close, deeply affectionate friends were called "orchid friends" or "orchid friendship", so the orchid became a symbol of all that is beautiful in the world. Here, the editor shares with you how exactly to grow orchids best.

Care environment

Orchids generally grow mostly in high mountain dense forests and among shrubs and weeds, and are also found in wild woods and bamboo forests. The orchid-growing mnemonic says "love the morning sun, avoid the setting sun, enjoy southern warmth, fear northern cold", and orchids are afraid of smoke and dust.

1. Growing medium

Wild orchids grow on shaded, ventilated mountain slopes where water does not accumulate, so the growing medium must be: airy, loose, well-draining and slightly acidic. The most commonly used medium for outdoor cultivation is mud flower soil.

Orchid mud refers to the soil that accumulates in the hollows of rocks on mountains, formed from plant leaves that rot after being exposed to wind, rain and sun; the soil is loose, airy and slightly acidic. In the Jiangnan region of China, people customarily dig orchid mud from places such as Kuaiji Mountain in Shaoxing, Yanwo Ridge in Yuyao, Shiniu Mountain in Fuyang, Baoshan in Hangzhou, Tongguan Mountain in Yixing, Junshan in Nantong and Yushan in Changshu. Before liberation, there was a saying of "one load of flower soil for one load of rice".

Weathered mountain rock gravel soil can also be used as a growing medium. Farmers in Cangyan Town, Shengzhou, use the gravel soil of the local Cangyan Mountain as a growing medium; Cangyan Su has been cultivated with this soil for more than a hundred years. Some people also use red soil brick gravel and red soil mountain mud as a growing base, and some use soil bearing clumps of weeds that has been roasted over fire into crushed roasted soil as a medium. Both of the above conform to the characteristics of being airy, permeable and slightly acidic, and are rich in phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, so they can be used as orchid growing media, but nitrogen fertilizer should be supplemented appropriately.

In recent years, with the introduction of orchid growing from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, China and abroad, indoor orchid growing has been greatly promoted, so the use of sphagnum moss, perlite, volcanic ejecta stone, granular bricks, granular xian soil and granular peat has become an ideal medium. Their greatest advantage is that they make water management easy.

2. Temperature and humidity

The optimal growth temperature for Jiangsu-Zhejiang orchids is 18-30°C; below 5°C and above 35°C they grow slowly, and the reproductive growth period is 5-18°C.

Orchids grow well when the relative air humidity is 60-70%; too dry or too wet can easily trigger orchid diseases. Therefore, outdoor cultivation should create a gradual humidity microclimate suitable for orchid growth, and indoors a sprayer and hygrometer should be installed.

3. Light control

Wild orchids grow beneath dense forests and tall bamboo, where the jungle blocks intense sunlight. This makes orchids shade-loving and sun-fearing. Sunlight is essential for plant photosynthesis and is the energy source for producing nutrients. Orchids like morning sunlight. When the morning sun first rises, the sunlight angle is low and the orchid receives light over a large area. Also, because the morning sunlight is blocked by morning mist, the light is relatively soft, and direct exposure will not scorch orchid leaves. After accumulating nutrients at night, orchids have their strongest photosynthetic capacity in the morning. Therefore, in summer, sunlight can be allowed to shine directly on orchid leaves before seven o'clock, and after seven o'clock a 50%-90% shade net should be used to block the sunlight.

Around Qingming, orchids can be given more sun to encourage root development and more leaf buds; after Bailu, when the weather turns cool and most new plants have grown, they can also be given more sunlight to make flower buds plump and let the orchid plant store more nutrients for the next year's growth. The length of sunlight exposure directly affects orchid growth. With more sunlight, orchid leaves are more yellow, the roots are well developed, and flowering is robust. Conversely, orchid leaves are dark green, the root system is poorly developed, and flowering is not easy. With long sunlight exposure, petals are thick in texture; conversely, petals are thin in texture. But if exposed to sunlight excessively, orchid leaves may be scorched, and even dehydration and death may result.

4. Water requirements

Controlling water is the most fundamental condition for growing orchids well. Orchid leaves are relatively thick in texture and protected on the surface by a cuticle, so orchid leaves do not consume large amounts of water. The orchid's pseudobulbs and fleshy roots can store a certain amount of nutrients and water, so they are fairly drought-tolerant. Apart from the root-developing and budding stages and the rapid growth period, when more water is needed, they consume less water at other times.

If there is too much water, causing water to accumulate in the soil and blocking root respiration, root rot easily occurs. Too much water also causes orchid leaf cell walls to fill with water, opening the stomata on the leaf surface, resulting in diluted nutrients within, and further causing weak tissue, poor growth and disease. Orchids like rain but fear waterlogging, and like moisture but fear wetness. Because air humidity differs in spring, summer, autumn and winter, and orchid growth rates differ, water requirements also differ. Accordingly, there is a saying that whether you can grow orchids mainly depends on whether you can water them.

5. Air control

Orchids like circulating, unpolluted air. The orchid-growing site should be far from coal gas and cooking fumes, and far from places with flying dust. Cooking fumes and dust adhering to the leaf surface will block leaf respiration and affect photosynthesis. Without air circulation, bacteria and viruses will adhere to the leaf surface, harming orchid growth.

6. Fertilizer requirements

Orchids like lightness, so fertilize sparingly rather than heavily. Like other plants, nitrogen promotes lush growth of stems and leaves. Phosphorus promotes well-developed orchid roots, robust development of reproductive organs, and spreading stems and leaves. Magnesium, sulfur, iron and other trace elements can make leaves green and flowers robust.

During the peak growth period, orchids should be fertilized more; during the dormant period or weak growth period, they may not be fertilized. If over-fertilized, roots and leaves will be burned, causing irreparable loss.

"Three parts planting, seven parts care" is the ancients' experience in growing orchids. The quality of care determines whether orchids flourish and whether they can bloom, so the ancients attached great importance to this, and rightly so. Below is a detailed introduction to methods for caring for and managing orchids.

Orchid care and management

1. Site

The place where orchids are placed is very important, as it directly affects orchid growth and development. Orchids are generally placed in the open air in spring, summer and autumn (in summer in a shaded open-air spot), and indoors in winter. Outdoors, it is best to have open space on all sides and moist air. Indoors, there should be ample light, preferably facing south. This is favorable for orchid growth. Orchid pots are best placed on wooden stands or tables, not on the ground.

2. Shading

Orchids are mostly semi-shade plants, and most species fear direct sunlight and need appropriate shading. In early to mid-April, orchids can be given more sunlight to promote growth. After late April, appropriate shading is needed. For summer orchids and autumn orchids with upright leaves, it is best to place them on the south side of a shaded spot so they receive appropriately more sunlight; for autumn orchids and spring orchids with drooping leaves, two hours of light per day is best. From the beginning of June to September, shading should be started earlier each day; if reed curtains are used, dense curtains or two layers of sparse curtains can be used. After October, when the weather turns cool and sunlight is weaker, shading can be delayed, but around noon, attention should still be paid to shading work.

3. Rain protection

Orchids can be exposed to light rain, but must be protected from mold rain, showers or continuous rain. In the mold rain season, rain protection work must be done especially well. From late June to mid-September, there are often showers. If the rain is short in duration and small in amount, more watering should be done in the evening to let the hot air in the pot escape; otherwise orchids will be damaged, and may even suffer root rot and die. If a shower is followed by sunshine, shade must be provided in time to prevent rising ground heat from affecting orchid growth.

In rainy seasons, which coincide with the stage when orchids send out leaf buds, if the potting soil is too warm it will cause poor leaf bud growth or invite disease. At this time, a small amount of plant ash can be sprinkled to regulate the humidity of the potting soil.

4. Watering

The flower proverb says: "dry orchid, wet chrysanthemum", and this saying has some truth. Generally speaking, orchids are best kept at eight parts dry and two parts wet. If too wet, the flowers easily rot at the roots and die. The principle of watering should be: water when dry, stop when wet, and lean appropriately toward dry. In specific handling, generally note: during the growth period (May to the end of June), water appropriately more; during the leaf bud emergence period (about March-April) and the flowering period (about March-April), water appropriately less; during the dormant period (winter), water even less or not at all. If the pot is large and the orchid plant is small, water less; if the pot is small and the plant is large, water more. In hot, dry weather, water appropriately more; in cool, damp conditions (such as the mold rain season), water less or not at all. For orchids newly dug from the mountains, if the root system is sparse or many roots are broken, water less and keep the potting soil a bit dry, so that roots will not rot and new leaves will be encouraged to emerge.

The ancients' experience, "not dry in autumn, not wet in winter", is a very good summary of how to water spring orchids and summer orchids. But in some northern regions, because the climate in winter and early spring is too dry, orchids should not be allowed to become too dry either.

Watering time: in summer and autumn, watering after sunset is best so that the orchid leaf surface dries before nightfall; watering in the early morning is also acceptable. In winter and spring, watering around sunrise is best. Do not suddenly water with cold water after scorching sun exposure, lest the soil temperature drop, affecting root water uptake and disrupting physiological balance. The amount of water should not be too large, to help suppress disease occurrence.

Watering method: water should be poured in from the edge of the pot, and must not be poured into the flower buds, to avoid causing rot.

The ancients had very good summarized experience on watering orchids. For example, Yu Zhao in "Record of Orchid Cultivation in the Capital" proposed different watering methods according to the twenty-four solar terms within a year. The following is excerpted for reference. But two points should be noted: first, "Record of Orchid Cultivation in the Capital" takes Beijing's climate as its standard; second, the months in the text refer to the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, for example "first month" is actually February in the Gregorian calendar.

Lichun, Yushui: spring orchids have already set flowers, the soil should not be too dry; slightly moisten along the edge of the pot; if the autumn orchid pot has not dried to the bottom, do not water.

Jingzhe: when the spring orchid pot is dry to half a pot (empty above, solid below), it can be moistened, but not heavily; the same as before for autumn orchids.

Chunfen: spring orchids have finished flowering and should avoid dampness; when the pot is half dry, it can be moistened.

Qingming, Guyu: do not let the potting soil become too dry; moisten every 5 days.

Lixia: orchids begin to be brought out of the room, and should be given one thorough watering.

Xiaoman: the potting soil should not be too dry or too wet; spots appearing on leaves means too wet, and withered tips on new buds means too dry; water one sheng (about a dry teacup) every 4 days, so that the lower 2/3 of the potting soil is moist from bottom to top.

Mangzhong: the climate is dry, so pay even more attention to avoiding too dry or too wet conditions.

Xiazhi: the potting soil must not be too dry; if there is heavy rain, it can only endure one day; if there are successive days of overcast rain, the pot must be moved to a ventilated place.

Xiaoshu: at this time the air is too humid, and the potting soil must not be too wet; the pot should be placed in a ventilated place. If it is hot and dry with little rain, water one sheng every 2 days; after heavy rain or one heavy wetting, you must wait until the potting soil is dry to 2/3, otherwise it should not be watered again.

Dashu: the potting soil easily dries all the way through; note that only one heavy rain or one heavy wetting per day is appropriate.

Liqiu: orchids need water at this time; water 2 sheng every 3 days, and it is also appropriate to give some wind protection.

Chushu: water once every 5 days; except during successive days of haze and rain, they can be allowed to receive rain and dew.

Bailu: autumn orchids need frequent watering even more than spring orchids, but after being wet, they must dry out greatly before they can be wet again.

Qiufen: if autumn orchids have already produced flowers, watering should be slightly less; if they have not produced flowers, watering should be slightly increased.

Hanlu: autumn orchids should be given a thorough watering, while spring orchids should not be given a thorough watering but should be kept moist.

Shuangjiang: orchids should be brought indoors; watering time should be changed to midday, and after watering they should be placed in the midday sun for 1-2 hours.

Lidong: only moistening is appropriate, about half a sheng every 5 days.

Xiaoxue: the flower room should avoid warmth and should not be too wet; if too damp it can cause root rot, spotted leaves and even withering; if the pot has not dried to the bottom, only slightly moisten the surface of the soil.

Daxue: autumn orchids do not need water; spring orchids should be slightly moistened.

Dongzhi: neither should be irrigated.

Xiaohan: watering is taboo for both.

Dahan: autumn orchids still do not need water; spring orchids can be slightly moistened with water.

5. Fertilizing

Whether to fertilize orchids should be decided according to their growth condition. Those growing luxuriantly and free of disease can be fertilized; those growing poorly should not be fertilized or should be fertilized only lightly. For orchids newly dug from the mountains, before new roots have developed, fertilizer must absolutely not be used; after 1-2 years of cultivation, only when new roots are vigorous can fertilizer be applied, otherwise they easily wither and die.

Generally speaking, in June-July, when orchid leaf buds have extended about 1.5 cm, 1-2 applications of thin, well-rotted liquid fertilizer may be given (chemical fertilizer should not be used), but in high-temperature seasons fertilization is not appropriate. In August-September, apply 1-2 more applications of rotted, thin liquid fertilizer. For plain-hearted orchid varieties, 1-2 applications of plant ash infusion can be given, with very good results. Fertilizing in the evening is best, and the next morning water once with clear water.

A relatively simple way to tell whether orchids need fertilizing is to look at the depth of leaf color. Leaves that are yellow and thin indicate a fertilizer deficiency, and top dressing should be applied; leaves that are dark with scorched tips indicate excessive fertilizing, and fertilization should be stopped.

For fertilizer, the various methods introduced above can be used to make homemade fertilizer. When applying these fertilizers, they need to be diluted with 8-9 times water, and must not be too concentrated. When fertilizing, apply it to the root zone of the plant, and never apply it to the leaf surface.

6. Pruning

During orchid cultivation, pruning must be carried out continuously. When old leaves turn yellow and withered, they should be cut off in time to improve ventilation, and some leaves with dried tips should also be cut off. In particular, leaves damaged by pests and diseases must be removed in time to prevent contagion. When cutting off leaves with viral disease, the scissors used should not then be used to cut healthy leaves, to prevent virus transmission. If the same pair of scissors is used, it must be disinfected.

After the flower buds of precious orchids emerge from the soil, if there are too many flower buds, the strong buds should be kept and the remaining thin, small flower buds removed, with 1-2 flower buds per pot being appropriate. If there are too many flower buds, not only will the current year's flowers not open well, but too much of the mother plant's nutrients will also be consumed, affecting the next year's flowering. Generally, orchids need not have their flower buds cut off.

The flowers of spring orchids bloom for about half a month, after which the flowers should be cut off; for summer orchids, when the last flower on the inflorescence has been open for one week, the inflorescence should also be cut off. Precious varieties should not be allowed to be pollinated and set seed, otherwise the next year's flowering will be affected. If they are used for hybrid breeding, then they need extra careful cultivation so that the fruit is plump and ripe.

7. Cold protection

Autumn orchids should have cold protection work done early; if the temperature is 2-3°C, they can be moved indoors. Cold orchids, which grow in the south, need cold protection even earlier. Spring and summer orchids have relatively strong cold tolerance, but if freezing occurs they must also be moved indoors in time. If the room temperature can be kept at 1-2°C, they can overwinter. If a severe cold wave strikes and the room temperature drops below zero, heating must be applied in time; generally it is enough to keep the room from freezing.

Indoors, autumn orchids should be placed on the south-facing side, and spring and summer orchids on the other side. Around noon, windows facing south and southeast should be opened for ventilation (for autumn orchids, on overcast days at 1-2°C, windows must not be opened, to prevent cold wind from blowing in and freezing the leaves). Autumn orchids like to be a bit drier in winter, while the potting soil of other orchids should be kept moist.

8. Flower removal

For orchids growing poorly, with few leaves per clump or poor roots, flower removal should be carried out. For better varieties, spring orchids can appropriately have 1-2 flower buds removed, and summer orchids, when the flower buds have extended, can keep 1-2 flower buds and have the rest removed; this way the flowers can last longer, more new leaves can emerge, and old leaves are less likely to wither and die.

Precious spring orchids should have their flowers removed 3-5 days after opening, so that leaf buds grow vigorously; for summer orchids, when the topmost flower has opened, they can also be cut off at a point several cm above the pot surface.

9. Flood and wind protection

If the cultivation site is open on all sides and the terrain is relatively high, wind protection work should be done in summer when strong winds or typhoons pass through, to prevent the leaves of summer orchids or cold orchids from being broken and damaged.

10. Mist spraying

In dry seasons, spray mist every evening on the balcony where the potted flowers are placed, mainly to moisten the ground and increase air humidity. The surface of the orchid pots should also be misted. When misting, spray upward so that the mist droplets fall finely and evenly and the leaf surface becomes moist; this can promote good orchid growth and give the leaves a glossy appearance.

Pest and disease control

Sterilization treatment should be carried out (exposure under the scorching sun is sufficient) to prevent disease occurrence. Orchids are most prone to southern blight in rainy, high-temperature seasons, and it can be prevented by spraying with 800-times thiophanate liquid or Bordeaux mixture. If the disease is severe, thiophanate at 500-750 times dilution can be used, sprayed once every 7-10 days.

Among pests, scale insects occur most frequently; this insect attaches to the base of the leaves, and if scale insects are found, they should be removed in time. To avoid scale insect infestation, starting from April, "1059" at 2000 times dilution can be used for control.

In order to suppress the occurrence of orchid diseases, in addition to appropriately controlling the dryness and wetness of the potting soil at ordinary times, clay pots should also be used as much as possible and glazed pots used less when selecting flower pots. In particular, newly dug orchids from the mountains that grow poorly must be planted in clay pots. Doing so makes the potting soil dry easily, which can promote orchid growth and reduce disease occurrence.

How to grow Chloranthus spicatus: 6 daily care methods and points

For flower lovers preparing to grow Chloranthus spicatus, you can first understand its growth habits, such as its requirements for soil, light, watering and temperature. Below, 6 daily care methods and points for Chloranthus spicatus have been compiled for flower lovers.

Chloranthus spicatus likes loose, slightly acidic soil, so the soil can be prepared from leaf mold, coarse sand and garden soil in a 2:2:5 ratio. It is suggested that flower lovers can add an appropriate amount of bone meal to the soil as base fertilizer.

Chloranthus spicatus is by nature shade-loving and cannot be placed in strong light for exposure; in summer strong light requires shading. However, it is suggested that flower lovers can place Chloranthus spicatus in a warm, ventilated place for care, and at the same time Chloranthus spicatus needs sufficient light before flowering.

Chloranthus spicatus likes moisture, so during ordinary care try to maintain the humidity of the potting soil, but it must not be too wet; watering must not be excessive and there must be no water accumulation. In spring, water once every 1-2 days; as the temperature rises, water once a day.

In summer, it is suggested that flower lovers water once in the morning and once in the evening, and spray water on the leaf surface at noon to maintain humidity. Muddy water should not be used, as it is not conducive to root growth.

If the ambient temperature is below ten degrees, Chloranthus spicatus will stop growing, so insulation measures should be taken well, and corresponding measures should be adopted according to the weather temperature. In the hot summer, the temperature will be very high and water evaporates very quickly,

so we take shading measures and supplement water for Chloranthus spicatus; a little water should also be sprayed around the pot to lower the surrounding temperature while maintaining air humidity, and remember that the environment must be ventilated.

Flower lovers should regularly remove the growing tips to promote the growth of side buds and control plant height. When side buds grow to about 20, pinching can be stopped; at the same time, we should promptly remove yellowed leaves and old branches.

Chloranthus spicatus is also a plant that can suffer from pests. In summer we should prevent pests such as aphids, red spider mites and scale insects. When pest damage occurs, we can spray pesticide to kill the insects.

How to grow Chloranthus spicatus: 4 daily care points

This plant, Chloranthus spicatus, likes loose, slightly acidic soil. The soil can be prepared from leaf mold, coarse sand and garden soil in a 2:2:5 ratio, and then an appropriate amount of bone meal can be added as base fertilizer.

Chloranthus spicatus is by nature shade-loving and cannot be exposed to strong light; it should be placed in a warm, ventilated place. In the summer growth period we need to take shading measures, otherwise the leaves will easily turn yellow, thereby affecting ornamental value.

Chloranthus spicatus likes a moist environment, so when caring for it, try to maintain the humidity of the potting soil, but it must not be too wet; watering must not be excessive and there must be no water accumulation. In spring, water once every 1-2 days; as the temperature rises, water once a day.

Especially in summer, we should water once in the morning and once in the evening, and spray water on the leaf surface at noon to maintain humidity. Muddy water should not be used, as it is not conducive to root growth.

Common diseases of Chloranthus spicatus include stem rot, sclerotinia disease and leafhopper damage. Generally, targeted pesticides plus New High Lipid Film can be sprayed, greatly improving the utilization rate of the active ingredients of the pesticide.