Doing a good job of dividing orchids in autumn in 5 steps: no root rot, fast rejuvenation, and lots of new shoots

The love for orchids is something perhaps only orchid growers who have fallen down the rabbit hole can truly understand. The hot summer has just passed, so how many orchid plants are left at home for all you orchid owners? Recently I chatted with an old orchid friend, and even through the phone screen, I could feel his faint sadness, because this summer cost him quite a few varieties. For many orchid owners, these are things they must go through.

What is comforting is that now in autumn the orchids can be divided again. He said he wants to take this opportunity to divide all the varieties suitable for division, care for them well, and try to replace all the varieties he lost. This is the old orchid friend's Da Yuanbao, growing well, and it now already has 20 plants. If you want to turn 1 pot into many pots, every detail must be done well when dividing.

Why choose to divide in autumn? After entering September, the orchid's flower buds have already formed. At this time the orchid shifts from reproductive growth to vegetative growth, and at this point the orchid's leaf buds and new shoots have not yet formed. Repotting at this time can precisely stimulate the orchid to grow new growth points.

Steps for dividing

Step one: division. Do not water for 1 week before dividing. When the pot and soil separate from the pot, do not let the soil ball break apart, so the orchid's root system will not be damaged. Then use sterilized scissors to trim yellow leaves, rotten old roots, and sheath leaves. From a relatively large clump of orchid plants, find small orchid plants where the distance between two pseudobulbs is wide, find the places that loosen more easily, cut them apart, and apply a small amount of charcoal powder and sulfur powder to prevent the orchid's wounds from rotting. In this step, note that each division of the cut orchid must have at least 3 pseudobulbs.

Step two: disinfection and drying the roots. Many orchid owners feel this step can be ignored when dividing, but personally I think that if you want the orchid plants to rejuvenate faster, it is better to do this step. Soak all the trimmed orchid plants in disinfectant solution until you see the roots turn white and soft, then take them out and put them in a ventilated place with scattered light to dry. Earlier articles have mentioned the benefits of drying the roots, so orchid friends who do not understand can go take a look.

Step three: flower pots and potting medium. Choose a flower pot according to the size of the orchid plant. As for the material, purple clay is best; it matches orchids quite well and also has good air permeability. Put a layer of broken bricks or coal cinders at the bottom of the pot, about one third of the pot height is enough, to help drainage and air permeability.

The potting medium is the main source of nutrients absorbed by the orchid, and whether the potting medium is good or bad directly affects the orchid's growth. The principle for choosing potting medium is: combine soft and hard, retain moisture and fertilizer. Some orchid owners choose to mix their own potting medium, for example mixing bark chunks, volcanic rock granules, coconut husk, and so on; some orchid friends also directly buy special orchid potting soil online, which can be used directly. This old orchid friend directly bought this chestnut leaf potting medium, and the orchids he grows are all very good.

Step four: potting up. Basically anyone who has planted them before knows how to do it, so I will not go into detail here. The only thing to note is that while potting up, shake the pot wall at the same time, so the potting medium and the orchid's roots fit closely together and prevent empty roots. When adding potting soil up to the roots, lift the orchid upward gently, so the orchid's roots can fully spread out in the pot. Finally, spread a layer of Kanuma soil or clay pebbles on top of the pot.

Step five: watering to settle the roots. The first time you water, first use a small stream of water to slowly water along the edge of the pot. Wait until water flows out from the hole at the bottom of the pot, then stop watering. After 5 minutes, repeat the first action; the third time, water heavily again. Water in 3 sessions; the purpose is to let the potting medium fully absorb water. If you find 3 times troublesome, you can also use the soaking pot method to settle the roots; the principle is the same.

After the orchid has adjusted to the pot, we can give the orchid this 1 water. Orchids love it very much; when they enjoy it, the leaves are elegant and the flowers are fragrant. This "water" is an organic nutrient solution specially for orchids. This organic nutrient solution is designed for the orchid's fleshy roots, and can let the orchid rejuvenate quickly, with new shoots sprouting everywhere the next year.