Orchid flower shape and color are affected by 3 major factors; experts create external conditions to make flower colors more to their liking

Recently some orchid growers have reported that orchid flower traits are unstable: sometimes the shape and color are very good, and sometimes there is no desirable trait. What is the reason for this? Expert growers analyze the following 3 major reasons for orchid growers' reference and learning:

1. The influence of heredity on flower shape and color. Almost all traditional varieties come from the selection of variant plants of wild orchids. In general, plum-petal flowers are petals becoming staminate, and butterfly-type flowers are a phenomenon in which petals and sepals become lip-shaped. Only when inheritance is relatively stable can it be called a variety. However, some varieties, while their main characteristics are basically stable, can also produce different flower shapes. For example, the Cymbidium goeringii 'Song Mei', besides the typical plum-petal flower, can also open lotus-shaped narcissus-petal and plum-type narcissus-petal flowers, and red spots may appear on the tongue, or there may be no red spots and other characteristics. 'Lu Yun' can show phenomena such as multiple petals, multiple lips, and multiple flower shapes.

The appearance of these phenomena is determined by the complexity of heredity, and is sometimes also affected by cultivation conditions. For expected varieties whose heredity is not yet stable, this year they often produce strange flowers and strange colors, and next year they may very likely revert to normal flower shape and color, and after a few years the above situation may appear again. Only when the same type of flower opens for more than three consecutive years can it be the selection of a variety. 2. The influence of environment on flower color and flower shape. Environmental factors include topographic and geomorphic factors and climatic factors, etc. Topography and geomorphology also include soil quality, slope, slope aspect, and so on. Climatic factors are mainly temperature, light, heat, air, and so on. Under adverse environmental conditions, sometimes the flowers are even deformed, or it is difficult for them to bloom. For example, on a sunny slope at the top of a mountain, where the wind is strong and the soil layer is thin, orchids opening facing upward can be seen; if cultivation conditions are improved, they become normal flowers. Compression by external physical forces such as stones and branches, or shading, can produce strange petals, distortion, defects, yellow flower shapes and colors, and so on.

By shading the flower buds, plain-centered flowers can be made snow white. For example, the 'Cangshan Ruixue' produced by shading Yunnan Xiaosu is essentially a change in technique, not a variety. Placing them at low temperature during the flowering period can cause slow development of flower buds, smaller petals, paler flower color, and backward-curling flower shape. For example, when orchids bloom in December, flower shapes with thin, small petals and a pale red color with an obvious jade-like quality can appear. The formation of certain yellow and red flowers is related to the soil elements of the growing place, especially trace elements.

3. The influence of cultivation management on flower color and flower shape. When cultivation is good, flower shape and color can reach their best state. Almost all double-scaped flowers of Cymbidium goeringii are an expression of a period of good growth, such as Song Mei, Lu Yun, Zhang Hesu, and so on. Only when the leaves grow upright and the number of leaves reaches the maximum will the pseudobulb state appear. Conversely, those that originally bore double-scaped flowers will become single-flowered.

Water and fertilizer management from the late stage of flower bud formation to the flowering period has a great influence on flower shape. If there is long-term drought, the bracts dry up, the flower stalk becomes shorter, the flower shape is rather small, and the flower color is dull gray. If watering is excessive, the petals become thin and pointed-long, curled backward, and the shoulders drop, and so on. When nitrogen fertilizer is sufficient, the flower shape grows well, is thick and plump, and the flower color is fresh and glossy; when it is insufficient, the color is old green and the flower shape is rather small, and so on. With robust seedlings, the flower shape is dignified and the flower stalk is tall; when the seedling is slender and weak, the flower shape is small and lacking spirit. Proper application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer helps the flower shape be healthy and upright. When the flower is about to open, using absorbent cotton, bamboo skewers, and so on to support the sepals can improve the ornamental value of varieties with dropped shoulders. In short, the primary factor for short flower shape and color is heredity, followed by external conditions. Only by carrying out scientific cultivation according to the characteristics of the variety can flower color match one's wishes.