Rejuvenating small and weak potted orchid seedlings: cheaply introduced small seedlings grow into large mature plants worth thousands to tens of thousands
How to carefully care for small and weak potted orchid seedlings has always been a concern for many orchid growers. It is said that dragon-root seedlings are hard to grow, yet everyone likes dragon-root small seedlings. The rise of the orchid craze has made the prices of famous varieties rise sharply, with mature large plants costing thousands to tens of thousands, but small and weak plants are often relatively cheap. Orchid growers who know how to grow orchids often choose relatively cheap small orchid seedlings to care for carefully, and after two or three years they gradually rejuvenate.
Potted orchid seedlings
In order to shorten the time for small and weak seedlings to establish themselves in the pot, in the growing medium below the pseudobulb you can mix in the organic-rich original medium from a large pot of strong plants. From the bottom of the pseudobulb upward, use fine-grained Kanuma soil. When potting, you can place a few grains of slow-release fertilizer in the middle of the pot as a base fertilizer, ensuring that the new seedlings can absorb nutrients in time after rooting. Orchids grow in the mountains, their roots creeping through leaf mold soil, with root tips just reaching the black soil, and the pseudobulb wrapped in leaf-mold soil. Such a soil layer is loose and breathable, does not become waterlogged when wet but retains moisture, is rich in nutrients and cool in nature. Young buds and small seedlings are passed down generation after generation, so under artificial cultivation, the medium is even more required to be breathable and to retain moisture and fertilizer.
Potted orchid seedlings
Many people think that small and weak potted orchid seedlings should be grown in shade, but this is actually not the case. Sunlight is very important for small orchid seedlings, as it helps the new seedlings grow quickly. Of course, old plants also decline quickly when exposed to sun, so it is best to give them appropriate sunlight. In winter and spring they can have full sun, and in summer and autumn shading should be no less than 70%. This can help the orchid plants establish themselves in the pot early, send out new seedlings, and grow new roots.
After small and weak orchid seedlings have grown out, what they fear most is getting through the hot summer. If they encounter weather above 30°C for a long time, the small and weak orchid seedlings will definitely be damaged, so protective measures must be taken for small and weak orchid plants. Common protective measures: if you have an air-conditioned room, put them in the air-conditioned room; if you do not have an air-conditioned room, you can put them in the bathroom, indirectly using a fan to blow over a basin of water to increase humidity and lower the temperature, so that the small and weak orchid seedlings can safely get through the summer.
Potted orchid seedlings
Another difficult period for raising small and weak orchid seedlings is getting through the winter. The cold of winter can freeze even robust orchid plants to death if the insulation work is not done well. It is best to put small orchid seedlings in an air-conditioned room if you have one; if not, put them on an enclosed balcony, in the bathroom, or even in a room, which is relatively safer, but pay attention to humidity: do not let it be too wet, and do not let it be too dry.
Potted orchid seedlings
The cultivation of small and weak seedlings must be done with an ordinary mindset and an attitude of indifference to fame and profit. Never be impatient for quick success and instant benefit. There is a saying about potted orchids: "Orchids like to cluster together and fear being separated from the mother." Therefore, when cultivating small orchid seedlings, in order to enhance the growth vitality of the small orchid seedlings, it is best to find a pot of orchids with a similar plant type, growing luxuriantly and flourishing, and plant them together with the small seedlings to enhance the growth vitality of the small orchid seedlings.
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