Seven tips for preventing and controlling pests and diseases in butterfly flowers: soil management is key

Although butterfly flowers have beautiful flowers and bright colors, one could say they are very alluring, if they suffer from pests and diseases during growth, not only will they struggle to bloom, but the entire plant may die, which is something no flower lover wants to see. So we need to understand methods for preventing and controlling pests and diseases in butterfly flowers, to avoid tragedy from happening.

Prevention and control of pests and diseases in butterfly flowers

I. Pests

1. Root rot nematode

Root rot nematodes can cause the flower buds of butterfly flowers to wither, and many short, blackened roots will appear on the roots. In the most severe cases, the bulbs will rot away, causing enormous damage to butterfly flowers.

Control measures: Use steam for sterilization, and before planting, methyl bromide can be used to disinfect the soil.

2. Crickets

In the prevention and control of pests and diseases in butterfly flowers, crickets are one of the more common and most harmful pests. They damage the roots, stems, leaves, seeds, and so on of butterfly flowers, and are especially harmful to butterfly flowers at the seedling stage. If attacked by crickets and left untreated, seedlings have a 30% chance of dying.

Control measures: Pay attention to controlling environmental temperature and humidity. Crickets tend to appear in high-temperature, dry conditions, so keeping the temperature below 20 degrees and maintaining relatively high air humidity can reduce the appearance of crickets. In addition, insecticides such as dichlorvos can also be used for control.

II. Diseases

1. Southern blight

Occurrence pattern: It usually appears in hot, humid summer and autumn. In addition, soil compaction and poor fertility are also among the main causes. When the disease occurs, the base of the stems and leaves is damaged, causing hindered plant growth.

Control measures: Pay attention to environmental ventilation and avoid planting butterfly flowers too densely; in the early stage of the disease, spray 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution, or use 50% thiophanate wettable powder at 500 times dilution for spraying.

2. Butt rot

Occurrence pattern: Caused by pathogenic bacteria in the soil. When the disease occurs, butterfly flowers grow poorly, the leaves turn yellow and wither, the base of the bulb rots, and white mold appears.

Control measures: Disinfect the soil before planting, such as by direct sunlight exposure, etc.; after the disease occurs, soak the bulbs in Lobilon for disinfection; in addition, the potting soil needs to be replaced in time.

3. Root rot

Occurrence pattern: Failure to drain in time during the rainy season, or excessive watering, causes slow growth in some parts of the plant, the flower buds wither before opening, and water-soaked rot appears at the roots. In the prevention and control of pests and diseases in butterfly flowers, root rot is relatively difficult to control.

Control measures: Disinfect the seed bulbs with tetrachlorophthalide and Benlate; pay attention to digging trenches for drainage to avoid water accumulation at the roots during the rainy season; in addition, be careful not to water excessively, while appropriately increasing light, and avoid nematodes in the soil.

4. Mosaic disease

Occurrence pattern: White spots and streaks appear on parts of the leaves, then turn into purple spots. The lower part of the leaf begins to wither and gradually spreads to the upper part. The main cause is contact transmission by pests such as aphids.

Control measures: When propagating, be sure to choose robust plants; when aphids appear, use malathion, omethoate, and pirimicarb to kill the pests; pay attention to proper care.

5. Leaf blight

Occurrence pattern: The leaf tips are affected first, with gray-brown lesions in the early stage, then it spreads toward the leaf base, after which the entire leaf scorches and black granular matter appears. The cause is that the pathogenic bacteria overwinter in the soil and then cause disease during the growing season.

Control measures: The soil chosen for planting should be fertile and healthy; in the early stage of the disease, diseased leaves should be cut off as early as possible to avoid transmission between leaves; spray 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 800 times dilution, once every 8 days, and 4-5 times can control leaf blight.

Common methods for preventing and controlling pests and diseases in orchids

Today the Flower and Bonsai Wind editor wants to share with everyone an article about common methods for preventing and controlling pests and diseases in orchids. Let's take a look.

Plants in the orchid family (scientific name: Orchidaceae), commonly known as orchids, also called hujihua, are a cosmopolitan and diverse family of flowering plants, and the flowers are often colorful and often fragrant. The common name is usually the orchid family.

Orchids are herbaceous plants. Under artificial cultivation, their disease incidence is much higher than when growing naturally in forests. Under artificial cultivation, due to differences in temperature, humidity, light, and air, plus unclean ambient air, orchids are most prone to leaf diseases such as anthracnose, black spot, banded sclerotial blight, and rust spot.

Add item? Orchid is a polysemous term. Please choose from the following items to browse (6 items in total):

One of China's top ten famous flowers; Chinese painting; a character appearing in the second part of "Mermaid Melody"; a 2006 American film directed by Bryce Dallas Howard; a 2010 book compiled by the Royal Horticultural Society; a poem by Zuo Heshui

Orchid - one of China's top ten famous flowers Free editing Modify item name

Category: Plants

Orchid (scientific name: Cymbidium ssp.): epiphytic or terrestrial herb, with several to many leaves, usually born at the base of the pseudobulb or on lower nodes, two-ranked, strap-shaped or rarely oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, the base generally with a broad sheath that surrounds the pseudobulb, with a joint. Raceme with several to many flowers, colors include white, pure white, white-green, yellow-green, pale yellow, pale yellow-brown, yellow, red, cyan, purple.

Among China's traditional famous flowers, orchid refers only to several terrestrial orchid species distributed among plants of the genus Cymbidium in China, such as Chunlan, Huilan, Jianlan, Molan, and Hanlan, which is what is usually meant by "Chinese orchid." This type of orchid is very different from tropical orchids with large, brightly colored flowers. It has no striking flamboyance and no huge flowers or leaves, yet it has a simple, quiet, elegant, and noble temperament, which fits well with Eastern aesthetic standards. In China it has a cultivation history of more than one thousand years.

Chinese people have traditionally regarded orchids as a symbol of nobility and elegance, and have placed them alongside "plum, bamboo, and chrysanthemum," collectively called the "Four Gentlemen." "Orchid chapter" is usually used to describe the beauty of poetry and prose, and "orchid friendship" to describe the truth of friendship. Orchids are also used to express pure love: "Her spirit is like an orchid, never changing; her heart is like an orchid, never wavering," and "Having found a secluded orchid to repay a true friend, one branch is enough to gift to a dream of Xiaoxiang." In May 1985, orchid was rated fourth among China's top ten famous flowers.

Basic information

Chinese name

Orchid

Alternative names

Chinese orchid, Chunlan, lancao, lanhua, youlan, shanlan, guoxiang, konggu xianzi, xiangzu

Phylum

Angiosperms

English name

Orchid

Species

29 species

Kingdom

Plantae

Tribe

Epidendreae

Order

Microspermae

Family

Orchidaceae

Latin scientific name

Cymbidium ssp.

Class

Monocotyledoneae

Subfamily

Orchidoideae

Naming authority and year

Sw.,1799

Genus

Cymbidium

Subclass

Liliidae

Contents

1 Basic introduction

2 Morphological characteristics

3 Distribution range

4 Value introduction

5 Commercial value

6 Hometowns of orchids

7 Cultivation-related

8 History of orchid art

9 Other related

Edit this section Basic introduction

Plants in the orchid family (scientific name: Orchidaceae), commonly known as orchids, also called hujihua, are the largest and most diverse family of flowering plants, with more than 800 genera and 25,000 species (some sources list more than 30,000 species), plus more than 100,000 hybrid species and varieties cultivated by horticulturists. The Royal Botanic Gardens' "World Checklist of Orchids" lists about 24,000 accepted species names, and about 800 new species are added each year. The orchid family has more species than all vertebrates including the class Osteichthyes, accounting for about 1/4 of all species in the class Monocotyledoneae. Early classification systems (the Cronquist system) placed Orchidaceae and Burmanniaceae in Microspermae. In the APG classification published in 1998, it was placed in Asparagales, and in 2003, the improved APG II classification based on genetic relationships placed it under Asparagales and considered it closely related to Hypoxidaceae. Due to the extreme complexity of orchid flora, all floral characteristics fully demonstrate a high degree of adaptation to insect pollination and establish symbiotic relationships with fungi, and orchids are considered the apex of plant evolution.

Orchid family plants are all perennial herbs. Their lifestyles include terrestrial (such as Dactylorhiza, Bletilla, Spiranthes, etc.), epiphytic (or occasionally lithophytic; the vast majority of orchids have epiphytic habits), and the strangest saprophytic (such as Gastrodia, Galeola, Lecanorchis, and the large-root orchids and multi-root orchids of the genus Cymbidium, etc.), with a few being climbing vines (such as vanilla), having fibrous roots, with epiphytic ones having aerial roots; stems erect, pendulous, or climbing; leaves simple and alternate, with leaf sheaths; flowers have specialized labella due to pollination patterns with insects, and the floral structure is complex; pseudobulbs are organs unique to orchid family plants, mainly seen in epiphytic orchids. Some varieties have large and beautiful flowers with different colors and shapes, so they are often cultivated as ornamental flowers.

Edit this section Morphological characteristics

Orchids are herbaceous plants that are easy to keep alive. Roots are fleshy and thickened, without root hairs, and have symbiotic fungi [2]. They have pseudobulbs, commonly called lutou, covered on the outside by leaf sheaths, often connected together with multiple pseudobulbs and existing in rows at the same time. Leaves are linear or sword-shaped, leathery, upright or pendulous; flowers are solitary or in racemes, with many bracts borne on the pedicel. Flowers are bisexual and fragrant. The corolla consists of 3 sepals, 3 petals, and the column. The middle sepal is called the main petal. The lower 2 are secondary petals, and the extension of the secondary petals is called hu. The upper 2 petals are upright, relatively thick and fleshy, with tips curled inward, commonly called pong. Bilateral symmetry, the labellum, pollinia, and the gynostemium are the basic characteristics of orchid family plants: the characteristic of pollen forming masses has some exceptions; except for Apostasioideae and Cypripedioideae, most other orchid family plants also have pollinia stalks. The ancients said, "One stem with one flower is lan," and one stem with many flowers is hui.

Chunlan and Huilan are divided according to differences and changes in the shape and texture of the main petal, secondary petals, pong, and lip into plum petal, narcissus petal, lotus petal, butterfly petal, rare type, and plain heart, etc. Plum petal means the sepals are short and round, relatively thick and fleshy, slightly curved inward, with a narrow base; the pong petals are thick and fleshy, with tips curved inward to form a pocket; the lip is short and hard, and the flower is slightly upward when first opening. Famous varieties include Songmei, Xishenmei, etc. Narcissus petal means the sepals are slightly longer than those of plum petal, with tips gradually pointed; the pong petals are thick in texture, and the tips also form a pocket; the lip is slightly pendulous or recurved. Famous varieties include Wangzi, Cuiyipin, etc. Tea petal means the sepals are broad and large, thick in texture, narrow at the base, broad at the tip and abruptly pointed; the pong petals do not form a pocket; the lip is relatively moist and slightly recurved. Famous varieties include Dafugui, Cuigaihua, etc. Butterfly petal means that on the inner side of the two downward-facing sepals, the texture becomes thicker, forming wavy wrinkles, and there are red patches; sometimes the number of sepals or petals suddenly increases (such as Lüyun, whose corolla often has about 8 parts), or the flower shape has special changes. Plain heart means the perianth, scape, and bracts are the same color, pure green, yellow-green, etc., without mottled stripes of other colors; precious varieties include Zhanghesu, Laowentuan Su, etc.

Orchids by nature like shade, fear direct sunlight, like moisture, avoid dryness, and like fertile environments rich in humus and with good air circulation [2]. Climate and environment in different places can all affect orchid growth, so the choice of growing medium differs. For example, in southern Fujian, the weather in all four seasons is relatively warm and does not get too cold, orchids grow quickly, and small pebbles are suitable for planting. First, it saves resources. Second, pebbles facilitate ventilation and do not retain water.

Edit this section Distribution range

Because most varieties of terrestrial orchids originate in China, orchids are also called Chinese orchids and are ranked first among China's top ten famous flowers. Chinese orchids are mainly Chunlan,

Huilan, Jianlan, Hanlan, Molan, Chunjian, and Lianbanlan, seven major categories, with thousands of horticultural varieties.

Chunlan is also called caolan and shanlan. Chunlan is widely distributed and rich in resources. The flowering period is February to March of the year, and it can last about 1 month. The flowers have a rich and pure fragrance. Precious varieties include lotus, plum, narcissus, butterfly, and other petal types in various colors. In terms of petal type, the famous varieties from Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the most typical.

Sample Huilan Dayipin

Sample Huilan Dayipin

Huilan roots are thick and long, leaves are narrowly strap-shaped, relatively rough and hard in texture, gray-green, with obvious serrations on the leaf margins and prominent midribs. The flowering period is March to May. The flowers have a strong fragrance that spreads far and lasts long. Flower colors include yellow, white, green, light red, and compound colors. Most are colored flowers, and there are also plain flowers and butterfly flowers.

Jianlan is also called four-season orchid, including summer orchids and autumn orchids that bloom in summer. Four-season orchids are robust and upright, with green leaves and abundant flowers, strong fragrance and beautiful flowers. They are not afraid of heat or cold, have strong vitality, and are easy to cultivate. Different varieties have different flowering periods, and flowers can be seen from May to December.

Molan, also called baosuilan, baisuilan, fengsuilan, etc., originated in China's Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, Taiwan, China, Hainan, etc. Orchid growers in various parts of southern China, especially Guangdong and Yunnan, most enjoy cultivating and viewing it.

Chunjian is often called authentic Sichuan orchid. Although Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan all have famous varieties, the famous Sichuan orchid varieties are the most precious. Flower colors include red, yellow, white, green, purple, black, and compound colors. They are dazzling and eye-catching, with graceful bearing and elegant charm, strong fragrance and pure taste, and are often the first choice praised by orchid growers. Hanlan

Hanlan is distributed in Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, and the southwestern regions of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. Hanlan leaves are more slender than those of four-season orchid, especially narrower at the leaf base. The leaf posture is elegant and unrestrained, emerald green and delicate. There are large-, medium-, and small-leaf varieties and bordered varieties. Flower colors are rich, including yellow, green, purplish red, deep purple, etc., generally with mottled veins and spots, and also clean, flawless plain flowers. The sepals and pong petals are relatively narrow and slender, with a distinctive style, delicate and lovely, with an assailing fragrance.

Lianbanlan is a terrestrial orchid mainly produced in the northwestern Yunnan region of Yunnan Province, blooming each year around New Year's Day and Spring Festival. The petals of this orchid are elliptical-strip-shaped, closely resembling the petals of blooming lotus root. People used one flower to describe another and named it "Lianbanlan."

Edit this section Value introduction

Medicinal use

According to records, orchid has the reputation of "queen among flowers." The roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of orchids all have certain medicinal value [1]. The roots can treat pulmonary tuberculosis, lung abscess, and sprains, and can also set bones; decocting Jianlan roots in soup and taking it is said to be a sovereign medicine for inducing labor. The leaves treat whooping cough, the fruit can stop vomiting, and the seeds treat eye opacity. The whole plant of Huilan can treat women's diseases, and the whole plant of Chunlan treats neurasthenia, ascariasis, hemorrhoids, and other diseases. Jianlan leaves can treat deficiency-related lung qi (also written as liver qi). Orchid pedicels can treat malignant ringworm. Plain-heart orchid petals can induce labor. The plain-heart petals of Huilan, dried in the shade, can also induce labor.

In rural areas of some parts of Sichuan, orchids are called "labor-inducing flowers." It is said that if a woman encounters difficult labor, quickly bringing a pot of "labor-inducing flowers" into the delivery room will let the pregnant woman smell the orchid fragrance and then give birth smoothly. Whether this has a scientific basis still awaits verification by obstetrics and gynecology experts.

China's traditional orchids are precious flowers with graceful posture and rich fragrance (the fragrance of kings). However, physicians through the ages have summarized very little about their medicinal value. The whole orchid plant can be used as medicine. Its nature is neutral, its taste is pungent and sweet, and it is non-toxic. It has effects such as nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, promoting diuresis and draining dampness, and clearing heat and detoxifying. It can be applied to various clinical internal and gynecological symptoms. The summary is as follows:

1. Nourish yin fluids, promote fluid production and moisten dryness, and treat the sequelae of dry mouth and excessive thirst caused by radiotherapy for malignant tumors.

[Ming] Li Shizhen, "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Lancao, odor pungent, neutral, sweet, non-toxic." "Its qi is clear and fragrant, promotes fluid production and quenches thirst, moistens muscles, and treats consumptive thirst and gallbladder jaundice." "...To treat consumptive thirst and promote fluid production as a drink, use orchid leaves; this is probably based on this." Modern medical science uses radium (cobalt-60) for radiotherapy after surgery for some malignant tumors or cancers, achieving certain therapeutic effects, but it causes a certain degree of damage to tissues and organs near the tumor and affects function. For example, radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, malignant tumors of the salivary glands (mucoepidermoid carcinoma), and upper and middle esophageal cancer damages various glands in the oral cavity, especially the three pairs of major salivary glands, the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands, as well as mucosal gland cells of the upper digestive tract, causing a large decrease in glandular secretion and producing symptoms of upper consumptive thirst such as dry throat and burning sensation, dry tongue and scorched lips, and thirst with frequent drinking. Using orchids can treat this condition caused by radiotherapy for malignant tumors, with very good results.

According to clinical experience, radiotherapy patients with malignant tumors in different locations and organs have better results when combined with some Chinese herbal medicines. For example, radiotherapy patients with laryngeal cancer should be used together with shandougen, baimaogen, and dandelion; radiotherapy patients with esophageal cancer should be used together with banzhilian, baihuasheshecao, xiakucao, and lingxian, etc.

2. Clear heat and cool blood, nourish yin and moisten the lungs, and treat dry cough and chronic cough, and pulmonary hemoptysis.

Modern traditional Chinese medicine research shows that the whole plant of Jianhua has the effects of clearing heat and cooling blood, nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, and is often used clinically for hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis and for regulating chronic dry cough that does not stop.

To treat patients with mild to moderate hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, use 50-100 g of fresh Jianlan roots, mash and squeeze the juice or decoct in water and take, 2 times a day, with evident results in 4-6 days.

To treat patients with unceasing dry cough, use 30-50 orchid stamens, decoct in water, add rock sugar, 2 times a day, and take for 3-5 days for remarkable results. This conforms to the statement in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" that "lancao mainly treats blood generation, regulates qi, nourishes the nutritive qi, and removes phlegm accumulation in the chest."

3. Regulate qi and harmonize blood, drain dampness and reduce swelling, and treat urinary tract infections and leukorrhea in women.

According to "Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica": "The yellow orchid, called honey orchid, can stop diarrhea and leukorrhea, promote water passage, kill parasitic toxins, reduce abscesses and swelling, regulate menstruation; taken for a long time it benefits qi, lightens the body, prevents aging, and communicates with the spirits." Modern traditional Chinese medicine believes that orchid roots have effects such as regulating qi and harmonizing blood, draining dampness, and reducing swelling. They treat urinary tract infections and excessive leukorrhea in women.

Use 50 g orchid roots, 30 g cogongrass rhizome, and 30 g winter melon peel, decoct in water and take, continuously for 6-10 days, to treat urinary tract infections.

For excessive leukorrhea in women, use 50 g orchid roots, 30 g asparagus root, 30 g lily, and 1 free-range farm chicken, stew together, take the soup and eat the meat, once every 2-3 days, continuously 2-3 times.

4. Soothe the liver and relieve depression, harmonize qi and blood, and treat dizziness and vertigo, and neurasthenia.

Modern pharmacological research shows that the aromatic component of orchids, aromatic oil, makes people feel relaxed and joyful, clears stale qi, relieves depression and dispels boredom, and refreshes the mind.

For treating dizziness and vertigo (Meniere's syndrome), results have been obtained. Prescription: 30 g orchid stamens, 15 g chrysanthemum, 15 g dwarf lilyturf tuber, 20 g agrimony, decoct in water and take, 1 dose per day. Take continuously for 4-6 days. This is based on the records in "Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica" that "plain-heart Jianlan removes stale qi and relieves depression." "Honey-pickled green orchid flowers made into tea and drunk harmonize qi and blood, soothe the middle burner, and sober one from wine."

Use 50 g orchid roots, 20 g canna rhizome, and 20 g Xu Changqing, decoct in water and take, 1 dose per day, continuously for 10-15 days, to treat neurasthenia.

5. Other medicinal uses

According to the record that "orchid leaves receive the qi of metal and water yet seem to have fire; people know the preciousness of their floral fragrance, but do not know that their leaves have medicinal formulas; their leaves can strongly disperse long-accumulated stale and depressed qi, which is what people today place on the right," to treat constipation, stagnation and accumulation of the large and small intestines, thick and greasy tongue coating, dry throat and lung dryness, and offensive bad breath, use 20-30 autumn orchid flowers and 50 g orchid leaves, decoct in water, and when slightly warm, add 30 g honey and take, continuously 2-3 times. This conforms to the theory that the lungs and large intestine are interior-exterior paired.

Use 50-100 g fresh orchid roots, wash clean, mash, and apply to the affected area, to treat traumatic injuries, subcutaneous bleeding, and muscle tumors.

Edible use

(1) The floral fragrance can be used to scent tea

The fragrance of orchids is clear and pure, and when used to scent tea, it produces the highest quality. In orchid-producing areas or large-scale orchid nurseries, orchid tea has promising prospects for development.

According to records: "The flowers can enhance tea, and the paste can serve as a drink." In Fujian Province, villagers candy the flowers of the Jian orchid (Cymbidium ensifolium) with honey and then drink it. There is also a record: "Using salted plum dried and steeped to extract juice called plum oil, used to soak fresh flowers as a fragrance." In Japan's ancient capital, to the east of Kyoto, there is an old shop that for decades has sold a hereditary "orchid tea." This is made by picking the flowers of the spring orchid (Cymbidium goeringii) grown on the mountains north of Kyoto, sun-drying them semi-dry by a special method, then salting them and packing them in small clay bottles. When using, take two flowers, place them in a teacup, and pour boiling water over them to drink. After steeping in water, the orchids regain their original shape, being both beautiful and having a special fragrance, with an extraordinary flavor when drunk. The flowers can also be eaten.

(2) Flowers Can Be Eaten

Flowers can be made into soup. According to records, flowers can be added to soup; just before adding, first blanch them with hot water, and the flower color will be fresh and the soup taste delicious. Orchids can be used in dishes and are a famous Sichuan cuisine at banquets, with a delicate fragrance filling the air around the table, unforgettable for a lifetime. Famous dishes in Sichuan cuisine include "Orchid Shredded Tripe," "Orchid Shredded Pork," and "Orchid Buns" also have an endless flavor.

Edit this section Commercial Value

A Singaporean merchant has produced a very unique souvenir by dipping orchid flowers in 18K or 22K gold liquid, and after it solidifies, making them into brooches, small clips, earrings, plates, and other ornaments. Since orchid flowers are naturally grown raw materials, no two flowers can be exactly the same, so each gold-plated orchid jewelry piece is also different. In addition, orchids are also placed in a special wax to make small alarm clocks, pen holders, and various other souvenirs. Singapore is a multi-ethnic country, so souvenirs are also diverse. Walking into Chinatown, Chinese music drifts, and various small souvenirs with Chinese characteristics are everywhere. Stepping into "Little India," people will find its "Indian flavor" is very strong, with saris, spices, garlands, peacock feathers, and so on visible everywhere. While "Holland Village" sells Western souvenirs, such as Dutch clogs and so on.

In addition to ornamental and wearable tourist souvenirs, Singapore now also makes some high-quality foods into tourist souvenirs for tourists to choose from. Such as Singapore specialty pork jerky, rock sugar bird's nest, and so on, are deeply loved by tourists.

Edit this section Orchid Hometown

Luotian, Hubei

On the morning of April 2, 2013, the awarding ceremony was held in Luotian County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province. This awarding ceremony was hosted by the China Wild Plant Conservation Association, and undertaken by the Hubei Wildlife Conservation Association, the CPC Luotian County Committee, and the Luotian County People's Government.

Luotian has a mild climate, abundant rainfall, many mountains and dense forests, with a forest coverage rate of 68.8%, providing good ecological conditions for orchid growth and promoting the coexistence of multiple communities of orchid family plants. In high-altitude forest areas, Goodyera schlechtendaliana, Cypripedium japonicum, and Cleisostoma scolopendrifolium are abundant; in middle and low-altitude mountain forests, Cymbidium ensifolium, Cymbidium kanran, and Cymbidium faberi are abundant. There are 18 genera and 25 species of orchid family plants discovered within the territory, with a growth area of 1.32 million mu. [5]

Edit this section Cultivation-Related

Chinese Orchids

Shaoxing Orchids

Shaoxing is one of the earliest places in China where orchids were planted, long known as the "hometown of orchids." The Southern Song Baocing-era "Kuaiji Xu Zhi" records: "Orchids, the Yue Jue Shu says: Goujian planted orchids on Lanzhu Mountain. The old classic says: Lanzhu Mountain is the place where Goujian planted orchids." Lanzhu Mountain, in present-day Lizhu Lanting, is still famous at home and abroad for its abundant spring orchids. Shaoxing orchids are numerous in varieties, and their flower shapes, colors, and fragrances are all unique. With one branch in a room, a clear fragrance fills the air, refreshing the heart. The Ming dynasty painter and calligrapher Xu Wei wrote in a poem "Orchid": "Do not be surprised that spring light does not belong to me; one fragrance is enough to surpass a thousand reds. Even if the fragrant Han Niang's sleeve is picked, it does not make the world's musk wind." Traditional famous orchid varieties such as "Song Mei," "Lou Mei," "Huanqiu Heding," and "Zan Die" all come from Shaoxing. Shaoxing's rare variety "Lüyun" is a nationally protected rare resource. In 1959, a rare-petaled famous Shaoxing orchid was named "Zhongshan Hudie He" by Beijing Zhongshan Park. In 1982, the Standing Committee of the Shaoxing Municipal People's Congress designated the orchid as the city flower of Shaoxing, and established the country's first orchid association, namely the Shaoxing Orchid Association.

Major Orchid-Producing County

Yifeng County in Jiangxi is a major orchid-producing county, with very rich orchid resources within its territory. Spring orchids, Hui orchids, Jian orchids, and cold orchids are all distributed, with cold orchids being the most prominent, enjoying nationwide fame. In recent years, orchid cultivation in Tanshan and Tianbao of the county has developed rapidly, with a number of large orchid growers such as Heping Orchid Garden and Baiyi Orchid Garden emerging, and the orchid industry has taken initial shape. In order to guide and support the orchid industry to become bigger and stronger and form scale, the county orchid association carefully organized orchid friends to participate in the Second China Cold Orchid (Chongqing) Expo. At this exhibition, the county won 3 awards in total: the Shenmao submitted by the county's large orchid grower Yang Heping won the special gold award, the Xiashan spring orchid line art won the silver award, and the side-petal butterfly won the bronze award.

Distribution and Collection

In China, except for North China, Northeast China, and Ningxia, Qinghai, and ** in the Northwest, every province and region has different species of Cymbidium plants. Generally speaking, terrestrial orchids mostly grow in temperate and subtropical regions, such as Jiangsu and Anhui; epiphytic orchids mostly grow in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Guangdong, Fujian, and Taiwan, China.

Collecting wild orchids in the mountains is of great significance for discovering new varieties and selecting excellent hybrid parents. During the collection process, consideration should be given to choosing the flowering period, improving the survival rate, the local climate and the local orchid soil moisture, and factors such as different growth environments in different places. At the same time, work such as paying attention to safety, fire prevention, not mistakenly entering restricted areas, and keeping collection records should be done well.

In the process of orchid cultivation and business operations, due to orchid merchants' frantic speculation on some novel orchid varieties, orchid prices once rose abnormally, and "sky-high orchids" kept appearing. Driven by huge economic interests, large-scale destructive collection of wild orchid resources appeared, and many wild orchid habitats were extremely damaged. For this reason, the state adopted protection measures such as establishing no-collection reserves, establishing variety protection levels, improving legislation on wild resources, and strictly punishing illegal collectors.

From the perspective of long-term and effective utilization of orchid resources and respecting and advocating environmental protection, orchid enthusiasts should establish a scientific, reasonable, environmentally friendly, and law-abiding awareness of orchid collection.

City flower of Guiyang, city flower of Shaoxing, and provincial flower of Zhejiang.

Chinese Orchid Cymbidium faberi

Orchids are world-famous flowers. In the national orchid family there are more than 15,000 varieties. Asian Chinese orchids are Cymbidium faberi; Oceania and Africa mostly have Feng

orchids, Singapore's Vanda, Finland's lily of the valley, Yugoslavia's lily of the valley, Seychelles--Yucca, Zimbabwe--Gloriosa, South American countries' designated national orchids: Brazil's Cattleya, Costa Rica's Cattleya. Ecuador and Guatemala both have Laelia Cattleya, Colombia's Cattleya, Ecuador's white orchid.

Chinese orchid Cymbidium faberi usually refers to a portion of terrestrial species in the Cymbidium genus. The pseudobulb is relatively small, the leaves are linear, and the roots are fleshy; the flower stem is upright, with 1 to more than 10 flowers, the flowers are small and fragrant, usually light green with purple-red spots. Different species vary greatly in leaf and flower morphology and flowering period. Produced south of the Qinling Mountains and in the southwest region. It has a long cultivation history, at least over a thousand years, and is one of China's ten traditional famous flowers. Since ancient times, people have regarded orchids as a symbol of nobility, elegance, patriotism, and unyielding integrity. A orchid culture with strong Chinese national characteristics has formed. Propagated by division, sowing, or tissue culture. Potted in humus soil, requiring good aeration and drainage; prefers semi-shade and a humid environment. The overwintering temperature for Cymbidium sinense, Cymbidium ensifolium, and Cymbidium kanran is about 10°C, and for the other species about 5°C.

What is now called Chinese orchid was called "Hui" in ancient times. As Huang Tingjian (1045-1105) of the Northern Song dynasty described orchids in "Youfang Pavilion": "One stem with one flower and surplus fragrance is an orchid; one stem with five or seven flowers and insufficient fragrance is a Hui."

Appreciation and Cultivation

We Chinese appreciate and cultivate orchids much earlier than the Western cultivation of foreign orchids. As early as the Spring and Autumn period 2,400 years ago, the Chinese cultural sage Confucius once said: "Angelica and orchids grow in secluded valleys, and do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there; a gentleman cultivates the Way and establishes virtue, and does not change his integrity because of poverty."

Orchid, fragrant herb. -- "Shuowen"

Heng lan zhi ruo. -- "Book of Han: Biography of Sima Xiangru"

The root of lanhuai is zhi. -- "Xunzi: Encouraging Learning"

The root of the Chinese orchid is white angelica, and white angelica symbolizes the common people. Hui and zhi have been the essence of the traditional virtues of benevolence, righteousness, and civil governance since ancient times. The great Tang poet Li Bai wrote, "The secluded orchid's fragrant wind travels far; the hui grass spreads its fragrant roots." The Cymbidium faberi root system is the people.

History of Chinese Orchid Art

Chinese Orchid

Confucius, "Confucius Family Sayings: In Adversity": Angelica and orchids grow in deep forests, and do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there; a gentleman cultivates the Way and establishes virtue, and does not change his integrity because of poverty. The Song dynasty was the peak period in China's orchid art history, with numerous books and descriptions about orchid art. For example, Luo Yuan of the Song dynasty in "Erya Yi" said: "The leaves of the orchid are like those of the nutgrass, and it sprouts in early spring. The flowers are very fragrant, mostly growing in forests. When a breeze passes, its fragrance rises and reaches outside, hence it is called zhi lan. Orchids in Jiangnan only bloom in spring, while those in Jingchu and Minzhong bloom again in autumn and summer." Zhao Shigeng of the Southern Song dynasty wrote "Jinzhang Lanpu" in 1233, which can be said to be the earliest surviving work in China researching orchids, and also the world's first monograph on orchids. The whole book is divided into three volumes and five parts, briefly describing the morphological characteristics of more than 30 varieties of purple orchids (mainly Cymbidium sinense) and white orchids (that is, pure-hearted Cymbidium ensifolium), and discussing the grade of orchids. After "Jinzhang Lanpu," Wang Guixue wrote the book "Wangshi Lanpu" in 1247, which gave detailed descriptions of more than 30 orchid varieties. In addition, in the Song dynasty there was also the book "Lanpu Aofa," which mainly described cultivation methods, divided into seven parts: the method of division, the method of planting flowers, the method of placement and watering, the method of watering, the method of fertilizing soil for flowers, the method of removing ants and lice, and miscellaneous methods. As for the book "Zhongyi Biyong" written by Wu Zan, it also introduced orchid cultivation. In 1256, "Quanfang Beizu" written by Chen Jingyi gave a relatively detailed account of orchids. The complete woodblock edition of this book was collected in the Japanese Imperial Palace Library, and in 1979 Japan returned a photocopy to our country. In the Song dynasty, works using orchids as subject matter in Chinese painting include "Spring Orchid Painting" by Zhao Mengjian, which has been considered the earliest surviving famous orchid painting, now treasured in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, orchid art entered a flourishing period again. With the continuous increase of orchid varieties and the growing enrichment of cultivation experience, orchid cultivation had become an object of public appreciation. At this time, the number of books, painting albums, poems, and orchid patterns printed on porcelain and certain crafts describing orchids was relatively large, such as Zhang Yingmin's "Luoli Zhai Lanpu" of the Ming dynasty, and the orchid-related accounts in Gao Lian's book "Zunsheng Bajian." The Ming dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen's book "Compendium of Materia Medica" also gave relatively complete discussions of the naming, categories, and uses of orchids. The Qing dynasty also produced many monographs on orchid art, such as the 1805 "Lanhui Tongxin Lu," written by a Mr. Xu of Jiaxing, Zhejiang, who was addicted to orchids, also good at painting orchids, and had rich experience in orchid art. The book is divided into two volumes: volume one discusses knowledge of planting orchids, and volume two describes methods for identifying and classifying orchid varieties. The whole book records 57 varieties and includes line drawings drawn by him. Others such as Yuan Shijun's "Lanyan Shulüe," Du Wenlan's "Yilan Sishuo," Mao Xiang's "Lanyan," Zhu Kerou's "Diyi Xiang Biji," Tu Yongning's "Lanhui Jing," Zhang Guangzhao's "Xinglan Pulüe," Yue Liang's "Yanglan Shuo," Wang Hao's "Guang Qunfang Pu," Wu Qijun's "Zhiwu Ming Shi Tu Kao," and the late Qing Ou Jince's "Linghai Lanyan," etc., still have certain reference value today.

Orchid Art

Orchid art developed into modern times, with "Lanhui Xiaoshi" published in 1923, written by Wu Enyuan of Hang County, Zhejiang. Using "Lanhui Tongxin Lu" as a blueprint, it is divided into three volumes giving a relatively comprehensive introduction to the orchid varieties and cultivation methods of the time. The whole book records 161 famous Zhejiang orchid and hui varieties, and is accompanied by many photographs and illustrations, with both pictures and text, fascinating to read. In addition, "Zhonglan Fa" written by Xia Zhibin in 1930; the book "Orchids" co-edited by Yao Yumiu and Zhu Youren of Hangzhou in 1950; "Sichuan's Lan and Hui" compiled by the Chengdu Parks Bureau in 1963; "Xiamen Lanpu" compiled by Yan Chujiang of Fujian in 1964; the two books "Orchids" written by Wu Yingyang in 1980 and "Chinese Orchids" written in 1991, as well as books and magazines introducing Chinese orchids published in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, China, etc., can be said to be a major achievement in modern Chinese orchid art research.

Orchid art originated in China and spread abroad to Japan and Korea. Nowadays Japan has a strong interest in Chinese orchids, and its historical origin also began from China. Today Japan's orchid cultivation has formed its own system, developing into a base known as "Oriental orchids." As for Korea, orchid art has inevitably become something revered by the Korean people, and has made orchids a refined flower for the Korean people today, displayed in bedrooms, residences, and halls. What is even more praiseworthy is that they present orchids as a high-grade gift.

Humans are the most intelligent of all things, and orchids are the finest of all flowers. May orchids and hui naturally enter people's spiritual world, and together carry forward this traditional national essence of the Chinese nation, orchid art, making friends through orchids and progressing together.

Ancient Orchid Cultivation Formulas

The "Twelve-Month Formulas" are spoken according to the lunar calendar, recorded as follows:

In the first month, place them in the east, facing the sunlight opposite the light; morning and evening sun exposure need not be managed, just ensure the lush appearance does not change from the norm.

In the second month, cultivation is truly difficult; beware of leaves developing partridge spots; insert bamboo around them to prevent wind breakage, cherish the leaves as you would cherish a jade ring.

In the third month, new shoots emerge from the old clumps; remember the flower pot must not face the west wind; beware of damp places breeding lice, and the roots still dislike strong manure.

In the fourth month, the courtyard sun suddenly becomes hot, and the soil in the pot dries immediately; do not water with fresh well water; pour greasy water from time to time, its taste is sweetest.

In the fifth month, new fragrance fills the old stand, and the depths of the green shade are most peaceful; at this time the leaves recede, follow their nature; when cut, they grow back even more.

In the sixth month, the scorching sun adds summer heat, and the fragrant branches and leaves are just producing flowers; a cool pavilion or waterside chamber is suitable for placing them, or make a frame under the eaves for shade.

In the seventh month, although the summer heat has diminished, it is only suitable to water once every three days; earthworms harming the roots are most disliked; use bitter soap boiled into a decoction mixed with urine.

In the eighth month, the weather feels slightly cool, and letting them face wind and sun is also fine; the accumulated dirty water of the year must now be changed, using water soaked with chicken feathers.

In the ninth month, there is thin frost, and care must be taken in placement under the steps and eaves; if ants or insects appear, guard against yellow swelling; sprinkle oil tea on the leaves so they are not harmed.

In the tenth month, the warm spring-like air returns, and next year's flower shoots are again conceived; not exposing the secluded roots is the truly wondrous method; when the pot is full, it is especially necessary to repot urgently.

In the eleventh month, it is suitable to face the sun, and at night care must be taken to store them away. Always keep the soil surface slightly moist; when dry, the leaves turn yellow.

In the twelfth month, wind is cold and snow flies again; strictly store them in a warm place to protect the young branches; wait until the thaw and spring takes command, then move them to the courtyard to face the sunlight.

Propagation Methods

Orchids are commonly propagated by division, sowing, and tissue culture.

Division propagation: can be carried out in both spring and autumn, generally dividing once every three years. Plants that grow robustly and have densely clustered pseudobulbs can all be divided; after division, each clump must retain at least 5 connected pseudobulbs. Before division, reduce watering to make the pot soil relatively dry. When potting after division, first cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot with a piece of broken tile, then spread coarse stones, occupying 1/5 to 1/4 of the pot depth, then place coarse-grained soil and a small amount of fine soil, and then plant with sandy loam rich in humus. The planting depth should be such that the pseudobulb is just buried in the soil, leave a 2 cm rim at the pot edge, spread Selaginella uncinata or fine stones on top, and finally water thoroughly, place in shade for 10 to 15 days, keep the soil moist, gradually reduce watering, and carry out normal care.

Sowing propagation: orchid seeds are extremely fine, with only an incompletely developed embryo inside the seed, and very low germination power. In addition, the seed coat does not easily absorb water, so sowing by conventional methods cannot germinate; therefore orchid fungi or artificial culture medium are needed to supply nutrients for germination. For sowing, it is best to select fruit that has not yet split open, sterilize the surface with 75% alcohol, take out the seeds, soak them in 10% sodium hypochlorite for 5 to 10 minutes, take them out and rinse 3 times with sterile water, then sow them in a culture bottle containing culture medium, then place in a dark culture room, maintain the temperature at about 25°C, and after they sprout, move them into the light to form protocorms. From sowing to transplanting takes half a year to a year. Tissue culture has been successful, and where conditions permit, this method can be used for propagation.

Propagation Techniques

Site selection: requires open surroundings, good ventilation, and proximity to water surfaces, humid air, and no coal smoke pollution. On the southwest side of the site, evergreen broadleaf trees can be planted, with a canopy density of about 0.7, which can reduce afternoon sunlight exposure and regulate humidity and temperature.

Watering: rainwater or spring water is preferable; water containing salt and alkali should not be used. If tap water is used, it should be left standing for several days before use. Watering should depend on temperature conditions: in spring the amount of watering should be small, and in summer it should be more; during the plum rain season, which is when orchids send out leaf buds, the pot soil should be slightly dry; after autumn when the weather turns cool, the amount of watering should be reduced as appropriate, keeping it moist is enough. In winter, indoors it should be dry, reducing the frequency of watering, and it is suitable to water at noon. Orchids can be exposed to light rain, but continuous rain or heavy rain can easily cause heart rot and leaf rot, so attention must be paid to rain protection.

Fertilizing: for planting orchids, cake fertilizer is suitable. Mix 4 parts plant ash, 10 parts bean cake, and 10 parts bone meal evenly, place in a vat, add water several times until the bean cake is soaked through, then cover and seal, and after one year of decomposition, make into dry granules. When using, place on the pot surface. If using full manure, it should also be decomposed for one year, diluted with water, and the residue filtered out before use. Generally start fertilizing in May and stop fertilizing at the Beginning of Autumn, mastering the principle of thin fertilizer applied frequently. Fertilizing should be done in the evening, and the next morning water once with clear water.

Shading and cold protection: except in early spring and winter, they should all be placed under open-air sheds. The shade shed requires good ventilation. When orchids first come out of the room between March and April, they can get more sun, and afterward the shading time gradually increases. In winter, orchids must be moved indoors for cold protection, and the room temperature only needs to be maintained at 1 to 2°C. In addition, after orchids come out of the room in spring and before they enter the room in autumn, attention must also be paid to frost protection.

Planting Methods

For divided orchid clumps, do not split them too sparsely; each clump should have at least 3 to 5 shoots, and it is best to keep one-year-old plants, two-year-old plants, and three-year-old plants in the same clump.

Pot Padding

Cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot with a piece of tile, then gradually fill with bricks, tiles, or shells, with large gaps filled with mud granules or pea gravel, generally about 1/2 to 1/3 of the pot's internal height. The remaining clear height above is about 10 to 15 cm, reserved as the cultivation soil layer. Its specific height should be determined according to the orchid species, the length of the orchid roots, and the height of the pot. The padding should not be filled too densely or too solidly; some gaps should be retained. Practice has shown that some new roots can grow well in the gaps of the padding layer.

Planting

On the padding layer, first fill 2 to 3 cm of cultivation soil, press lightly with the hand, then place the orchid upright on it. According to the size of the plant and the flower pot, several single plants, 2 clumps, 3 clumps, or more clumps can be planted in one pot. 3 clumps are suitably planted in a tripod arrangement. 4 clumps can be planted in a square. 5 clumps are suitably arranged in a plum blossom shape. The orchid roots should spread naturally, and the leaves should drape in all four directions. Slowly place the orchid roots into the pot, so that the orchid roots spread naturally, trying as much as possible not to scrape against the inner wall of the pot. After the orchid plant is in the pot, gradually fix the posture of the orchid plant. For one clump per pot, the old pseudobulbs should be placed toward one side, leaving room for new buds to develop. For several clumps per pot, the old pseudobulbs of each clump should be relatively gathered toward the middle of the pot, so that new roots and new buds developing outward each have enough space.

Filling Soil

When planting, hold the leaves with one hand, add nutrient soil with the other, hold the base of the orchid plant and lift slightly upward to stretch the root system, while shaking the orchid pot. Let the cultivation soil go deep into the root zone; continue adding soil, and shake the orchid pot to adjust the position and height of the orchid plant. Press with the hand along the pot edge, but do not press too hard and damage the roots. Continue adding soil and pressing until the pot surface soil is 2 to 3 cm above the pot rim, slightly in a steamed bun shape. The cultivation soil should cover all the orchid roots, burying up to the base of the pseudobulb. As for the depth of filling soil, tradition holds: spring orchids should be shallow, and Hui orchids should be deep, but generally the standard is not to bury the leaf base on the pseudobulb. When newly sprouted orchids grow in the wild, the plants leave clear markers above and below the soil surface, and these markers can be used as the standard. The size of the flower pot should also match the size and number of the plants; neither should the pot be large while the plants are small and few, nor should the pot be small while the plants are large and many. Generally, the number of plants should be based on the principle that after an estimated 2 to 3 years they will just fill the pot. The size of the plants should match the height of the pot. This is beneficial both for growth and for meeting ornamental requirements.

Top Dressing

After planting is completed, a layer of small stone granules or green moss can be spread on the surface of the pot soil, preferably high-quality moss from under the forest. It is both attractive and can regulate moisture, and can also protect the leaf surface from being polluted by muddy water, and prevent new buds from being infected by pathogens in the soil and rotting at the heart; in addition, it can also reduce the washing away of pot soil by rainwater and keep the pot soil loose.

Watering

After planting is completed, water the first time immediately. The pot soil must be thoroughly wet; the water droplets should be small, and the impact force should not be strong. If placed in a water basin to soak, never soak for too long. As soon as the pot soil is soaked, immediately take the orchid pot out, then move it to a shaded place for care.

Test-Tube Cultivation

With the continuous development of orchid tissue culture techniques and sterile sowing techniques, the phenomenon of orchids flowering in test tubes is increasingly receiving attention. The main reason this phenomenon attracts the attention of breeders is that artificially hybridized new varieties that originally required many years of conventional cultivation to flower can now, in test tubes, through 1 to 2 culture cycles, be artificially induced to flower. In this way, individuals with excellent traits can be selected purposefully according to the flowering situation, and relatively poor individuals can be eliminated, thereby shortening the entire breeding cycle and greatly reducing the workload of cultivating large numbers of varieties that have not yet flowered, making breeding work more targeted.

Since we have long been engaged in the development and research of several conventionally cultivated terrestrial orchid species in the Cymbidium genus, the orchids mentioned below all refer to these orchid species, including Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium ensifolium, Cymbidium goeringii var. longibracteatum, Cymbidium tortisepalum, Cymbidium faberi, Cymbidium kanran, etc.

The ways orchids flower in test tubes, according to current observation results, can roughly be divided into three types. The first type is when the axillary buds of the orchid seedling develop into flower buds. This way is the same as the flowering way of orchids in conventional cultivation, except that conventional cultivation has flowers rising from a clump of seedlings, while in test tubes it is a single seedling flowering. This situation is relatively common in Cymbidium ensifolium, and relatively rare in varieties such as Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium goeringii var. longibracteatum. The second type is when the terminal bud of the orchid seedling develops into a flower bud, similar to what is commonly called "arrow in the grass" (arrow in the grass heart), with the flower growing from the very center of the orchid seedling. This situation appears in all orchid species, especially commonly in Cymbidium goeringii. The third type is when the apex of the protocorm directly differentiates into flower buds. This type is completely controlled by the hormone level in the culture medium, flowers quickly and uniformly, and has a high differentiation frequency. It is currently the main way of inducing flowering.

The flowers that orchids produce in test tubes will not change their basic variety characteristics; for example, pure-hearted varieties produce pure flowers and will never produce colored flowers. For any variety that has fragrance, the flowers in test tubes are also fragrant, and the fragrance is rich, no less than the fragrance of potted orchids, which may be unexpected to many people. Due to reasons such as the temperature and other environmental conditions in the test tube, the flowering period is usually only a few days, not as long-lasting as potted orchids; under low-temperature conditions, the flowering period can be greatly extended. The proportion of deformed flowers that orchids produce in test tubes is relatively high; some varieties can reach 10 to 20%. Generally speaking, these deformed flowers are usually caused by physiological reasons and external culture conditions, such as hormone levels, inorganic salts, and other physicochemical factors, rather than corresponding genetic changes. Therefore, the appearance of these deformed flowers is meaningless in terms of genetics and breeding. We have tracked and observed many exotic flower lines, hoping to select new excellent varieties from them, but as a result the vast majority later produced normal flowers again, and those that can truly remain stable are extremely few.

A phenomenon very useful to orchid breeders is that, in most cases, the flowers produced in test tubes have a column that can develop normally, with normal pollination ability and seed-setting ability. We have microscopically examined the development process of microspores and found that their meiosis process and pollen grain formation process are basically normal. Especially for flowers produced by the axillary bud method, after pollination the fruit produced easily develops normally to seed maturity, and these seeds produced in test tubes have a certain germination ability, although the germination rate is lower than that of seeds from potted orchids, it is already enough for breeders.

With the continuous progress of technical levels, people's ability to control orchids flowering in test tubes is becoming stronger and stronger, which will undoubtedly have a positive and far-reaching impact on orchid cross-breeding work. Since the main appreciation point of orchids is in flower art, for an unknown variety, it is basically impossible to judge its quality from the leaves before flowering. Therefore, breeding workers not only have to choose suitable excellent parents for hybridization and cultivate seedlings, but also have to plant all these seedlings, good or bad, into the greenhouse, and wait bitterly for several years until flowering before they can screen excellent individual plants from them. The workload of this process is very large. Even if an excellent individual plant is obtained, unfortunately the quantity of each individual plant is also very small, usually only a few shoots, which simply cannot meet market demand, and this excellent individual plant must still be used as an explant to do tissue culture again from the beginning. From starting the hybridization work to finally having commercial seedlings supplied to the market, this process must go through two tissue culture cycles and two cultivation cycles from bottle seedlings to flowering, generally taking more than ten years. The perfection of the test-tube flowering technique allows us, without going through the cultivation process, to screen excellent lines in test tubes, and once selected, they can be directly rapidly propagated without going through the protocorm induction process, shortening the entire breeding cycle by nearly half the time.

Another convenience brought by orchids flowering in test tubes is making in-bottle hybridization of orchids possible, which is a completely new applied research field. Some breeding work requires repeated hybridization, backcrossing, and selfing to achieve the breeding goal and select excellent new varieties. For example, in the hybridization of pure-hearted varieties and plum-petal varieties, the first filial generation is usually plum-petal but definitely not pure-hearted, which requires backcrossing the first filial generation once with the pure-hearted parent, or selfing the first filial generation once, and then selecting pure-hearted plum-petal from the second filial generation. Using conventional methods, this process would certainly take more than ten years. Now with the method of promoting orchids to flower in test tubes, we can let the first filial generation flower in test tubes, and carry out self-pollination in test tubes or mutual pollination between first filial generation plants, and cultivate seeds. These seeds can be sown directly on the culture medium without disinfection to obtain the second filial generation, and then induce flowering, so that the desired variety can be selected from the second filial generation. This process, compared with conventional methods, can save at least two cultivation cycles from bottle seedlings to flowering.

In addition, because test-tube flowering is not limited by season and can be induced at any time, this provides great convenience for hybridization between orchid varieties that flower in different seasons or orchid varieties whose flowering periods do not coincide. In other words, orchids flowering in test tubes provide a stable pollen source for cross-breeding work. Based on this idea, we have to a great extent escaped the limitations of flowering season and the limitations of the number of sources (for some varieties with very small numbers, seeing them flower once might require waiting many years, and when they flower there may not necessarily be very suitable other parent materials flowering at the same time), and have successfully achieved hybridization between orchid varieties that flower in different seasons.

At present, the research work in the field of orchids is still in a stage that has just started, and there are still many unsatisfactory aspects. Not every variety can be induced to flower, nor can every variety reach the required flowering rate, and moreover there is no ready-made procedure that can make all varieties flower. Every variety requires a large amount of experimentation and exploration. But these are basically technical problems, and it is believed that with the progress of technology and as more people of insight join the research and development in this field, these problems will be gradually solved.

Watering Methods

Watering orchid plants should be based on various natural factors affecting the transpiration of orchid plants, such as humidity, temperature, light, wind, season, and weather, so as to make different water management measures.

First, look at humidity. If the humidity in the air is low and transpiration is strong, then water more; conversely, if the humidity in the air is high or even saturated, transpiration almost stops, then water less or even do not water.

Second, look at temperature. When the temperature is high, transpiration accelerates, the water requirement is large, and the watering frequency correspondingly increases; conversely, when the temperature is low, water molecules move slowly and diffusion is weak, so the water requirement is less.

Third, look at light. When light is strong, transpiration accelerates, speeding up the diffusion of water molecules, and the water requirement is greater; conversely, the water requirement is less. Therefore, when light differs and shading degree differs, water management also differs: those receiving more sun should be watered more, and those facing away from the sun should be watered less.

Fourth, look at wind. When wind is strong, water evaporates quickly; when wind is weak, water evaporates slowly; dry southwest wind will enhance evaporation, while on the contrary humid southeast wind will cause transpiration to relatively weaken; orchid pots placed in a wind opening receive more wind and their water evaporates quickly, while orchid pots in a leeward place receive less wind and their water evaporates slowly.

Fifth, look at season. Different seasons have different temperatures, humidity, and light, and the transpiration of orchid plants also differs greatly. In the hot and dry summer, water more; in the plum rain season, water less or not at all; in the low-temperature, cloudy and cold winter, do not water; in the early spring with relatively low temperatures, water less; in the mild late spring, which is exactly the sprouting period, water more; in the dry autumn, water more.

Sixth, look at weather. In nature, weather changes unpredictably. Different weather has different light, temperature, and humidity, and the transpiration of orchid plants also varies greatly. The basic approach is: water more on sunny days, water less on cloudy days, no need to water much when rain is imminent, and do not water on rainy (or snowy) days.

Accordingly, it is difficult to have an accurate and unified management method for watering orchid plants, and the so-called saying of "watering once every few days" lacks scientific basis.

Precautions

Wounds must be protected from bacteria -- when repotting or dividing, if the roots have wounds, first apply fungicide to the wounds to prevent bacteria from invading.

Do not use too large a pot -- planting a small plant in a large pot uses too much planting material, easily leading to poor aeration, and watering is also difficult to control. If watering absorbs too much water, the planting material is not easy to dry, and bacteria invade causing root rot.

Orchids should be planted shallowly -- orchid plants should not be planted too deep, otherwise long-term moisture will cause rot. When planting, fill the planting material around the roots, and the base or pseudobulb must be exposed.

Roots should be spread out -- when planting orchids, the roots should be evenly spread out and must not be squeezed together, so that each root can contact the planting material and aeration is also good.

Do not water for several days -- newly planted orchids may have injured roots; after the wounds are coated with fungicide, do not water for 3 to 5 days, so that the medicine can take effect and also promote the growth of new buds and new roots.

Avoid strong light -- newly planted orchids must all avoid direct strong light to prevent dehydration, and should be placed in a warm and shaded place. Spraying can be used to increase the humidity in the air until the orchids resume normal growth.

Light Requirements

Orchids mostly belong to semi-shade plants, and most species fear direct sunlight and need appropriate shading. Orchids can get more sunlight in early to mid-April to promote their growth, and after late April they should be appropriately shaded. For Cymbidium faberi and upright-leaf varieties of Cymbidium ensifolium, it is best to place them in a shaded south-facing door so they receive appropriately more sunlight; for drooping-leaf Cymbidium ensifolium and Cymbidium goeringii, 2 hours of light per day is best. From the beginning of June to September, they should be placed in shade earlier each day, using shade netting or curtains. After October, when the weather turns cool and sunlight is weaker, attention should still be paid to shading around noon.

Precautions for Spring Orchid Care

Spring has many cloudy and rainy days, with relatively large temperature changes and prone to cold waves. If orchids are not well cared for and managed, they will rot at the roots and buds, seriously affecting their normal growth.

Household balcony-style orchid-growing sites should have cold-proof and rain-proof facilities. Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium goeringii must be placed indoors for protection and management; Cymbidium ensifolium and Cymbidium kanran, etc., can be placed outdoors, but attention must be paid to draining the orchid pots and preventing moisture. It is best to set up plastic film above the orchid pots to shield from rain, pulled open when clear and covered when raining, to prevent invasion by cold wind, cold rain, and frost and snow.

Orchid growing should always manage aeration well. Orchid seedlings in greenhouses and warm sheds should have exhaust fans installed to replace the air and regulate humidity. General simple warm sheds and low ground-planted sheds covered with plastic film for freeze protection and rain shielding should also frequently open windows or lift part of the film to allow air convection, ensuring fresh air and moderate temperature inside the shed.

After the Spring Festival, for Cymbidium sinense and others, cut off the flower stems and do not let them set fruit. Use 0.1% omethoate or dichlorvos solution to gently wipe the orchid leaf surfaces and undersides, and use sterilization drugs and insecticide drugs to spray once every 7 days and 10 days respectively on the balcony, the surroundings of the site, and the potted orchids. Two hours after using insecticide, spray clear water once on the leaf surfaces of the potted orchids to remove residual medicine.

Before dividing orchid pots, stop water supply for 3-5 days, and when the planting material in the pot is about 70 to 80% dry, carefully pour out the orchid plant and planting material, trying as much as possible not to break the orchid roots. Wash with disinfectant water or clear water and dry, and repot after the orchid roots become soft and whitish. For repotting, use sterile new planting material, with roots close to the planting material, new plants facing outward and old plants facing inward, with the orchid crown exposed one third above the soil surface. After planting, place in a shade shed, spray on the leaf surfaces morning and evening, water thoroughly to set the roots after 24 hours, and shift to normal management after 15 days.

For orchids planted with new planting material, apply a light, thin fertilizer once every half month to one month. During the large-seedling and strong-seedling stage, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied frequently, once every three to five days. For rejuvenated orchids, fertilizing can go from once every half month to once a week, based on whether the orchids can absorb it. But weak grass, rootless grass, and leafless pseudobulbs absolutely must be left unfertilized, and must not be top-dressed, otherwise haste makes waste and harm is instead suffered.

Cold Regions

To grow orchids well in northern regions, one should try as much as possible to create environmental conditions suitable for their growth and development and meet the requirements of the orchids' biological characteristics, so that they can grow and flower well. Specifically, the following tasks should be done well.

Choose Good Pots and Cultivation Soil

For ordinary household orchid growing, it is still better to choose clay pots. If increasing aesthetic appeal for decorative effect, a colored-glaze porcelain pot can be placed outside the clay pot. The size of the pot should be such that the orchid roots can fully spread out inside the pot. The pot soil is best orchid soil. It can also be mixed by oneself. You can use 6 parts leaf mold or peat soil, 3 parts sandy soil, and 1 part cake fertilizer, or use 5 parts leaf mold, 3 parts compost soil, and 2 parts coarse sand mixed evenly. For the potting method, see: Common Knowledge on Purchasing Orchids and Cultivation Techniques.

Watering Should Be Appropriate

Watering orchids is a regular task and also an important link in whether orchid cultivation succeeds. The pot soil of orchids should be kept moist often, but excessive water content should be avoided. In cultivation, the amount of watering should be determined according to different seasons and different growth stages of the orchids. Generally starting from spring, as the temperature rises, orchids shift into a vigorous growth period, and the amount of watering should gradually increase, watering once every 1 to 2 days; in summer the temperature is high, and it is also the peak growth period for orchids, so it is usually suitable to water once each in the early morning and evening, and watering at noon must be avoided. When the rainy season comes, the amount of watering should be flexibly controlled according to the amount of rain and the moisture level of the pot soil, and water accumulation in the pot soil that causes root rot must be avoided; in late autumn, when the temperature begins to drop, the amount of watering should gradually decrease, watering once every 2 to 3 days is enough; in winter the temperature is low, and most orchids enter dormancy, at which time watering should be controlled, watering once every 5 to 7 days, except that Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran, which flower in winter, should be watered somewhat more.

Thin Fertilizer Should Be Applied Skillfully

When fertilizing orchids, apply thin fertilizer, and never apply concentrated fertilizer. There is a saying: "Clear orchids, turbid jasmine." Newly planted orchid plants should not be fertilized in the first year; start fertilizing from after Qingming in the second year until the Beginning of Autumn. Apply fully decomposed thin cake fertilizer water 1 to 2 times a month. Since orchids have fleshy roots, never apply undecomposed fertilizer, to avoid root rot. Before each fertilization, control water for 1 to 2 days, and apply after the pot soil is slightly dry. On the morning of the second day after application, water once to prevent unclean matter in the fertilizer liquid from polluting the root system and harming the orchid roots. When applying liquid fertilizer, be careful to avoid splashing and soiling the leaves. For orchid plants that after several years of cultivation have reached flowering age, in the early stage mainly apply nitrogen fertilizer to promote new bud sprouting and rapid growth; in the later stage mainly apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which helps the pseudobulb enlarge, the leaves become wide and thick, and provides sufficient nutrients for flower bud differentiation. Specifically, before flower bud differentiation each autumn, it is suitable to apply continuously twice liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; during the bud gestation period, on a clear evening first wash the leaves with clear water, and after they dry, use a small sprayer to spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on the leaf surfaces and undersides, or apply wood ash water to the roots. Fertilizing outside the roots at this time is beneficial for promoting the development of orchid roots, stems, and flowers. Do not fertilize on cloudy and rainy days, and stop fertilizing during the winter dormancy period. About 20 days after the flowers fade, apply twice more liquid fertilizer or compound chemical fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer, which can promote plant growth.

There are two commonly used fertilization methods for orchids: one is soil fertilization, and the other is foliar fertilization. Foliar fertilization can make up for a deficiency of trace elements in orchids, but it should not be done too often; once every 15 days during the peak growing season is best. Soil fertilization is further divided into two situations: fertilizer applied in the soil is base fertilizer, and fertilizer applied on the soil surface is called topdressing. Do not use too much base fertilizer, to avoid the fertilizer heating up and damaging the roots.

Light should be suitable

Orchids by nature prefer shaded, cool environments and are averse to direct sunlight. Therefore, in the north from April to early May, they can be given a bit more sunlight before 9 a.m.; after mid-May they need shading, and at this time they should be placed in a cool, ventilated spot for cultivation. In winter, place them near a south-facing window to receive more light, so as to strengthen their vitality and promote flower bud differentiation. This is especially true for Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran, which bloom in winter; they should be placed indoors in a sunny spot in winter, as they will not bloom well without light. In short, when growing orchids, one should follow "no going out in spring, no sun in summer, no drying in autumn, no wetness in winter," meaning: in spring, guard against cold wind and do not move them outdoors; in summer, they fear direct sunlight and should be placed in a cool, ventilated spot; in autumn, guard against the potting soil drying out, as this is the orchid's flower bud stage, so watering should be appropriately increased; in winter, they are in a dormant state, and too much water easily causes root rot, so the principle is to let the soil dry and moisten alternately.

Pest and disease control

The main pests and diseases of orchids are:

(1) Southern blight: mostly occurs during the plum rain season. Prevention should focus on ventilation and light penetration, with good drainage in the potting soil. After onset, the infected potting soil can be removed and dusted with quintozene powder or lime.

(2) Anthracnose: occurs year-round, and is more rampant in hot, rainy seasons. In addition to improving environmental conditions, during the onset period it can first be sprayed with a 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder 800-1500x solution, once every 7-10 days, and then supplemented with a 1% equal-amount Bordeaux mixture, once every half month.

(3) Scale insects: they reproduce fastest under conditions of high temperature, high humidity and poor air circulation. Use conventional control methods.

(4) Root rot, also called nematode disease. Nematodes parasitize orchid roots, causing root rot, poor growth of aboveground leaves, leaf yellowing and loss of green color, and even plant wilting. Nematode damage creates numerous wounds and also causes infection by other soil-borne pathogens, leading to plant disease and accelerating plant death. The growing medium should be disinfected; it can be sterilized with 100-degree steam to kill the eggs. In severe cases, repot immediately, soak the diseased plant in the medicinal solution for 20-30 minutes, remove and air-dry, then replant with new medium. In summary, to grow orchids well, one must understand their natural growing environment conditions, take reasonable measures, and strengthen cultivation and management. According to the "Orchid Growing Formula": "No going out in spring, no sun in summer, no drying in autumn, no wetness in winter." This is a summary of China's orchid-growing experience.

Pollution-free pest and disease control methods:

Below are some folk remedies passed down among hobbyists for pollution-free control of orchid pests and diseases. "Small" remedies can often solve "big" problems, so orchid enthusiasts may want to give them a try.

1. Tea seed cake

Tea seed cake, also called tea dregs or tea seed cake, is the residue left after tea seeds are pressed for oil, and farmers often use it to wash clothes. Tea seed cake contains saponin and glycosides, and its water extract is alkaline, with good stomach-poison and contact-killing effects on pests.

Control methods: 1. Soak crushed, powdered tea seed cake and boiling water at a ratio of 1:5 for a day and night, then use it to drench the orchid pots, and at the same time drench the area where the orchid pots are placed and other orchid pots; it has a good control effect on snails. 2. Spraying orchid plants with tea seed cake water has a very good control effect on aphids and red spider mites, reaching over 90%. 3. Tea seed cake water can also kill earthworms. Drench the potting soil thoroughly with tea seed cake water; after a short while, the earthworms will emerge from the soil surface, and they can be picked out and removed. Opinions differ in orchid-growing circles on whether earthworms are beneficial or harmful to orchids. One view holds that earthworms in the pot damage some orchid fungal hyphae and injure the root tips of orchid roots during their activity, so they are pests and must be removed. Another view holds that earthworms in orchid pots can eat many decaying substances and rotten orchid roots, and their activity helps loosen the soil, while their droppings can also serve as fertilizer for orchids, so their benefits outweigh their harm and there is no need to kill them. Which is right and which is wrong remains for orchid enthusiasts to judge by weighing the pros and cons based on their own practical observations.

2. Strong-smelling vegetables (scallions, garlic, chives, ginger, onions, etc.)

Strong-smelling vegetables each have their own distinctive odor, and their smell can play a role in killing insects and sterilizing.

Control methods: 1. Take 25 g of garlic, crush it and squeeze out the juice, dilute it in 10 L of water, and immediately spray the orchid plants; it can control aphids, red spider mites, scale insects and gray mold. Press peeled garlic into small pieces and place them at equal distances on the surface of the orchid potting soil; after a few days, earthworms and ants will disappear. 2. Soak chopped scallions and water at a ratio of 1:30 for a day and night, then filter, and use the liquid to spray orchid plants several times a day for several consecutive days; it has good effects on controlling aphids, soft-bodied pests and powdery mildew. 3. Use 1 jin of ginger, add half a jin of water, mash and extract the juice, then add 6 jin of water per jin of juice, and spray orchid plants; it can control aphids. 4. Mix chive juice and clean water at a ratio of 1:60, and use it to spray orchid plants twice a day for several consecutive days; it can cure black spot disease. 5. Take 15 g of chopped onion bulbs, place them in 2 jin of water, seal and soak for 7 hours, then filter, and use the filtrate to spray orchid plants; it can control red spider mites and aphids.

3. Cigarette butts

Tobacco leaves contain about 3% nicotine. Nicotine has strong contact-killing and stomach-poison effects on pests. Take about 20 smoked cigarette butts and one portion of quicklime, add water, stir, soak and filter, then add 30 portions of water, and use it to spray orchid plants, potting soil and the bottom of the pot; it can eliminate ants and other pests without a waxy coating.

4. Washing powder and detergent

Washing powder can dissolve the waxy coating of scale insects while forming a layer of foam that wraps around the insect body, suffocating the scale insects to death. Washing powder solution can control some pests and diseases.

Control methods: 1. Dissolve a small amount of washing powder in warm water, then dilute with water to a 1000x solution and spray orchid plants; it can kill aphids, whiteflies and red spider mites. Dilute to a 600x solution and spray once every three days for three consecutive sprays, and all scale insects will die. 2. Mix pig bile and clean water at a ratio of 1:100, add a small amount of washing powder, and use it to spray orchid plants; it can control anthracnose and soft rot. After spraying orchid plants with washing powder solution, once the pests are dead, the leaves must be rinsed several times with clean water so that the orchid plants can grow normally.

5. Baijiu

Mix baijiu and water at a ratio of 1:2 and spray orchid plants once a week for three consecutive sprays; it can kill scale insects.

6. Orange peel

Placing orange peel at the bottom of the pot can prevent ants and other pests from entering the potting soil to harm orchids. Orange peel can also be cut into small pieces and scattered on the surface of the potting soil; with no watering for a few days, it can control aphids, scale insects and others.

7. Brown sugar

Mix powdered brown sugar and boiling water at a ratio of 1:100, and after it cools, use the brown sugar liquid to spray orchid plants once every 3 days for three consecutive sprays; it has a good effect on controlling downy mildew, powdery mildew, black spot disease and leaf blight.

8. Diesel

Mix diesel and water at a ratio of 1:60 into an emulsion, then dilute it with 100 times water and spray orchid plants; it can control scale insects and others.

9. Plant ash

Soak plant ash and water at a ratio of 1:50 for two days and nights, then filter, and use the filtrate to spray orchid plants; it can both control aphids and increase potassium fertilizer.

10. Vinegar

Mix vinegar and clean water at a ratio of 1:8, and use it to evenly spray the front and back of orchid leaves; it can control scale insects. If the scale insects have already become adults, the acidity of the mixed liquid can be slightly increased, and spraying once every three days for three consecutive sprays can kill adult scale insects. Spraying vinegar liquid on leaves can also eliminate black spot disease, powdery mildew, leaf spot disease, yellowing disease and others. Do not use industrial acid vinegar.

. For the control of orchid leaf diseases, I adopt three control methods:

First, the foliar spray method. A 1000x thiophanate-methyl solution, or an 800x carbendazim solution, can be sprayed to sterilize and prevent disease. A 1000x dimethoate solution can be mixed in to kill insects, but thiophanate-methyl and carbendazim must not be mixed together for use, because mixing these two chemicals will produce resistance and cause loss of control effect. In hot and humid seasons, applying control once every 10 or 15 days according to the solution ratio gives better results.

Second, the root-drenching sterilization method. For diseased plants with severe black spot disease, anthracnose and the like, root-drenching sterilization and disinfection measures can be adopted. Specifically, a 1000x carbendazim solution can be used to drench the potting soil or soak the pot, while at the same time spraying the leaves with the medicinal solution to sterilize; doing this once every 1 week gives very good results.

Third, the injection disease-removal method. For diseased leaves of orchid plants that have already severely developed black spot disease and anthracnose, pruning is usually adopted. If a rare artistic orchid is diseased, pruning the leaves is truly a pity, so by imitating the principles of medicine, the diseased orchid leaves can be injected to remove the disease, with especially good results.

Specific method: using a pre-prepared 800x thiophanate-methyl solution and a disposable 20 ml syringe, draw in 18 ml of the medicinal solution, insert the needle into the diseased spots on the orchid leaf surface and inject the solution at the same time. Inject 1 shot at each diseased spot for an obvious effect. When injecting, use a piece of sterilized foam plastic as a backing to prevent the needle from pricking the hand.

Seed propagation techniques and pest and disease control for redbud

How do you grow redbud from seed? The bark, pods, wood and flowers of redbud can all be used as medicine. It is planted in many provinces in China, blooms in early spring, and the flowers come in pink, bright red, purple-red and other colors, shaped like butterflies.

1 Growth habits

It likes sunlight and is relatively tolerant of summer heat. It prefers deep, fertile, well-drained soil, and has strong cold and drought tolerance, but cannot tolerate waterlogging. It has strong sprouting ability and is relatively tolerant of pruning. Its tree form is clustered branching from the base, and it is suitable for a wide range of planting uses: it can be planted alone in a courtyard, or planted in parks, green belts and the like.

2 Sowing and seedling raising

2.1 Seed treatment

2.1.1 Seed collection

Redbud fruit matures from late October to early November. For the seed source, select excellent mother trees that grow vigorously, have good yield, are free of pests and diseases, and have plump seeds. After the pods mature, collect them promptly, dry them, remove the pod skins, and collect the pure seeds. The 1000-seed weight is about 30.3 grams.

2.1.2 Seed storage

For seeds collected in autumn and intended for sowing the following spring, dry storage can be used. First dry the selected redbud seeds, and once they reach an air-dry state, put them into paper bags and store them in a low-temperature, dry, ventilated, cool warehouse at 0°C to 5°C. Note that frequent observation is needed in order to prevent insect damage and moisture-related deterioration.

2.1.3 Seed germination promotion

Before spring sowing, the seeds should be treated to promote germination, in order to facilitate fast and uniform emergence and a high seedling rate. Water soaking and stratification are mostly used for germination promotion. Redbud seeds have a thick and hard seed coat. Germination promotion is done ten days before sowing the seeds the following year, using warm water soaking to promote germination. The redbud seed shell is relatively thick, so the soaking water temperature is 40°C to 60°C. After pouring in the seeds, stir until it cools naturally, then place at room temperature, changing to cool water once every two to three days. Once the seeds have absorbed water and swollen, remove them and place them in a clay pot, mix with two to three times their volume of river sand, and place in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot to promote germination (note that the wet sand should be kept at a moisture content where a handful squeezed in the hand forms a ball without dripping). It is best to seal the flower pot with plastic wrap. Seeds undergoing sand storage should be turned every day so they are heated evenly. After about 7 days, when more than 40% of the seeds have split and shown white, they can be sown.

2.2 Land preparation

2.2.1 Selection of seedling-raising land

Choose flat terrain, convenient irrigation, wind-sheltered and sunny, well-drained sandy loam or medium loam, with a soil pH of 6.8-7.5. It is not suitable to raise seedlings on continuous cropping land or in nurseries that have long been used for growing vegetables or fruit trees.

2.2.2 Land preparation

The main procedures of land preparation include three aspects: deep plowing, fine harrowing and leveling. The root system of seedlings is distributed 0 to 25 cm deep in the soil layer, so deep plowing to 25 cm is appropriate. After the first plowing, water once thoroughly, and when the soil is no longer sticky, carry out the second plowing and fine harrowing, keeping the sowing land's soil moist, fine and loose in order to meet the needs of seed germination, then level it. The more carefully this work is done, the more favorable it is for seedling emergence after sowing. After the sowing land is prepared, it should be loose on top and firm below. A loose top helps seedlings absorb oxygen and emerge, and reduces evaporation of soil moisture from the lower layer; a firm lower layer allows the seeds to closely contact the moist subsoil, ensuring the seeds' soil moisture requirements during germination. During land preparation, apply sufficient base fertilizer, with 3-5.0 m3 of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu.

2.2.3 Making beds

The seedling beds should be made as low beds, running north-south, with east-west water channels made between the seedling beds. The bed surface should be 15-20 cm lower than the path, the bed surface width should be 80-120 cm, the path width should be 40 cm, and the seedling bed length is generally 10-20 m. The advantages of low beds are labor saving, convenient watering, water saving and good moisture conservation. The disadvantage is that the bed surface tends to become compacted after irrigation, so attention should be paid to timely loosening of the soil. Before sowing, apply 70% quintozene powder in furrows, at 1.5-2.5 kg per mu. Also use a 2.0%-3.0% ferrous sulfate solution, which can be applied to the seedling beds with a watering can. The amount of medicinal solution per square meter of nursery land is 9 L.

2.3 Sowing

2.3.1 Sowing time and sowing rate

The sowing time is late April, and the sowing rate is 4-4.5 kg per mu.

2.3.2 Sowing method

Use manual drilling, with a sowing depth of 1.50 cm-2.0 cm and a row spacing of 25 cm-30 cm. Water thoroughly the day before sowing, cover with fine sandy soil after sowing, with a soil covering thickness of 1.50 cm, and finally cover with plastic film. The edges of the plastic film should be pressed down firmly; the advantage of doing this is that when the seeds break through the soil, they will not come into contact with the plastic film, effectively preventing the young shoots from being scorched by high temperatures in the afternoon.

2.4 Seedling management

When the seedlings grow to 3-4 cm tall or produce 4-5 true leaves, weed them, and thin them once in conjunction with weeding. When the seedlings enter the rapid growth period, thin them a second time, taking care to maintain a reasonable density, with a plant spacing of 10-12 cm. June-August is the rapid growth period of the seedlings, and strengthening topdressing is very important. In June, when the seedlings have grown 4 true leaves, carry out the first topdressing, applying 4 kg of urea, 11 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 1.5 kg of potassium fertilizer per mu. In July, carry out the second topdressing: 9 kg of urea, 14 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 2.5 kg of potassium fertilizer. In August, carry out the third topdressing: 5 kg of urea, 17 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 4.5 kg of potassium fertilizer.

3 Division propagation method

Taking advantage of redbud's habit of easily producing suckers from its roots, before germination in October each year or in spring, use a sharp knife to cut the lateral roots connecting the sucker shoots to the mother plant and then plant them; the survival rate this way is relatively high. Seedlings divided in autumn should be heeled in for winter protection, and planted out in the nursery in March, so that they can bloom the following year.

4 Pest and disease control

4.1 Redbud angular leaf spot

Redbud angular leaf spot mainly occurs on leaves. The lesions are polygonal, yellow-brown to dark red-brown; in severe cases the leaves are covered with lesions, which often join together into patches and finally cause the leaves to wither and fall off. This disease generally occurs from July to September. At the time of onset, spray 50% carbendazim wettable powder 700-1000x solution, 70% mancozeb wettable powder 800-1000x solution, or 80% zineb 500x solution. Spraying once every 10 days for 3-4 consecutive sprays gives a relatively good control effect.

4.2 Redbud wilt

This is a systemic disease, first showing disease in the branches and then developing until the whole clump dies. Peeling back the bark, a yellow-brown concentric-ring-shaped necrotic spot can be seen on the cross-section. It generally occurs more severely from May to July. For control, strengthen cultivation and management, enhance tree vigor, and improve the plant's disease resistance. Rotate crops in the nursery land, avoid continuous cropping, or before sowing apply 70% quintozene powder in furrows at 3-5 jin per mu. Promptly prune out dead diseased branches and diseased plants, burn them in a centralized manner, and disinfect with 70% quintozene or 3% ferrous sulfate. Root drenching can be done with 50% thiram wettable powder 200x solution, 50% carbendazim wettable powder 400x solution, or 100 ppm of 120 agricultural antibiotic water solution.

4.3 Redbud leaf blight

Redbud leaf blight mainly damages leaves. In the early stage, the lesions are red-brown and round, then join together and expand into irregular large spots; when most or the whole leaf turns red-brown, it dies. It generally begins to occur in June. The corresponding control method: after leaf expansion, spray with 50% carbendazim 800-1000x solution, or 50% thiophanate-methyl 500-1000x solution, spraying once every 10-15 days for 2-3 consecutive sprays.

The above is all the content about redbud planting techniques. If you also want to know how to propagate redbud, then hurry to Huinong.com to learn!