How do you grow Cymbidium orchids so they bloom? With pictures and the price per plant

The price of a Cymbidium orchid is between 5 yuan and 30 yuan per plant. After a Cymbidium orchid finishes blooming, first cut off the spent flowers promptly to prevent nutrient depletion. The key to making it bloom again is:

In summer, give it a cool environment; the temperature must not be higher than 28 degrees, with 15~25 degrees being most suitable, as this extends the vegetative growth period; let it see 1~2 hours of morning sunlight, and for the rest of the time it can be kept in diffused light or a semi-shaded environment. In autumn, increase the light exposure time a little, and provide a high temperature difference environment for at least 30 days, which favors flower bud differentiation; the temperature difference is best kept at around 10 degrees, or even above 10 degrees.

Cymbidium orchids need a fair amount of fertilizer: apply liquid fertilizer once a week and organic solid fertilizer once a month. The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio is: 2:1:2 for small seedlings, 1:1:1 for medium seedlings, and 1:2:2 for large seedlings. Stop applying nitrogen fertilizer half a year before the flowering period to promote the plant's transition from vegetative growth to flower bud differentiation.

Air humidity is best kept between 60% and 85%, otherwise the leaves will be affected. Whether in summer or autumn, ventilation must be good. Pests and diseases should be mainly prevented. Also prevent rainwater and water from spray from pooling in the heart of young shoots, otherwise it will cause rot.

Orchid growing methods 1. Orchid growing: soil selection

The soil used for orchids should be mainly humus, primarily leaf mold or mountain forest humus soil. In the south, the humus soil from the place of origin is used, commonly known as orchid mud; you can also use leaf mold, vermiculite, perlite, etc., to make a loose, airy, water-permeable potting mix by hand. Generally, 8 parts leaf mold and 2 parts river sand are mixed into a potting mix, or 7 parts leaf mold, 2 parts perlite, and 1 part river sand are mixed into a potting mix, or 6 parts leaf mold (peat soil), 3 parts compost soil, and 1 part river sand are mixed evenly into a potting mix. All the potting mixes prepared above are slightly acidic.

2. Orchid growing: fertilizing methods

For fertilizing orchids, one way is to apply base fertilizer into the potting mix, and the other is topdressing during the growing period. Topdressing mostly uses liquid fertilizer or foliar fertilizer, and the concentration should be lighter than for other flowers. Orchids are repotted with fresh potting mix once a year, and during the growing period topdressing can be applied sparingly, and timing should be noted. Generally, in the growing season, you can apply fully decomposed thin cake fertilizer water at about 15%, or 0.1% urea fertilizer water plus 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer water, once every 15~20 days; from before flowering to the flowering period, you can spray the leaves 2~3 times with 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or plant ash water to promote the development of roots, stems, and flowers. Orchids have fleshy roots, so do not apply undecomposed fertilizer, to avoid root rot.

3. Orchid growing: watering methods

Watering orchids depends on the species, growth condition, and local climate; it should be moist but not wet, dry but not parched; watering cannot be too much or too little, and the principle of not dry in autumn and not wet in winter should be mastered. In winter, when the temperature is low, the plant is in a dormant state, so watering should be controlled, generally once every 5~7 days, but Cymbidium sinense, which blooms in winter, needs more water;

In spring and autumn, water once every 2~3 days; in summer, when the temperature is high and it is also the vigorous growth period of orchids, water on average 1 to 2 times a day. When watering, be careful to prevent water droplets from splashing onto the leaves, so as to avoid black spots that affect the ornamental effect. During the growth period of orchids, the leaves should be sprayed with water frequently, and in summer water should also be sprinkled on the ground around the flower pot to increase air humidity and promote the growth and development of orchids. The best water for watering orchids is rainwater or snow water; if tap water is used, it should be stored for 2~3 days before use.

4. Orchid growing: temperature requirements

For potted orchids in the north, they should be moved indoors around the Frost's Descent solar term when the temperature drops to 5°C, and in the early period after being brought indoors, windows should be opened frequently to keep the air circulating. In winter, the indoor temperature is best kept at around 10°C. After Grain Rain, move them outdoors for care. The suitable temperature for orchid growth is 16~24°C; in winter, the indoor temperature is generally required to be relatively low, 10~12°C during the day and 5~10°C at night is suitable, and the temperature and humidity must not be too high; in summer, the temperature should not exceed 30°C.

5. Orchid growing: light requirements

Orchids like shade and fear direct strong light, so shading should be provided in spring, summer, and autumn. For growing orchids at home, to control the amount of light, it is best to place them on a balcony windowsill or under the eaves with a bamboo curtain for shade, generally shading from 9 a.m. to before 6 p.m., and pulling the curtain open in the morning and after 6 p.m. so they receive diffused sunlight. In winter, move them indoors to a place with visible diffused light, but also avoid direct sunlight. Among orchids, Cymbidium sinense has the strongest shade tolerance, followed by Cymbidium ensifolium, while Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium faberi have weaker shade tolerance.

6. Orchid growing: potting methods

The environment for cultivating orchids should be well ventilated, humid, and pollution-free. The orchid pot should be a tall pot, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with multiple drainage holes, or drainage holes set in the pot wall. The orchid pot itself should also have ornamental value.

Since orchids grow slowly, they can be repotted once every 1~2 years after the flowers fade. When potting, first put about 3 cm of tile pieces, cinders, etc. at the bottom of the pot to aid drainage. Then, put in a layer of potting mix, place the orchid seedling in the center of the pot, straighten the roots and let them spread naturally, and when the soil is filled to halfway, lift the orchid seedling gently while shaking the pot so that the soil and roots combine tightly; when the soil is filled to 2~3 cm below the pot rim, press it gently with your hand. After planting, water thoroughly and place in a cool place, spraying water once each in the morning and afternoon, and after about 7~10 days move it to a mottled shady place for care.

Orchid growing tips 1. Soil selection tips

Peat soil, black mountain soil, pine needle soil, garden soil, fern roots, moss, and bark chunks can all serve as the growing medium for orchids. The bottom of the pot should have good drainage and increased permeability; you can use tile pieces to cover the drainage holes, then lay a layer of broken brick and stone granules with a thickness of one quarter of the pot's bottom depth, and finally spread the potting mix on top. When planting orchids, they should be inserted upright into the soil, then covered with soil up to the pseudobulb. Press the soil firm, leaving 2 cm unfilled for easy watering. After planting, water thoroughly, place in a cool environment, and after half a month move to a ventilated, sunny environment. The pot surface can be covered with small gravel, which both retains moisture and enhances the ornamental value. Soil selection:

2. Light and water tips

As mentioned above, "do not take them out in spring, do not expose them to the sun in summer, do not let them dry out in autumn, do not keep them wet in winter" - this is the growing principle orchids need to follow. That is, in spring, due to the temperature, taking them out of the room makes them prone to cold damage that affects their growth, so taking them out in April is more appropriate. In summer, on the shade frame, avoid direct sunlight and provide appropriate shading. In autumn, it is the period when orchids sprout and send up flower spikes, so maintaining humidity is especially important. In winter, watering needs to be controlled, because their water requirement is low, and too much water easily causes root and leaf diseases.

3. Fertilizing tips

Applying fertilizer should avoid being too concentrated, so during the growing period, you can use horse-hoof soak water, soybean cake water, etc., once every half a month. If potassium dihydrogen phosphate is applied in an appropriate amount, the effect is even better. Fertilizing in the hot summer season is not appropriate, because the temperature is too high, water is lost quickly, and the fertilizer concentration will become thicker, affecting plant growth. In addition, daily watering is needed, and the leaves should be sprayed with water several times. Slightly acidic water helps plant growth.

4. Pruning tips

During orchid growing, the plant needs pruning; for example, old yellowed leaves all need to be pruned, which both helps the other leaves grow and allows ventilation. Diseased leaves especially need to be pruned promptly to prevent contagion. In addition, the scissors also need to be disinfected to prevent infection.

Precautions for growing orchids

1. Do not use too large a pot - planting a small plant in a large pot means using more growing medium, which easily leads to poor aeration, and watering is also hard to control. If too much water is absorbed, the growing medium does not dry easily, and bacteria invade and cause root rot.

2. Plant orchids shallowly - orchids must not be planted too deep, otherwise long-term moisture will cause rot. When planting, fill the growing medium around the roots, and the base or pseudobulbs must be exposed.

3. Spread out the roots - when planting orchids, the roots should be spread out evenly and must not be squeezed together, so that every root can contact the growing medium, and aeration is also better.

4. Do not water for several days - newly planted orchids may have injured roots; after the wounds are coated with fungicide, do not water for 3~5 days, so the medicine can take effect and new shoots and new roots can be encouraged to grow.

5. 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; misting can be used to raise the air humidity until the orchids return to normal growth.

Propagation methods for growing orchids

Orchids mostly use division propagation and tissue culture propagation; for breeding varieties, the sowing method is used.

1. Division propagation

Division is carried out in spring and autumn, and varies according to the species. Species that bloom in winter and spring are best divided in late autumn; species that bloom in summer and autumn should be divided in early spring before sprouting. Generally, divide once every 2~3 years. Before dividing, reduce watering to make the potting soil suitably dry; when dividing, hold the pot with your hands, gently knock the mother plant out of the pot, remove the soil, cut off the rotten roots and leaves, then wash clean with water, place in a shady spot to air-dry for 3~5 hours, and when the surface water has disappeared and the roots turn white, soften, and slightly wrinkle, use a sharp knife to cut apart from the middle of the pseudobulbs, coat the cuts with plant ash for antisepsis, and plant immediately after drying in the shade. Be careful during division to avoid bruising the leaf buds and fleshy roots. After potting, place in a shady spot, and after growth resumes, transfer to normal management.

2. Tissue culture rapid propagation

In recent years, our country has used tissue culture technology to carry out large-scale orchid production. Besides propagating orchids, tissue culture technology is also widely used in propagating foreign orchids such as Phalaenopsis, Cymbidium orchids, and Dendrobium orchids.