How Do Orchids Propagate in Large Numbers? All the Common Methods Are Here
For large-scale orchid propagation, pay attention to the placement of the site, the growing conditions, and the growing environment. The following three points deserve special attention: 1. Site: The site where orchids are placed for large-scale propagation is very important, as it directly affects the growth and development of the orchids.
For large-scale orchid propagation, pay attention to the placement of the site, the growing conditions, and the growing environment. The following three points deserve special attention:
1. Site: The site where orchids are placed for large-scale propagation is very important, as it directly affects the growth and development of the orchids. Orchids are generally placed outdoors in spring, summer and autumn (in summer, in a shaded outdoor spot), and indoors in winter. Outdoors, it is best to have open space on all sides and moist air. Indoors, there should be plenty of light, ideally facing south.
2. Shade: Most orchids are semi-shade plants, and most species are afraid of direct sunlight, so they need appropriate shading. In early to mid-April, orchids can be given more sunlight to promote their growth. After late April, they should be appropriately shaded.
3. Rain protection: Orchids can tolerate light rain, but must be protected from plum rain, showers or continuous rain. During the plum rain season, rain protection work must be done especially well. From late June to mid-September, there are often showers. If the rain is short in duration and light in amount, more watering should be done in the evening to let the heat out of the pot; otherwise the orchids will be damaged, or even have root rot and die. If a shower is followed by sunshine, shade must be provided in time to prevent the heat rising from the ground from affecting orchid growth.
Orchid Cymbidium Orchid Illustrated Guide: How to Grow Orchids / How to Propagate Orchids
Orchid ProfileOrchid Cymbidium
Aliases: Huji flower, Chinese orchid, Zhilan
Classification: Orchidaceae flowering plants
Family and genus: Plantae, Angiosperms, Monocotyledons, Asparagales, Orchidaceae, Cymbidium
Blooming period: All four seasons
Orchid (scientific name: Orchidaceae) belongs to the orchid family and is a monocotyledonous, perennial herbaceous plant, also called Huji flower. Because most varieties of terrestrial orchids originated in China, orchids are also called Chinese orchids. The roots are long and tubular, and the leaves cluster from the stem, linear-lanceolate, 2-3 per bundle. The roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds of orchids all have certain medicinal value. Orchids are flowers famous for their fragrance, with the characteristics of nobility and elegance. Famous people ancient and modern have spoken highly of them, and they are likened to the gentleman among flowers. Among ancient literati, the beauty of poetry and prose was often compared to "orchid chapters," true friendship to "orchid bonds," and good friends to "orchid guests."...
Orchid Growing Methods and Precautions, Introduction to Orchids
Orchid (scientific name: Orchidaceae) belongs to the orchid family and is a monocotyledonous, perennial herbaceous plant, also called Huji flower. Because most varieties of terrestrial orchids originated in China, orchids are also called Chinese orchids. The roots are long and tubular, and the leaves cluster from the stem, linear-lanceolate, 2-3 per bundle. The roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds of orchids all have certain medicinal value. Orchids are flowers famous for their fragrance, with the characteristics of nobility and elegance. Famous people ancient and modern have spoken highly of them, and they are likened to the gentleman among flowers. Among ancient literati, the beauty of poetry and prose was often compared to "orchid chapters," true friendship to "orchid bonds," and good friends to "orchid guests."
The orchid is one of China's top ten famous flowers, loved by all. It has a pleasant fragrance: "By the roadside among the grass grows the orchid, not showing its heroic posture nor its splendor; only when its subtle fragrance reaches the heart does one realize a rare bloom hides in the garden." This kind of orchid that gives off a subtle fragrance has always been favored by people.
The alluring and mysterious subtle fragrance of the orchid cannot be compared with the fragrance of any other flower in the world. Whether it is the light fragrance of Cymbidium faberi, the strong fragrance of Cymbidium goeringii, the osmanthus-like fragrance of certain Cymbidium ensifolium, or the sandalwood-like scent of certain Cymbidium sinense, they all share one common characteristic: clear and subtle.
Orchids are often used for tea. Orchid tea has a jade-green color, visible silvery tips, a clear liquor, and a pure taste; it smells pleasantly of orchids and has a sweet aftertaste when drunk, and can stand alongside famous teas such as Huangshan Maofeng and Taiping Houkui. If you want to store orchids for a long time, you can cut the orchids, dry them, and mix them into tea leaves for later use. Take a small amount, pour in boiling water, steep for a short while, and it is ready to drink. The floral fragrance of orchids comes from the volatile oils secreted by the aromatic oil glands in the column of the orchid flower. Due to the physiological processes of the plant, the secretion of these volatile oils may be intermittent, so people feel the fragrance sometimes present and sometimes absent, faint or strong. The main chemical components of these volatile oils are mixtures of organic compounds such as esters or lactones, and terpenoid enols and enone compounds.
Morphological Characteristics of Orchids
Orchids are perennial herbaceous plants. The roots are fleshy and thick, without root hairs, and have symbiotic fungi. They have pseudobulbs, commonly called "lu tou," wrapped in leaf sheaths, often connected with multiple pseudobulbs in a row. The leaves are linear or sword-shaped, leathery, upright or drooping. The flowers are solitary or in racemes, with many bracts on the pedicel. The 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 the lateral sepals, and the extent to which the lateral sepals spread is called the "hu." The upper 2 petals are upright, relatively thick and fleshy, with tips curled inward, commonly called the "peng." Left-right symmetry, the lip, pollinia and the gynostemium are the basic characteristics of orchid family plants: the characteristic of pollinia being clumped has some exceptions. Except for the Apostasioideae and Cypripedioideae, which do not have them, most other orchid family plants also have a pollinium stalk. The ancients regarded "one stem with one flower as lan," and one stem with many flowers as hui.
Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium faberi are divided according to differences and changes in the shape and texture of the main petal, lateral sepals, peng and lip into plum petal, narcissus petal, lotus petal, butterfly petal, rare types, and pure-heart types. Plum petal means the sepals are short and round, relatively thick and fleshy, slightly curved inward, with a narrow base; the lip is short and hard; the peng petals are thick and fleshy with tips curved inward to form a pocket; the flower initially opens slightly upward. Famous varieties include Song Mei, Xishen Mei and others. Narcissus petal means the sepals are slightly longer than those of plum petal, with tips gradually pointed; the peng petals are thick in texture, with tips also forming a pocket; the lip is slightly drooping or rolled back. Famous varieties include Wang Zi, Cui Yipin and others. Lotus petal means the sepals are broad and large, thick in texture, narrow at the base, wide and suddenly pointed at the tip; the peng petals do not form a pocket; the lip is relatively moist and slightly rolled back. Famous varieties include Da Fugui, Cui Gaihua and others.
Butterfly petal means the inner side of the two downward sepals becomes thicker in texture, wavy and wrinkled, with red patches, and sometimes the number of sepals or petals suddenly increases (such as in Lü Yun, whose corolla often has about 8 pieces), or the flower shape has special changes. Pure heart means the perianth, flower stem and bracts are the same color, pure green, yellow-green, etc., without variegated markings of mixed green or yellow-green, without variegated stripes. Famous precious varieties include Zhang He Su, Lao Wen Tuan Su and others.
Ecological Habits of Orchids
Orchids like shade, are afraid of direct sunlight, like moisture, avoid dryness, like fertile environments rich in humus, and prefer air circulation. Therefore, the cultivation medium requires: good aeration, looseness, good drainage, and slight acidity. The most commonly used outdoor cultivation medium is mud flower soil. Climate and environment in different places can all affect orchid growth, so the choice of planting material differs. For example, in southern Fujian, the weather is warmer in all four seasons and does not get too cold, so orchids grow quickly and are suitable for planting with small pebbles. First, it saves resources. Second, pebbles facilitate ventilation and do not retain water. Orchids grow well when relative air humidity is 60-70%; too dry or too wet can easily trigger orchid diseases.
Controlling moisture is the most fundamental condition for growing orchids well. Orchid leaves are relatively thick in texture, with a cuticle on the surface for protection, so orchid leaves do not consume large amounts of water. The pseudobulbs and fleshy roots of orchids can store certain nutrients and water, so they are relatively drought-tolerant. Except during the rooting and sprouting stages and the rapid growth stage, when more water is needed, they consume less water at other times. If there is too much water, causing waterlogging in the soil and blocking root respiration, root rot easily occurs. Too much water can also cause the cell walls of orchid leaves to become filled with water, opening the stomata on the leaf surface, resulting in diluted nutrients, and then causing weak tissues, poor growth, and disease. Orchids like rain but fear waterlogging, like moisture but fear wetness. Because air humidity differs in spring, summer, autumn and winter, orchid growth rates differ, and water requirements also differ. Accordingly, there is a saying that whether one can grow orchids mainly depends on whether one can water them.
Orchids prefer a light diet, and fertilization should be light rather than heavy. Like other plants, nitrogen can promote lush growth of stems and leaves. Phosphorus can promote well-developed orchid roots, promote robust development of reproductive organs, and spread stems and leaves. Magnesium, sulfur, iron and other trace elements can make leaves green and flowers strong. During the vigorous growth period of orchids, more fertilizer should be applied; during dormancy or weak growth periods, no fertilizer may be applied. If fertilizer is overapplied, it will burn roots and leaves, causing irreparable losses.
In addition, Zhilan is a metaphor for fragrant herbs.
Cultivation Techniques for Orchids
We Chinese have appreciated and cultivated 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: "Zhilan grows in a secluded valley, and does 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."
Lan, fragrant herb. -- Shuowen
Heng lan zhi ruo. -- Book of Han, Biography of Sima Xiangru
The root of lan huai is zhi. -- Xunzi, Encouraging Learning
The root of the Chinese orchid is baizhi, and baizhi symbolizes the common people. Hui and zhi have since ancient times been the essence of the traditional virtues of benevolence, righteousness and civil administration. The great Tang poet Li Bai wrote, "The secluded orchid's fragrant wind travels far, the hui grass spreads its fragrant roots." Cymbidium faberi's roots are with the people.
When cultivating, the divided orchid clumps should not be separated too sparsely. Each clump should have at least 3-5 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 bean stones, generally about 1/2-1/3 of the pot's inner height. The remaining clear height above is about 10-15cm, reserved for the cultivation soil layer. The 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; some pores should be retained. Practice has proved that some new roots can grow well in the pores of the padding layer.
Planting
On the padding layer, first fill in 2-3cm of cultivation soil, press lightly with the hand, then place the orchid upright on it. According to the size of the plant and pot, several single plants, 2 clumps, 3 clumps or more clumps can be planted in one pot. 3 clumps are suitable for planting in a tripod arrangement. 4 clumps can be planted in a square. 5 clumps are suitable for arrangement in a plum-blossom shape. The orchid roots should spread naturally, and the leaves should spread in all directions. Slowly place the orchid roots into the pot so that the orchid roots spread naturally and try not to rub against the inner wall of the pot. After the orchid plant is put into the pot, gradually fix the posture of the orchid plant. For one clump per pot, the old pseudobulbs should be placed to one side so that new shoots have room 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 shoots developing outward each have enough space.
Filling Soil
When planting, hold the leaves with one hand and add nutrient soil with the other, hold the base of the orchid plant and lift slightly upward to spread 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 edge of the pot, but never too hard or the roots will be injured. Continue adding soil and pressing until the soil surface is 2-3cm above the pot rim, slightly in a steamed-bun shape. The cultivation soil should cover all orchid roots, covering up to the base of the pseudobulbs. As for the depth of soil filling, tradition holds that Cymbidium goeringii should be planted shallow and Cymbidium faberi deep, but generally the leaf base on the pseudobulb should not be buried. When newly collected orchids grew in the wild, the plants left obvious 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; do not use a large pot for a small and few plants, nor a small pot for large and many plants. Generally, the number of plants should be based on the principle that the pot will just be full after 2-3 years. The size of the plant should match the height of the pot. This is both good for growth and meets ornamental requirements.
Topdressing
After planting is completed, spread a layer of small stone grains or moss 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. New shoots will also not rot at the core from infection by pathogens in the soil; in addition, it can slow the washing away of the pot soil by rain and keep the pot soil loose.
Watering
After planting is completed, water for 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. Once the pot soil is soaked, immediately take the orchid pot out, then move it to a shaded place for care.
Watering orchid plants should be based on various natural factors affecting transpiration of the orchid plants, such as humidity, temperature, light, wind, season and weather, so as to make different water management measures.
First, look at humidity. If air humidity is low and transpiration is strong, water more; conversely, if air humidity is high or even saturated and transpiration almost stops, water less or even not at all.
Second, look at temperature. When the temperature is high, transpiration speeds up, water demand is greater, and watering frequency should also increase accordingly; conversely, when the temperature is low, water molecules move slowly and diffusion is weak, so less water is needed.
Third, look at light. Strong light speeds up transpiration and accelerates water molecule diffusion, so more water is needed; conversely, less water is needed. Therefore, different light and different shading degrees also mean different water management: water more for those receiving sun, and less for those facing away from the sun.
Fourth, look at wind. Strong wind makes water evaporate quickly; weak wind makes water evaporate slowly; dry southwest wind will enhance evaporation, while moist southeast wind will relatively weaken transpiration; orchid pots placed in a wind opening receive more wind and evaporate water quickly, while orchid pots in a sheltered place receive less wind and evaporate water slowly.
Fifth, look at the season. Different seasons have different temperatures, humidity and light, and the transpiration of orchid plants also differs greatly. Water more in the hot, dry summer; water less or not at all during the plum rain season; do not water in the low-temperature, overcast and cold winter; water less in the low-temperature early spring; water more in the mild late spring, which is exactly the sprouting period; water more in the dry autumn.
Sixth, look at the weather. Natural weather changes unpredictably, and different weather has different light, temperature and humidity, and orchid plant transpiration also varies greatly. The basic approach is: water more on sunny days, less on cloudy days, do not water much when rain is imminent, and do not water on rainy (snowy) days.
Test-Tube Cultivation
With the continuous development of orchid tissue culture techniques and aseptic sowing techniques, the phenomenon of orchids flowering in test tubes is increasingly attracting 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, in test tubes, be artificially induced to flower through 1-2 culture cycles. In this way, individuals with excellent traits can be selected purposefully according to flowering conditions, and relatively poor individuals can be eliminated, thereby shortening the entire breeding cycle and greatly reducing the workload of mass-cultivating varieties that have not yet flowered, making breeding work more targeted.
Because we have long been engaged in the development and research of several conventionally cultivated terrestrial orchid species in the genus Cymbidium, 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 and others.
According to observation results, the ways orchids flower in test tubes 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 in conventional cultivation it is a clump of seedlings that flowers, while in test tubes it is a single seedling that flowers. 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 "grass-center arrow" (grass-heart arrow). The flower grows 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 flower bud differentiates directly from the tip of the protocorm. This type is completely controlled by hormone levels in the medium, flowers quickly and uniformly, and has a high differentiation frequency, and is the main method of inducing flowering.
Another convenience brought by orchids flowering in test tubes is that it makes 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 breeding goals and select excellent new varieties. For example, in the hybridization of a pure-heart variety and a plum-petal variety, the first filial generation is usually plum-petal but definitely not pure-heart. This requires backcrossing the first filial generation once with the pure-heart parent, or selfing the first filial generation once, and then selecting pure-heart plum-petal from the second filial generation. With conventional methods, this process definitely takes more than ten years. Now, with the method of inducing 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 medium without disinfection to obtain the second filial generation, and then flowering can be induced, so the desired variety can be selected from the second filial generation. Compared with conventional methods, this process can save at least two cultivation cycles from bottle seedlings to flowering.
Propagation Methods of Orchids
Orchids are commonly propagated by division, sowing and tissue culture.
Division propagation: This can be done in both spring and autumn, generally once every three years. Any plant that grows robustly and has dense pseudobulbs can be divided. After division, each clump must retain at least 5 connected pseudobulbs. Before division, reduce irrigation to make the pot soil relatively dry. When potting after division, first cover the bottom hole of the pot with broken tiles, then spread coarse gravel, occupying 1/5-1/4 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 pseudobulbs are just buried in the soil, leaving a 2cm rim at the edge of the pot, cover the surface with Selaginella uncinata or fine gravel, and finally water thoroughly, place in a shaded place for 10-15 days, keep the soil moist, gradually reduce watering, and carry out normal care.
Sowing propagation: Orchid seeds are extremely fine. There is only one incompletely developed embryo inside the seed, and germination capacity is very low. 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 choose fruits that have not yet split. After sterilizing the surface with 75% alcohol, take out the seeds, soak them in 10% sodium hypochlorite for 5-10 minutes, take them out and rinse them 3 times with sterile water, then sow them in culture bottles containing medium, then place them in a dark culture room, maintaining the temperature at about 25°C. After they begin to sprout, move them into the light and they can form protocorms. From sowing to transplanting takes half a year to one year. Tissue culture has already been successful, and where conditions permit, this method can be used for propagation.
Propagation Techniques
Site selection: The surroundings should be open, with good ventilation, close to water, with moist air, and no coal smoke pollution. On the southwest side of the site, evergreen broadleaf trees can be planted, and the canopy density should be about 0.7. This can reduce afternoon sunlight and regulate humidity and temperature.
Watering: Rainwater or spring water is preferable. Do not use water containing salt or alkali. If using tap water, 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; in summer, it should be more; during the plum rain season, which is exactly when orchids sprout 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, and keeping it moist is enough. In winter indoors, it should be dry, reduce watering frequency, and it is best to water at noon. Orchids can tolerate light rain, but continuous rain or heavy rain can easily cause heart rot and leaf rot, so attention must be paid to rain protection.
Fertilization: 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, let it decompose for one year, then make it into dry granules. When using, place it on the pot surface. If using whole manure, it should also be decomposed for one year, diluted with water and filtered before use. Generally, fertilization starts in May and stops at the Beginning of Autumn, with the principle of light fertilizer applied frequently. Fertilization should be carried out 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 have just been brought out in March to April, they can get more sun, and afterward the shading time gradually increases. In winter, orchids must be moved indoors for cold protection, with room temperature maintained at 1-2°C. In addition, after orchids are brought out in spring and before they are brought in in autumn, attention must be paid to frost protection.
Precautions
Wounds must be protected from bacteria - when repotting or dividing, if the roots have wounds, first apply fungicide to the wounds to prevent pathogens from invading.
Do not use too large a pot - planting a small plant in a large pot uses more planting material, easily leading to poor ventilation, and watering is also harder to control. If too much water is absorbed, the planting material is not easy to dry, and bacteria invade and cause root rot.
Orchids should be planted shallowly - orchid plants must 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 pseudobulbs must be exposed.
Roots must 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 ventilation 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 3-5 days so the medicine can take effect and also promote the growth of new shoots and new roots.
Avoid strong light - newly planted orchids must all avoid direct strong light to prevent dehydration. They should be placed in a warm and shaded place, and spraying can be used to increase air humidity until the orchids return to normal growth.
Leaves Turning Yellow
This is generally root rot or hollow roots. It is necessary to improve watering, change environmental humidity, and adjust light intensity.
Another reason orchid leaves turn yellow is normal grass decline, because it is exactly the sprouting period, with metabolism, and nutrients cannot keep up. The old seedlings decline and leave nutrients for the new seedlings to grow. However, other reasons cannot be ruled out, such as root rot, soft rot and stem rot. These must be observed frequently, and once discovered must be handled decisively, otherwise the whole lot may be lost.
Distribution and Collection
Collecting wild orchids in the mountains is of great significance for discovering new varieties and selecting excellent hybrid parents. During collection, consideration should be given to choosing the flowering period, improving the survival rate, the local climate, and the local orchid soil's dryness and wetness. Different places have different growth environments and other factors. At the same time, work such as paying attention to safety, fire prevention, not mistakenly entering restricted areas, and keeping collection records must be done well.
In the process of orchid cultivation and business, due to the frenzied speculation by orchid merchants on some novel orchid varieties, orchid prices once rose abnormally, and "sky-high-priced 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 reserve areas, establishing variety protection levels, improving legislation on wild resources, and strictly punishing illegal collectors.
From the perspective of long-term and effective use of orchid resources and respect for and advocacy of 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. During the period of the Republic of China, the Nanjing Special Municipal Government issued an order making the orchid the city flower of Nanjing.
Cold Regions
If orchids are to be grown well in northern regions, efforts should be made to create environmental conditions suitable for their growth and development and to meet the requirements of the biological characteristics of orchids, so that they can grow and flower well. Specifically, the following tasks should be done well.
1. Choose Good Pots and Cultivation Soil
For ordinary household orchid growing, it is still better to choose clay pots. If you want to increase decorative beauty, you can put a colored glazed porcelain pot outside the clay pot. The size of the pot should be such that the orchid roots can fully spread out inside the pot. For pot soil, orchid mud is best. It can also be mixed yourself. You can use 6 parts leaf mold or peat soil, 3 parts sandy soil, and 1 part cake fertilizer, or mix 5 parts leaf mold, 3 parts compost soil, and 2 parts coarse sand evenly. For potting methods, see: Common Knowledge for Buying Orchids and Cultivation Techniques.
2. Apply Light Fertilizer Skillfully
When fertilizing orchids, apply light fertilizer, and never apply heavy fertilizer. There is a saying: "clear orchids, muddy jasmine." Newly planted orchid plants should not be fertilized in the first year; start fertilizing after Qingming in the second year, until the Beginning of Autumn. Apply fully decomposed dilute cake fertilizer water 1-2 times a month. Because orchids have fleshy roots, never apply undecomposed fertilizer, to avoid root rot. Before each fertilization, control water for 1-2 days, and apply after the pot soil is slightly dry. After application, water once on the next morning to prevent unclean matter in the fertilizer liquid from polluting the root system and harming orchid roots. When applying liquid fertilizer, be careful to avoid splashing and dirtying the leaves. For orchid plants that have been cultivated for several years and have reached flowering age, apply mainly nitrogen fertilizer in the early stage to promote new shoot germination and rapid growth; apply mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer in the later stage, which helps pseudobulbs enlarge, 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 liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium fertilizer twice in succession; 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 a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on the leaf surface and underside, or apply plant ash water to the roots. Foliar fertilization 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 fertilization during the winter dormancy period. About 20 days after the flowers fade, apply liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer or compound fertilizer twice, which can promote plant growth. [6]
3. Light Should Be Appropriate
Orchids like shaded, cool environments and avoid direct sunlight. Therefore, in the north from April to early May, before 9 a.m., they can appropriately get more sunlight. After mid-May, shading is needed, and at this time they should be placed in a cool and ventilated place for cultivation. In winter, place them near a south-facing window to receive more light, so as to enhance their vitality and promote flower bud differentiation. Especially for Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran, which bloom in winter, they should be placed indoors in a sunny spot in winter; without light they will not bloom well. [6] In short, growing orchids should achieve "not out in spring, not in the sun in summer, not dry in autumn, not wet in winter." This means: in spring, avoid cold wind invasion and do not move them outdoors; in summer, they are afraid of direct sunlight, so place them in a cool and ventilated place; in autumn, avoid the pot soil drying out, because this is exactly the orchid bud gestation period, 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 alternating dry and wet.
Orchid Disease Prevention and Control. The main pests and diseases of orchids include：
Southern blight: mostly occurs in the plum rain season. Attention should be paid to ventilation and light transmission, and good pot soil drainage for prevention. After onset, remove the infected pot soil and sprinkle on pentachloronitrobenzene powder or lime.
Anthracnose: present all year round, and more rampant in hot and rainy seasons. In addition to improving environmental conditions, during the onset period, first spray with 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder diluted 800-1500 times, once every 7-10 days, and then supplement with 1% equal-amount Bordeaux mixture, once every half month.
Scale insects: under conditions of high temperature, high humidity, and poor air circulation, they reproduce fastest. Use conventional methods for prevention and control.
Root rot is also called nematode disease. Nematodes parasitize orchid roots, causing root rot, poor growth of aboveground leaves, leaf color fading and yellowing, and even plant wilting. Nematode damage causes many wounds and also causes infection by other soil-borne pathogens, leading to plant disease and accelerated plant death. The cultivation substrate should be disinfected. It can be sterilized with 100°C steam to kill eggs. For severe damage, repot immediately, soak the diseased plant in the medicinal solution for 20-30 minutes, take it out and dry it, and replant with new substrate.
In summary, to grow orchids well, one must master their natural growth environment conditions, take reasonable measures, and strengthen care and management. According to the "Orchid Growing Formula": "not out in spring, not in the sun in summer, not dry in autumn, not wet in winter." This is a summary of China's orchid-growing experience.
Pollution-Free Pest and Disease Control Methods：
Below are some folk small remedies for pollution-free prevention and control of orchid pests and diseases. "Small" remedies can perhaps sometimes solve "big" problems. Orchid enthusiasts may wish to give them a try.
1. Tea Seed Cake
Tea seed cake, also called tea cake 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:
Soak crushed powdered tea seed cake and boiling water at a ratio of 1:5 for a day and a night, use it to pour over orchid pots, and at the same time pour it over the place where orchid pots are placed and other orchid pots. It has a relatively good control effect on snails.
Spraying orchid plants with tea seed cake water has a very good control effect on aphids and red spider mites, reaching more than 90%.
Tea seed cake water can also kill earthworms. Pour tea seed cake water thoroughly through the pot soil, and after a short while, the earthworms will drill out of the soil surface, and they can be picked out and removed. Regarding the merits and faults of earthworms for orchids, views in the orchid world differ. One view holds that earthworms in the pot will damage some orchid fungus hyphae when active and injure the root tips of orchid roots, so they are pests and must be removed. Another view holds that earthworms in orchid pots can eat many decaying substances in the orchid pot and rotten orchid roots. Earthworm activity can loosen the soil, and their droppings can also serve as fertilizer for orchids. Their merits outweigh their faults, so they need not be killed. Which is right and which is wrong remains for orchid enthusiasts to judge based on their own practical observations, weighing the pros and cons.
2. Strong-Smelling Vegetables (scallions, garlic, chives, ginger, onions, etc.)
Strong-smelling vegetables each have their own distinctive odor, and their smells can play a role in killing insects and sterilizing.
Control methods:
Take 25g of garlic, crush it and squeeze the juice, dilute it in 10L of water, and immediately spray orchid plants. It can treat aphids, red spider mites, scale insects and gray mold. Press peeled garlic into small pieces and place them at equal distances on the surface soil of the orchid pot. After a few days, earthworms and ants will disappear.
Soak chopped scallions and water at a ratio of 1:30 for a day and a 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 preventing and controlling powdery mildew.
Use 1 jin of ginger, add half a jin of water, mash and extract the juice. Add 6 jin of water to each jin of juice, and spray orchid plants. It can control aphids.
Mix chive juice and clear water at a ratio of 1:60, use it to spray orchid plants twice a day, repeating for several days. It can cure black spot disease.
Take 15g of chopped onion bulbs, put them in 2 jin of water, seal and soak for 7 hours, then filter. 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. Use it to spray orchid plants, pot soil and the bottom of the pot. It can eliminate ants and other pests without waxy coverings.
4. Washing Powder and Detergent
Washing powder can dissolve the cornea of scale insects, and at the same time form a layer of foam wrapping the insect body, causing the scale insects to suffocate to death. Washing powder solution can prevent and control some pests and diseases.
Control methods:
Dissolve a small amount of washing powder in warm water, then dilute with water to 1000 times. Spray orchid plants to kill aphids, whiteflies and red spider mites. Dilute to 600 times, spray once every three days, continuously three times, and all scale insects will die.
Mix pig bitter bile and clear water at a ratio of 1:100, and add a small amount of washing powder. Use it to spray orchid plants. It can prevent and 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 clear water so that the orchid plants can grow normally.
5. Baijiu
Mix baijiu and water at a ratio of 1:2, spray orchid plants once a week, continuously three times, and scale insects can be killed.
6. Orange Peel
Place orange peel at the bottom of the pot to prevent ants and other pests from entering the potting soil and harming the orchids. You can also cut the orange peel into small pieces and scatter them on the surface of the potting soil, then refrain from watering for a few days; this can control aphids, scale insects and the like.
7. Brown Sugar
Mix powdered brown sugar and boiling water at a ratio of 1:100. After it cools, spray the orchid plants with the brown sugar solution once every 3 days for 3 consecutive times. This has a fairly good effect on preventing and controlling downy mildew, powdery mildew, black spot and leaf blight.
8. Diesel Oil
Mix diesel oil and water at a ratio of 1:60 to make an emulsion, then dilute it with 100 times its volume of water and spray the orchid plants; this can control scale insects and the like.
9. Plant Ash
Soak plant ash and water at a ratio of 1:50 for two days and nights, then filter. Spray the orchid plants with the filtrate; 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; this can control scale insects. If the scale insects have already become adults, the acidity of the mixed solution can be slightly increased, spraying once every three days for 3 consecutive times, and the adult scale insects will be killed. Spraying vinegar solution on the leaf surface can also eliminate black spot, powdery mildew, leaf spot, yellowing disease and so on. Industrial-grade acid vinegar must not be used.
Orchid Cultivation Methods: Spring Care
Spring has more overcast and rainy weather, with relatively large temperature fluctuations and frequent cold waves. If orchids are not well cared for and managed, they will rot at the roots and shoots, seriously affecting their normal growth.
Household balcony-type orchid-growing sites should have cold-proof and rain-proof facilities. Cymbidium sinense (Bao Sui Lan) and Cymbidium goeringii (Chun Lan) must be placed indoors for protection and management. Cymbidium ensifolium (Jian Lan), Cymbidium kanran (Han Lan) and others can be placed outdoors, but attention must be paid to drainage and moisture protection for the orchid pots. It is best to set up plastic film above the orchid pots to shelter them from rain, pulling it open when clear and covering it when rainy, so as to prevent invasion by cold wind, cold rain and frost and snow.
When growing orchids, one should always manage ventilation well. Orchid seedlings in greenhouses and warm sheds should be equipped with intake and exhaust fans to replace the air and regulate humidity. Generally simple warm sheds and low ground-planted sheds covered with plastic film for freeze protection and rain shelter should also have windows opened frequently or part of the film lifted to allow air convection, so as to ensure fresh air and moderate temperature inside the shed.
After the Spring Festival, cut off the flower stalks of Cymbidium sinense and others; do not let them bear fruit. Gently wipe the upper and lower surfaces of orchid leaves with 0.1% omethoate or dichlorvos solution, and use sterilizing agents and insecticidal agents to spray the balcony, the surrounding area of the site, and the potted orchids once every 7 days and 10 days respectively. Two hours after applying the insecticidal agent, spray the leaf surfaces of the potted orchids once with clean water to remove residual chemicals.
Stop watering 3-5 days before dividing orchid pots. When the potting medium in the pot is about 70-80% dry, carefully pour out the orchid plants together with the medium, trying as much as possible not to break the orchid roots. Wash them clean with disinfectant water or clean water and let them dry; wait until the orchid roots become soft and whitish before repotting. Use sterile new potting medium for repotting, with the roots in contact with the medium, new shoots facing outward and old shoots facing inward, and the orchid crown exposed one-third above the soil surface. After planting, place in a shaded shed and mist the leaf surfaces morning and evening. After 24 hours, water thoroughly to settle the roots, and after 15 days move to normal management.
For orchids planted with new potting medium, apply a light, dilute fertilizer once every half a month to a month. During the large-seedling and strong-seedling stage, apply nitrogen fertilizer frequently, once every three to five days. Rejuvenated orchids can go from fertilizing once every half a month to once a week, depending on whether the orchids can absorb it. Weak plants, rootless plants and leafless bulbs, however, absolutely must be grown plainly without fertilizer; otherwise, haste makes waste and harm results instead.
Orchid Distribution Regions
Orchids are world-famous flowers. Chinese orchids have more than 15,000 varieties. In Asia, Chinese cymbidium is Cymbidium faberi; in Oceania and Africa, most are Cymbidium; Singapore has Vanda; Finland has lily of the valley; Yugoslavia has lily of the valley; Seychelles has Yucca; Zimbabwe has Gloriosa; and South American countries have designated national orchids: Brazil has Cattleya, Costa Rica has Cattleya. Ecuador and Guatemala both have Cattleya, Colombia has Cattleya, and Ecuador has white orchid.
Because most varieties of terrestrial orchids originated in China, orchids are also called Chinese orchids and are ranked first among China's top ten famous flowers. 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, Taiwan, China and so on.
Chinese orchids are mainly divided into seven major categories: Cymbidium goeringii (Chun Lan), Cymbidium faberi (Hui Lan), Cymbidium ensifolium (Jian Lan), Cymbidium kanran (Han Lan), Cymbidium sinense (Mo Lan), Cymbidium goeringii var. longibracteatum (Chun Jian) and Cymbidium tortisepalum (Lian Ban Lan), with thousands of horticultural varieties.
Cymbidium goeringii is also known as Cao Lan and Shan Lan. It is widely distributed and rich in resources. Its flowering period is February to March of the year, and it can last about 1 month. The flowers have a rich and pure fragrance. Famous and 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.
Cymbidium faberi has thick and long roots, narrow strap-shaped leaves, relatively rough and hard texture, pale green color, obvious serrations on leaf margins, and prominent midribs. Its flowering period is March to May. The flowers are strongly fragrant, spreading far and lasting, with colors including yellow, white, green, light red and compound colors; most are colorful flowers, and there are also plain flowers and butterfly flowers.
Cymbidium ensifolium is also called Four Seasons Orchid, including summer orchid and autumn orchid that bloom in summer. Four Seasons Orchid is robust and upright, with green leaves and abundant flowers, strong fragrance and beautiful blooms; it fears neither heat nor cold, has strong vitality and is easy to cultivate. Different varieties have different flowering periods, and flowers can be seen from May to December.
Cymbidium sinense, also known as Bao Sui Lan, Bai Sui Lan, Feng Sui Lan and so on, is native to Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, Taiwan, China, Hainan and other places in China. Orchid growers throughout southern China, especially in Guangdong and Yunnan, most enjoy cultivating and appreciating it.
Cymbidium goeringii var. longibracteatum 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 gorgeous and eye-catching, with graceful bearing, elegant charm, strong fragrance and pure flavor, and are often the first choice praised by orchid growers.
Cymbidium kanran is distributed in Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong and the southwestern regions of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. Its leaves are more slender than those of Four Seasons Orchid, especially narrower at the leaf base. The leaf posture is elegant and unrestrained, fresh green and refined. There are large-, medium- and fine-leaf varieties as well as edged varieties. Flower colors are rich, including yellow, green, purplish red, deep purple and so on, generally with variegated veins and spots, and there are also clean, flawless plain flowers. The sepals and petals are both relatively narrow and fine, with a distinctive style, delicate and lovely, and an intoxicating fragrance.
Orchid Variety Classification
Variety identification is an appraisal of the overall qualities of orchids and is a discipline that best demonstrates the skill of orchid cultivation. Therefore, orchid masters of past dynasties have all been especially cautious about it, never drawing conclusions rashly, and have always followed the "three looks" principle.
Leaf Shape
In seasons without flowers, the main basis for identifying famous orchid varieties is leaf shape, including leaf buds and plant form. The color of orchid buds when they emerge from the soil has a certain reference value for appreciating orchid varieties, and the bud stage requires careful observation. Generally speaking, if new buds are white, white-green or green, Cymbidium goeringii is usually a plain-heart variety, and Cymbidium faberi is mostly plain-heart or green Cymbidium faberi; if the bud tip has a white rice-grain-like "white peak," it may produce fine flowers.
Flower Buds
Traditional famous orchid varieties not only have their own leaf-shape characteristics, but their flower buds are also full of distinctive features.
Therefore, when identifying them, people should look at both leaf shape and flower buds. Regarding the identification of flower buds, predecessors summarized the "nine shapes and eight forms" of orchid and Cymbidium faberi bud shapes and the "five gates and eight forms" of Cymbidium faberi small bud clusters. These valuable experiences are of great benefit to us in identifying varieties and deserve to be well digested and absorbed.
All things develop and change. In orchid practice, people have found that even for the same pot of orchids, the color of the flower buds is sometimes different in different years, or even within the same year. I have experienced this. After many years of observation, the flower buds of famous orchid and Cymbidium faberi varieties I cultivate, such as Da Fu Gui and Yuan Zi, sometimes differ in different years; in some years the bud color is darker, and in others it is lighter.
Bloom Form
The most direct and effective way to identify orchid and Cymbidium faberi varieties is to look at their bloom form, which is also the main reason why introduced varieties should be introduced only when in flower. Generally speaking, as long as the bloom form is fully expressed, the variety can be identified once the flower is seen. But everything has its particularity; the same orchid or Cymbidium faberi variety often produces different bloom forms depending on cultivation methods.
Special Varieties
[Shaoxing Orchid]
Shaoxing is one of the earliest places in China where orchids were planted and has long been called the "hometown of orchids." The Southern Song Baozing "Kuaiji Xu Zhi" records: "Orchid, 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 Lanzhu and Lanting, is still famous at home and abroad for its abundant production of Cymbidium goeringii. 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 and refreshes 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 fragrance is picked into Han Niang's sleeve, it does not make the scent of musk in the world." Traditional famous orchid varieties such as "Song Mei," "Lou Mei," "Huan Qiu He Ding," and "Zan Die" all come from Shaoxing. Shaoxing's rare variety "Lu Yun" is a rare resource under national-level protection. 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 Shaoxing Orchid Association, the first orchid association in China.
[Chinese Orchid: Cymbidium faberi]
Chinese orchid Cymbidium faberi usually refers to some terrestrial species among plants of the genus Cymbidium. The pseudobulbs are relatively small, the leaves are linear, and the roots are fleshy; the flower stems are 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. They are produced south of the Qinling Mountains and in the southwestern region. They have a long cultivation history of at least more than a thousand years and are one of China's top ten traditional famous flowers. Since ancient times, people have regarded orchids as a symbol of nobility, elegance, patriotism and unyielding integrity.
This has formed an orchid culture with strong Chinese national characteristics. Propagation is by division, sowing or tissue culture. Pot cultivation uses humus soil and requires good aeration and drainage; it prefers a semi-shaded and 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. Just as Huang Tingjian of the Northern Song dynasty (1045-1105) described orchids in "You Fang Ting": "One stem with one flower and surplus fragrance is orchid; one stem with five or seven flowers and insufficient fragrance is Hui."
[Chinese Orchid]
Confucius, in "Kongzi Jia Yu: Zai E": Angelica and orchid grow in the forest, 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 heyday of China's orchid cultivation history, with many books and descriptions related to orchid cultivation. For example, Luo Yuan of the Song dynasty wrote in "Er Ya Yi" that "the leaves of orchid are like sedge, and it sprouts in early spring.
Its flowers are very fragrant, mostly growing in forests. When a gentle breeze passes, its fragrance rises and reaches outside, hence it is called Angelica and orchid. Orchids in Jiangnan bloom only in spring, while those in Jingchu and central Fujian bloom again in autumn and summer." The "Jin Zhang Lan Pu," written by Zhao Shigeng of the Southern Song in 1233, can be said to be the earliest extant work in China devoted to the study of orchids, and also the world's first monograph on orchids. The book is divided into three volumes and five parts, briefly describing the morphological characteristics of more than 30 varieties of purple orchid (mainly Cymbidium sinense) and white orchid (that is, plain-heart Cymbidium ensifolium), and discussing the grade of orchids. After "Jin Zhang Lan Pu," Wang Guixue wrote "Wang Shi Lan Pu" in 1247, which gave detailed descriptions of more than 30 orchid varieties.
In addition, the Song dynasty also had "Lan Pu Ao Fa," which mainly described cultivation methods and was divided into seven parts: division method, flower planting method, placement and watering method, watering method, flower fertilizer and soil method, ant and louse removal method, and miscellaneous methods. As for Wu Zan's "Zhong Yi Bi Yong," it also introduced orchid cultivation. In 1256, Chen Jingyi's "Quan Fang Bei Zu" gave a relatively detailed account of orchids. The complete block-printed edition of this book was collected in the Japanese Imperial Palace Library, and in 1979 Japan returned a photocopy to China. In the Song dynasty, works using orchids as subject matter in Chinese painting included Zhao Mengjian's "Spring Orchid Picture," regarded as the earliest extant famous orchid painting, now treasured in the Palace Museum in Beijing.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, orchid cultivation entered a prosperous period. As orchid varieties continuously increased and cultivation experience became increasingly rich, orchid cultivation became an object of public appreciation. At this time, there were relatively many books, painting albums, poetic lines and orchid patterns printed on porcelain and handicrafts describing orchids, such as Zhang Yingmin's "Luo Li Zhai Lan Pu" of the Ming dynasty and the orchid records in Gao Lian's "Zun Sheng Ba Jian."
The Ming dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" gives a relatively complete discussion of the naming, categories and uses of orchids. The Qing dynasty also produced many monographs on orchid cultivation, such as the 1805 "Lan Hui Tong Xin Lu," written by a Mr. Xu of Jiaxing, Zhejiang. He was addicted to orchids and also good at painting them, with rich experience in orchid cultivation. The book is divided into two volumes; volume one discusses knowledge of orchid cultivation, and volume two describes methods for identifying and classifying orchid varieties. The whole book records 57 varieties and includes line drawings by him. Others include Yuan Shijun's "Lan Yan Shu Lue," Du Wenlan's "Yi Lan Si Shuo," Mao Xiang's "Lan Yan," Zhu Kerou's "Di Yi Xiang Bi Ji," Tu Yongning's "Lan Hui Jing," Zhang Guangzhao's "Xing Lan Pu Lue," Yue Liang's "Yang Lan Shuo," Wang Hao's "Guang Qun Fang Pu," Wu Qijun's "Zhi Wu Ming Shi Tu Kao," and Ou Jince's "Ling Hai Lan Yan" of the late Qing, which still have certain reference value today.
Orchid's Dietary Therapy or Medicinal Value
The medical information and health dietary therapy information on Huhua Network are for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. Any health problem should be consulted with professional medical personnel, and treatment of any disease should follow a doctor's advice.
Ultimate flower-protecting task: to love yourself, start from reality and strictly follow a doctor's advice. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope; face it bravely, use love to warm the silent world, and use your heart to care for the flower field within.
Medicinal Value
According to records, the roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds of orchids all have certain medicinal value. The roots can treat pulmonary tuberculosis, lung abscess and sprains, and can also set bones; a decoction of Cymbidium ensifolium roots is said to be an excellent medicine for inducing labor. The leaves treat whooping cough, the fruits can stop vomiting, and the seeds treat eye disorders. The whole plant of Cymbidium faberi can treat women's diseases, and the whole plant of Cymbidium goeringii treats neurasthenia, roundworms, hemorrhoids and other diseases. Cymbidium ensifolium leaves can treat deficiency of lung qi in the weak (also written as liver qi). Orchid flower stalks can treat malignant ringworm. Plain-heart orchid petals can induce labor. Dried plain-heart petals of Cymbidium faberi 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 has difficulty in childbirth, one should quickly move a pot of "labor-inducing flower" into the delivery room, and when the pregnant woman smells the orchid fragrance, she will give birth smoothly. Whether this is scientifically reasonable 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). But physicians of past dynasties summarized very little about their medicinal value. The whole plant of orchids 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. Summarized as follows:
1. Nourish yin fluids, promote salivation 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": "Orchid herb, odor pungent, neutral, sweet, non-toxic." "Its qi is clear and fragrant, promotes salivation and quenches thirst, moistens muscles, and treats diabetes and gallbladder jaundice." "...To treat diabetes and promote salivation, 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 and has achieved certain curative effects, but it causes a certain degree of damage and functional impact to tissues and organs near the tumor. 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 major salivary glands-the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands-and the mucosal gland cells of the upper digestive tract, causing a large decrease in glandular secretion and producing symptoms of upper diabetes such as dry and burning throat, dry tongue and scorched lips, and thirst with desire to drink. 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 treated together with Shan Dou Gen, Bai Mao Gen and Pu Gong Ying; radiotherapy patients with esophageal cancer should be used together with Ban Zhi Lian, Bai Hua She She Cao, Xia Ku Cao and Ling Xian.
2. Clear heat and cool blood, nourish yin and moisten the lungs, and treat dry cough and prolonged cough, and lung hemoptysis.
Modern traditional Chinese medicine research shows that the whole plant of Cymbidium ensifolium has the effects of clearing heat and cooling blood, nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, and is clinically often used for hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis and for regulating persistent dry cough.
To treat patients with mild to moderate hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, use 50-100 grams of fresh Cymbidium ensifolium roots, mash and squeeze the juice or decoct in water, take twice a day, with obvious effects in 4-6 days.
To treat patients with persistent dry cough, use 30-50 orchid stamens, decoct in water, add rock sugar, take twice a day, and take for 3-5 days for remarkable effects. This conforms to the statement in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" that "orchid herb mainly treats generating blood, regulating qi, nourishing the body, and removing phlegm and masses in the chest."
3. Regulate qi and harmonize blood, promote diuresis and reduce swelling, and treat urinary tract infections and women's leukorrhea.
According to "Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi": "The yellow orchid is called honey orchid and can stop diarrhea and leukorrhea, promote water passages, kill gu poison, reduce abscesses and swelling, regulate menstruation; taken for a long time it boosts qi, lightens the body and prevents aging, and communicates with the spirits." Modern traditional Chinese medicine believes that orchid roots have effects such as regulating qi and harmonizing blood, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. They treat urinary tract infections and excessive leukorrhea in women.
Use 50 grams of orchid roots, 30 grams of cogongrass rhizome, and 30 grams of 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 grams of orchid roots, 30 grams of asparagus root, 30 grams of lily, and 1 free-range farm chicken, stew them together, drink the soup and eat the meat, once every 2-3 days, for 2-3 consecutive times.
4. Soothe the liver and relieve depression, harmonize qi and blood, and treat dizziness and blurred vision, and neurasthenia.
Modern pharmacological research shows that the aromatic component of orchids-aromatic oil-makes people feel relaxed and happy, clears stale qi, relieves depression and dispels stuffiness, and refreshes the mind.
In treating dizziness and blurred vision (Meniere's syndrome), it is effective. Prescription: 30 g orchid stamens, 15 g chrysanthemum, 15 g dwarf lilyturf tuber, 20 g agrimony, decoct in water, 1 dose per day. Take continuously for 4-6 days. This is based on the records in "Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi" that "plain-heart Cymbidium ensifolium removes stale qi and relieves depression" and "honey-pickled green orchid steeped as tea harmonizes qi and blood, relieves chest stuffiness and sobering from alcohol."
Use 50 grams of orchid roots, 20 grams of canna rhizome, and 20 grams of Cynanchum paniculatum, decoct in water, 1 dose per day, and take 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 its floral fragrance but do not know that its leaves have medicinal prescriptions; its leaves can strongly disperse long-accumulated stale and stagnant qi, that is, those placed on the right today," to treat constipation, stagnation and accumulation in the large and small intestines, thick and greasy tongue coating, dry throat and lung dryness, and foul bad breath, use 20-30 autumn orchid flowers and 50 g orchid leaves, decoct in water, and when slightly warm, mix in 30 g honey and take, for 2-3 consecutive times. This conforms to the theory that the lungs and large intestine are interior-exterior paired.
Use 50-100 grams of fresh orchid roots, wash them clean, mash them and apply to the affected area to treat traumatic injuries, subcutaneous bleeding and muscle tumors.
Edible Value
(1) The floral fragrance can scent tea
Orchid fragrance is clear and mellow, and when used to scent tea, the quality is highest. In orchid-producing areas or large-scale orchid nurseries, orchid tea has development prospects.
According to records: "Flowers can assist tea, and paste can substitute for drink." In Fujian Province, local people pickle Cymbidium ensifolium flowers in honey and then drink it. There is also a record: "Use salted plum to extract juice, called plum oil, to soak fresh flowers and make fragrance." In Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto, there is an old shop on the east side that for decades has sold the ancestral "orchid tea." This is made by picking Cymbidium goeringii flowers produced on the mountains north of Kyoto, drying them semi-dry by a special method, then salting them and putting them in small clay bottles. When using, take two flowers, place them in a teacup, and pour boiling water over them to drink. After soaking, the orchids recover their original shape, being both beautiful and specially fragrant, with an extraordinary flavor when drunk. The flowers can also be eaten at the same time.
(2) The flowers can be eaten
The flowers can be made into soup. According to records, the flowers can be added to soup; before adding, first blanch them with hot water, and the flower color will be fresh and the soup delicious. Orchids can be used in dishes; they are a famous Sichuan dish at banquets, with a clear fragrance that fills the banquet, making them unforgettable for a lifetime. Famous Sichuan dishes include "orchid shredded tripe," "orchid shredded pork" and so on, and "orchid buns" are also endlessly delicious.
Orchid Cultural Background: Chinese Painting Orchids
China's orchid culture has a history of more than 2,000 years since the appreciation of orchids began. The ancient veneration of orchids embodied the characteristics of traditional Chinese aesthetics. Literati and poets of past dynasties praised orchids everywhere, not only referring to the elegant form of orchids but also to their clear and quiet fragrance.
The orchid has a simple and elegant appearance, slender and soft leaf shape, graceful flower posture, and plain, quiet fragrance. It has the temperament of "clear color, clear qi, clear spirit and clear rhyme," and is also called Junzi Lan (gentleman's orchid), showing that orchids are close to gentlemen. Literati preferred to plant, appreciate, chant, paint and write about orchids, with an orchid complex that could not be dispelled.
Poetry, Lyrics and Songs
(Tang) Li Bai
A lone orchid grows in a secluded garden, among the masses of grass and weeds.
Though it is lit by the spring sunlight, it again grieves under the high autumn moon.
Flying frost patters early, and its green beauty may cease.
If there is no clear breeze, for whom will its fragrance be sent forth?
Guang Qun Fang Pu
(Qing) Liu Hao
The orchid grows in a secluded valley and no one knows it; a guest planted it in the eastern chamber and left me its fragrance.
I know it has a clear fragrance that can dispel foulness, and I pity even more its fine leaves that skillfully brave the frost.
Its roots settle among dense stones and its autumn fragrance comes early; in clusters it leans on tall bamboo for cool midday shade.
I wish to leave it together with Xiongqiong beneath the hall; before my eyes I always see the verses of Chu.
Guang Qun Fang Pu
(Qing) Liu Hao
Weeping dew, its light is especially disordered; containing wind, its shadow slants of itself.
How can vulgar people understand this? Looking at the leaves is better than looking at the flowers.
Ode to Orchid (Yuan) Yu Tonglu
By hand I cultivated two or three orchid plants; with warm sun and gentle wind they opened one by one.
Sitting long, I did not know the fragrance was in the room; when I pushed open the window, butterflies sometimes flew in.
Huan Xi Sha: Orchid
As if in a bronze vase I see dew-covered shoots, sparse flowers cold and fallen, faintly holding charm.
On the Xiang River clear tears drop into the spring tide; how could heart and heart be as delicate and lovely.
And there is no leaf that helps its graceful bearing; one heartbroken collection is the Li Sao.
Ode to Orchid (Modern) Zhu De
In Yuexiu Park's forest of flowers and trees, a hundred flowers bloom together, each competing in spring.
Only the orchid's fragrance is just right, for a time precious in the city of the five rams.
Secluded Orchid (Tang) Cui Tu
Planted in seclusion, who among the crowd knows it? Its fragrance it quietly holds.
It has never had a gentleman to wear it, yet it is not that its national fragrance has declined.
White dew moistens it long and early; spring wind always arrives late.
It is not as good as the roadside grass; what is the use of its rich fragrance!
Orchid (Song) Yang Wanli
By the snowy path it secretly opens pale blue flowers, and its icy roots freely send forth small red buds.
It has no peach-and-plum spring-breeze face in life, but its fame lies in the mountain forest recluse's home.
Its national fragrance reaches the court and market, and it does not allow its frosty integrity to age among clouds and rosy mists.
River angelica and garden Cymbidium faberi are not my companions; leave it to the poets to determine rank and grade.
Painting Orchids (Qing Dynasty) Zheng Xie (xiè), Zheng Banqiao
Perched atop the thousand mountain peaks, in deep crevices of jutting rock, a wondrous fragrance gathers thick.
It is not that there are no drifting clouds beneath its feet making clamor; they neither know it when they come, nor linger when they go.
Contemporary Poems in Praise of Orchids
Ancient Style [Huzhou] Yao Danping
I do not vie for favor with the jade-like grasses, but only seek to meet the clear breeze often;
I wish to spread my fragrance far and wide, to fulfill a heart full of fervor.
Orchid Yu Yafei
Among the clumps of grass by the roadside there is an orchid, showing no heroic bearing, displaying no splendor;
Only when its subtle fragrance soaks into the heart and lungs does one realize a rare blossom hides within the garden of plants.
Famous Figures and Orchids
Confucius Praises the Orchid
Confucius was very fond of orchids. Because he placed special emphasis on the cultivation of personal moral character, he lodged deep feelings in the orchid. In the book The Family Sayings of Confucius, collected and compiled by Wang Su of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period, a fine anecdote of Confucius praising the orchid is recorded.
"Confucius said: 'After my death, Shang will daily improve, and Ci will daily decline.' Zengzi said: 'What does that mean?' The Master said: 'Shang likes to associate with those who are better than himself, while Ci likes to associate with those who are not his equal. If you do not know a son, look at his father; hence the conclusion is drawn that "a gentleman must be careful about where he chooses to dwell."' From this, "the chamber of irises and orchids" became a byword for a good environment and an idiom praising and beautifying the orchid.
The Family Sayings of Confucius also excerpts another passage of Confucius: "The iris and orchid grow in deep valleys, and do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there; the gentleman cultivates the Way and establishes virtue, and does not change his integrity because of poverty and hardship." This was a passage in which Confucius answered Zilu. At that time King Zhao of Chu invited Confucius, and Confucius, accepting the invitation, set out from Chen and Cai. "The grand officers of Chen and Cai plotted together, saying: Confucius is a sage and worthy; whatever he criticizes always hits the maladies of the feudal lords. If he is employed by Chu, then Chen and Cai will be in danger." So they sent troops to surround Confucius. "Confucius could not proceed, and fasted for seven days. There was no communication with the outside, and even goosefoot gruel was insufficient; his followers all fell ill, yet Confucius lectured all the more fervently, and his singing to the zither did not fade." At this point Zilu said: "I have heard that Heaven rewards those who do good with blessings, and visits those who do evil with calamity. Now you, Master, have accumulated virtue and embraced righteousness, and have put them into practice for a long time; why should you be reduced to such poverty and hardship?" Thereupon Confucius enumerated the worthy and virtuous men in history, such as Boyi and Shuqi, Prince Bigan, and Wu Zixu, who in the end met with misfortune, explaining that "whether one meets with opportunity or not is a matter of timing; whether one is worthy or unworthy is a matter of talent. Gentlemen of broad learning and deep planning who do not meet with the right time are many; why should it be Qiu alone?" He also cited the iris and orchid, which "do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there," as a vivid metaphor to demonstrate the view that "a gentleman does not change his integrity because of poverty and hardship."
Goujian Plants Orchids
The place where Goujian planted orchids - Lanzhu Mountain, a small hill on the south face twenty-five li from the city, facing the ancient Jian Lake to the east and backed by Kuaiji Mountain to the west, was truly a fine place for growing orchids. From the pottery unearthed at the Hemudu cultural layer in Yuyao, it can be determined that the awareness and technique of potted plants already existed at that time. In the Yue state 4000 years later, it can be confidently affirmed that King Goujian of Yue planted orchids at Zhushan. Goujian's orchid planting had not only motive but also technical support.
Regarding Goujian planting orchids at Zhushan, there are many historical records. Besides the Baoqing Continued Kuaiji Gazetteer, for example, the Shaoxing Prefecture Gazetteer from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty records: Lanzhu Mountain, there is a grass there, with long leaves and white flowers, the flower has a national fragrance, its name is orchid, planted by Goujian. The Ming scholar Nan Fengji, annotating Wang Shipeng's Kuaiji Customs Rhapsody, also said: Lanting, that is Lanzhu. The Yue Jue Shu says: Goujian planted orchids at Zhushan. The Ming scholar Xu Wei also mentioned in the Langu Song that Goujian, in planting orchids, must choose the ground, and that Lanzhu today is precisely that place. The Shaoxing Local Records Brief records: Lanzhu Mountain, twenty-seven li south of the city, where Goujian planted orchids. Because Goujian planted orchids at Zhushan, later generations named Zhushan Lanzhu Mountain, named the market below Lanzhu Mountain Flower Street, and named the post station below Lanzhu Mountain Lanting.
Qu Yuan Wears the Orchid
Qu Yuan (c. 340 - early 278 BCE), a great poet of the Warring States period. His given name was Ping, his courtesy name Yuan, his sobriquet Lingjun, also known as Zhengze. He was a man of the state of Chu. The Records of the Grand Historian: Biography of Qu Yuan says of him: "Broadly learned and strongly remembered, clear about governance and disorder, skilled in speech and expression." But his political views met with fierce opposition from the old bureaucratic aristocracy, and the King Huai of Chu, on whom he relied, was muddleheaded and incompetent, unable to distinguish loyalty from treachery. As a result, believing slander, the king turned his anger upon him. By the time of King Qingxiang of Chu, Qu Yuan suffered even greater misfortune, being long exiled to the Yuan and Xiang region. Qu Yuan met with poverty and hardship, but his will did not change, and his conduct became even more upright: "I cannot change my heart and follow the vulgar crowd; I shall rather end in sorrow and hardship!" He expressed this resolve to think of his ruler and love his country, and this feeling of saving the times and aiding the world, through many kinds of fragrant flowers and rare herbs, rousing emotion through contact with things and lodging his aspirations in sought-out objects, and he made new developments in this technique of comparison and evocation, thus blending object and self, emotion and scene, fusing them in one furnace, thereby greatly expanding the realm and expressive power of poetry. In selecting fragrant flowers and rare herbs, Qu Yuan especially chose the orchid. Therefore in many poems such as Li Sao, Nine Songs, and Nine Chapters, he writes of how he cultivated orchids, wore orchids, strung orchids, plucked orchids, and cut orchids. He placed boundless hope in the orchid: "I had already cultivated nine wan of orchids, and again planted a hundred mu of hui... when the branches and leaves are tall and luxuriant, I wish to wait for the time and then I will cut them." He took the orchid as a friend and made it his kindred spirit: "The time grows dim and is about to end; I tie the hidden orchid and linger." He took the orchid as an ornament, expressing his own pure and self-respecting sentiment: "I wear Jiangli and Bibi, and string autumn orchids as my girdle." He also worried that the orchid might wither in the autumn wind and cold dew and follow the vulgar crowd, changing its integrity and losing its fragrance: "The times are tangled and changing; how can one remain long? The orchid and angelica have changed and lost their fragrance; the calamus and reed have turned into weeds." The above are only a few examples of orchids cited in Li Sao, from which one can see how Qu Yuan loved orchids, praised orchids, lodged his feelings in orchids, and used orchids to criticize. Here the orchid is not a simple metaphor or a thing touched upon to rouse feeling, but a symbol, an entrustment, a pursuit of spirit and character.
Zheng Sixiao's Painting
Zheng Sixiao (1241-1318), a poet and painter of the late Song and early Yuan dynasties, a native of Lianjiang (present-day Fujian). His original name is unknown; after the fall of the Song he changed his name to Sixiao, because the character "Xiao" is a component of Zhao, the national surname of the Song dynasty. His courtesy name was Yiweng, expressing that he did not forget his old country; his sobriquet was Suonan. In the Yuan dynasty, Zheng Suonan (that is, Zheng Sixiao) was most famous for painting orchids, and his implied meaning was also the most explicit. After the fall of the Zhao-Song regime, it is said that whether sitting or lying he always faced south, to show that he cherished the memory of the former dynasty and was ashamed to serve as a second minister of the Yuan dynasty. The orchids he painted never included soil or roots, as if floating in the air. When people asked him about it, he said: "The land has been seized by the foreigners, do you not know?" Or he would answer: "The territory has already been seized by the foreigners; how could I be willing to let it touch the ground?"
After the fall of the Song, Zheng Suonan vowed never to associate with northerners. People knew he was eccentric, and did not find it strange. He lived in seclusion in Wuxia, with several dozen mu of land, which he deposited with the Bao'en Temple south of the city, using the annual income from the land to fund sacrifices to his ancestors at the temple. Whenever he encountered a taboo day he would weep greatly below the temple, and the gentleman also lodged and boarded at the temple. His room was bare and quiet, and he always sat facing south. When the noble and powerful sought his orchids, he was especially reluctant to give them. But to ordinary people and children who somewhat matched his intention, he would instead give them. When the county magistrate sought them and could not get them, knowing that he had land, he threatened him with taxes and corvee to obtain them. The gentleman angrily said: "My head may be cut off, but the orchid cannot be painted!" Whenever the seasonal sacrifices came, he would weep toward the southern wilds and bow twice. He delighted in the teachings of Buddhism and Daoism, and was skilled at painting orchids, with sparse flowers and simple leaves, not seeking great refinement. Once finished he would destroy them, not rashly giving them to others, and so the orchids he left to the world are extremely few; today only one, the Ink Orchid Painting, survives, housed in the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art in Japan.
Zheng Banqiao's Painting
Zheng Banqiao was an outstanding representative of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou," and in particular a master of a generation in painting orchids, bamboo, and flowers.
Historically it is said that "Banqiao had three excellences: painting, poetry, and calligraphy; and within the three excellences there were again three truths: true spirit, true meaning, and true delight." His calligraphy formed its own style, half clerical and half regular, called "six-and-a-half-part script," with the delight of crisscrossing irregularity and lean, hard, extraordinary steepness. His poetry reflected life, said something substantive, and had the characteristics of being vivid and accessible. With such poetry and calligraphy paired on his orchid works, his paintings became all the more interesting and full of true spirit. His "three truths" were an expression of his inner heart, concentratedly showing compassion for the suffering of the people. He said: among all between heaven and earth, the first class of people are only the farmers... they all suffer in their bodies and labor with their strength, plowing, sowing, and harvesting, in order to feed the people of the world. If there were no farmers in the world, everyone in the world would starve to death. Therefore his painting of orchids was precisely to express this sincere and intense feeling of "treating all people as kin and all things as companions." He said: "Whenever I paint orchids and paint stones, it is to comfort the laboring people of the world, not to be for the enjoyment of those who sit at ease." With such a breadth of mind, his paintings possessed the "three truths."
Banqiao liked to paint potted orchids, and also often painted orchids on cliff walls and among thorny thickets. Among Banqiao's orchid paintings, the most numerous and most worth savoring are the orchid-bamboo-stone pictures. This is certainly the tradition of ancient orchid painting and the characteristic of the "Eight Eccentrics" flower paintings, but it is also his creation and his outstanding achievement. In his orchid and bamboo paintings he often added stones, believing that "one bamboo, one orchid, one stone, have integrity, fragrance, and bone," and that "orchid, bamboo, and stone come forth in succession; the great gentleman cannot be without them."
Banqiao's orchid-bamboo-stone paintings reached the peak of perfection, and his inscription poems also played the role of adding the finishing touch, such as: "Half green mountain, half bamboo, half green shade, half jade. Please, when your tea is brewed and you wake from sleep, facing this you will feel as if in a stone house." "A stretch of green mountain, a stretch of orchid, orchid fragrance and bamboo green are pleasing to behold. Dongting and Yunmeng for three thousand li, filled with spring wind without feeling cold." "On the stone spreads the orchid and further spreads the bamboo, a beauty accompanies in the hidden valley. May I ask from where the east wind blows? It blows into the Xiang waves, a river of green."
Lu Xun Gathers Orchids
Several generations of Lu Xun's family all loved orchids. On November 14, 1933, Lu Xun, in a letter to Yamamoto Hatsukichi, mentioned that "my great-grandfather once cultivated many orchids, and even specially built three rooms for this purpose." On March 18, 1911, Lu Xun, together with Zhou Jianren and Wang Hezhao, went to visit the Mausoleum of Yu the Great at the foot of Kuaiji Mountain. Before setting out, Lu Xun had everyone bring two prepared painted tin buckets and a copper [tool]. Arriving at the Mausoleum of Yu the Great, they toured the Yu Temple and the Bianshi Pavilion, then went up Kuaiji Mountain to gather orchids. Later, Lu Xun wrote up the experience of this mountain trip as "A Travel Record of the Xinhai Year," published in the first issue of the Yueshe Miscellany in February 1912, signed "Qiaofeng, Zhou Jianren of Kuaiji."
Regarding that orchid-gathering trip on Kuaiji Mountain, Zhou Jianren often brought it up in his later years: "After the eldest (Lu Xun) gathered the 'one-leaf orchid,' he was extremely excited and said to me: 'Third brother, our trip was truly not in vain!' Back home, we carefully potted the orchids. Later, the eldest, at the invitation of Mr. Cai Yuanpei, went to the capital to take office. At first he wanted to take the orchids with him, but in the end, because the journey was so far, he did not take them. Before departing, he specially instructed me to take good care of these few pots of orchids. Not long after, I too was hired to teach at a school, and ordinarily rarely returned home. In the end, the 'one-leaf orchid' died. In order not to grieve the eldest, I never told him this news."
In the late 1920s, Lu Xun moved to Shanghai. Whenever around the time of Awakening of Insects, people passing by Lu Xun's residence would be greeted by the subtle fragrance of orchids. In Shanghai he also became acquainted with the Japanese orchid enthusiast Obara Eijiro. Obara ran a shop in Tokyo called "Jinghuatang" dealing in Chinese curios, and also engaged in the orchid trade. Before the War of Resistance, Obara Eijiro had many times gone to Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, and other places to collect Chinese spring orchids. He was on old terms with Zhu Zhangfu, Wang Shuping, and others, and once wanted to invite Zhu Zhangfu to Japan to grow orchids. He authored the Orchid Spectrum. In 1931, when the Kuomintang suppressed the writers of the Left-wing League, Lu Xun was forced to take refuge in the Japanese-run Huayuanzhuang inn. It happened that Obara was about to return to his country with orchids in tow. Moved by the scene, and using the matter of a friend carrying orchids eastward home, he expressed his feelings through the orchid:
Pepper is burned, cassia is broken, the beauty grows old; alone it leans on the hidden cliff and unfolds its pure heart.
How could one begrudge sending its fragrance to those far away? The old home, as if drunk, is full of thorns and brambles.
Zhu De's Love of Orchids
Throughout his life Zhu De had a special affection for orchids. Whether in wartime or in peacetime, his fondness for orchids remained constant. Orchids not only brought Zhu De great pleasure in life, but also let people see his side full of zest for life and delicate feeling.
In his early years, while serving in the army in Yunnan, Zhu De had already begun to like orchids. In the intervals between marching and fighting, he often gathered orchids all around, transplanting them to admire, and thereby accumulated some knowledge about orchid varieties and cultivation.
In 1928, Zhu De led the troops of the Nanchang Uprising and Mao Zedong led the troops of the Autumn Harvest Uprising in a victorious meeting at Jinggangshan. The mountains southeast of Ciping in Jinggangshan abound in all kinds of orchids, especially the Jinggang orchid, known as "Orchid Flat." Seeing wild orchids again after many years, Zhu De was extraordinarily excited. He often went into the mountains in his leisure to seek out and admire flowers, and when he encountered fine specimens, he would gather them and cultivate them with care. The story of Zhu De's love of orchids spread widely among the people of Jinggangshan, leaving the fine saying that "back then Commander Zhu introduced orchids, their fragrance drifting eight hundred li across the Hunan-Jiangxi border," and it was even woven into a red ballad to be sung: "Commander Zhu carried water from the Xiang River, watering the Jinggang orchids into bloom."
Far from the era of raging war, Zhu De had the conditions to study orchids seriously. Whenever he went out on inspection, as long as the locality produced orchids and he had leisure, he would always go with keen interest to parks or hills and fields to seek orchids, and when he encountered good varieties, he would bring them back to Beijing and cultivate them carefully. If he encountered a flower exhibition, he would certainly not miss it. His footprints reached almost all the major orchid-producing regions, including Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi, Guangdong and Guangxi, Sichuan and Guizhou, and Hainan Island. It is said that in February 1961, when he visited Gushan in Fuzhou, passing an old tree, he looked up and said there were orchids on the tree, and everyone was half doubtful. So someone climbed the tree to look, and indeed gathered a bunch of orchids from the tree.
Under Zhu De's both scientific and careful care, the several thousand pots of rare and precious orchids kept at Zhu De's home grew well. Yet he was not satisfied with this alone; he often gave away the orchids he had carefully cultivated to others or to landscape departments, sharing the fragrance and beauty of orchids with everyone. Beginning in 1961, he sent people specially to give, in three batches, more than 160 pots of orchids suitable for cultivation in subtropical regions to the Du Fu Thatched Cottage in Chengdu. Many of the orchids in Beijing's Zhongshan Park were given by Zhu De. According to the recollection of an old gardener at the park: "Marshal Zhu often gave us orchids, such as 'Haiyan Qifei' from Hainan Island, Guangdong's ink orchid, 'Yuchen Dagong,' 'Yinbian Dagong,' 'Jinsi Mawei,' Sichuan's multiflower orchid, summer hui, 'Longchang Su,' 'Heqi Lüyi,' Zhejiang's 'Quzhou Su,' Yunnan's 'Dahong She,' and autumn orchids, and so on." In addition, Zhu De also gave the orchid books he had collected to landscape departments, encouraging them to study diligently and improve cultivation techniques.
Orchids added much delight to Zhu De's life. Whenever he saw orchids contending in beauty and blooming in rivalry, or discovered new orchid varieties, Zhu De would often be seized with poetic inspiration. On March 3, 1961, when Zhu De visited the orchid garden at Yuexiu Park in Guangzhou, he improvised the poem "Visiting Yuexiu Park": "Yuexiu Park is a forest of flowers and trees, a hundred flowers bloom together, each vying in spring. Only the orchid's fragrance is just right, for a time renowned in the Five Rams City." In the late autumn of the same year, Zhu De once wrote a seven-character quatrain to describe the pleasure he gained from his diligent labor: "The hidden orchid, graceful, waits for winter to bloom; green leaves, lush, reflect on the painting table. Just opening, red blossoms, dew drops falling; fragrance fills ten paces, coming out from the courtyard."
On January 1, 1962, Zhu De visited the orchid exhibition at Beijing's Zhongshan Park and wrote the poem "Singing of the Orchid Exhibition": "Spring comes, purple vapor rises in the east, all things grow and together shine. The hidden orchid newly displayed in the new city, everyone praises the national fragrance. The hidden orchid puts forth its beauty beneath the tall forest, still coiling its roots beside the common grasses. Even if no one comes to admire it, it still, where it stands, contains its own fragrance." Its last four lines were later printed on the souvenir sheet of the special stamp "Chinese Orchids" issued on December 25, 1988.
In 1963, during a visit to the Du Fu Thatched Cottage in Chengdu, Zhu De wrote more than 10 poems under the title "Spring Inspiration at the Thatched Cottage," among which one praises the orchid: "The hidden orchid comes out of the valley, delicate and slender; moved to the thatched cottage, it is willing to bow. The thoroughfare's fragrant posture knows no meaning, accompanying the Ministry of Works to put forth new shoots."
On April 20, 1963, during an inspection in Sichuan, Zhu De once went to Shisun Peak on Mount Emei to seek orchids. He personally planted the gathered orchids into pots and said to the accompanying staff: "The ancients said that bamboo has nodes but no flowers, plum has flowers but no leaves, pine has leaves but no fragrance; only the orchid has leaves, flowers, and fragrance. Please take good care of these few pots of orchids for me; in the future I will come to Emei again, and I will come to see these orchids." And he improvised a lyric, "Parrot Song: Gathering Orchids at Shisun Peak": "On Mount Emei I dwell as karma allows, in the hidden valley of Shisun Peak as an immortal father. Pine and bamboo, friends, always shine upon each other, together enduring mist, clouds, wind, and rain. The accomplished person, knowing and meeting, comes to visit and seek, willing to follow you onward. If I may be offered as the national fragrance, an imperishable fragrant name will remain everywhere."
In his lifetime Zhu De composed about 40 poems praising orchids. These poems truly reflect what Zhu De felt and realized in the course of seeking, cultivating, and admiring orchids, and are full of Zhu De's praise and love for orchids. In Zhu De's view, cultivating orchids had many uses. On February 6, 1961, Zhu De visited Fuzhou West Lake Park. When he reached the orchid nursery, he said to Chen Shizhang of the Fuzhou Municipal Landscape Management Office: "The Liuxiang Ravine in the Wuyi Mountains produces many orchids; they should be widely collected and greatly propagated, as export materials, which can both participate in international cultural exchange and enrich the contents of the orchid spectrum." On January 1, 1963, while inspecting the South China Botanical Garden, he again said to the person in charge of the garden: "Do not look down on orchids; orchids can be exported. We should plant orchids widely and earn more foreign exchange." At a time when China's industrial level was backward and its export capacity limited, developing the cultivation of orchids and other flowers could indeed serve as a way to increase exports and earn foreign exchange.
The orchid is a traditional famous flower of our country. It is dignified and plainly elegant, simple and noble, tough and resolute, and is much esteemed by people. Together with plum, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, it is called one of the "Four Gentlemen." The noble character of the orchid is precisely what Zhu De greatly valued, esteemed, and required of himself. Throughout his life he strove with unwavering resolve in pursuit and practice of truth; he was modest and cautious, amiable and approachable; he was indifferent to fame and gain, and broad and open in mind, just like that simple and noble orchid, fragrant through long ages!
The Language of Orchid Flowers
The flower language, symbolism, and representative meaning of the orchid are: indifferent to fame and gain, elegant. There are many varieties of orchids. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 20,000 orchid varieties in the world, among which the relatively famous ones include the Phalaenopsis, the orchid, and the cymbidium, and so on. In fact, they each have their own flower language, but the general flower language of the orchid is indifference to fame and gain, and elegance. [8]
Stock (Matthiola incana): everlasting beauty
Freesia: pure, innocent
Cattleya: noble lady
Phalaenopsis: happiness gradually arrives
Oncidium: hidden love
Gladiolus: elegance, longevity, peace and health
Orchid flower language: indifference to fame and gain, elegance, beauty, nobility, virtue
Orchid Pictures
How to Propagate Spring Orchids, Pest and Disease Control of Spring Orchids
Spring orchids have elegant branches and leaves and a charming floral fragrance. They are a very good indoor ornamental flower, and also one of the very precious flower varieties. They are often placed in home living rooms, studies, and other places, with a very good decorative effect. But spring orchids are a variety prone to disease. How are spring orchids propagated? Come and see the answer below, along with knowledge on pest and disease control of spring orchids.
How to Propagate Spring Orchids
1. Seed propagation method for spring orchids
Spring orchids can be propagated by sowing. The seeds of spring orchids are extremely fine; after collecting the seeds they should be sown immediately. The method is that under sterile conditions, the seeds must be sown onto a pre-prepared orchid-specific culture medium. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in hydrogen peroxide for 15-20 minutes to disinfect. Then the culture bottles containing the medium are placed in an incubation box at 20-25°C and 60%-70% humidity, and after 3 months the seeds germinate one after another. When the seedlings have grown 2-3 small leaves in the culture bottle, they are transplanted from the bottle into sterilized peat moss for cultivation, and after the orchid seedlings grow robust, they are then transplanted into small pots.
2. Division propagation method for spring orchids
Spring orchids can also be propagated by division. For a period before division, water should be controlled, keeping the potting soil merely moist; at this time the spring orchid roots are relatively soft, which can avoid the roots breaking when the spring orchid is taken from the pot. For division, robust mother plants should be selected; generally 7-10 pseudobulbs per clump is suitable for spring orchids. When the selected mother plant is taken from the pot, the orchid plant can be gently slipped out of the pot, the clod of soil laid on its side or set flat on the ground, the soil removed from the roots, and dead leaves and rotten roots carefully trimmed away with scissors. When operating, the scissors should cut horizontally, not straight down, to avoid injuring healthy roots, leaves, and young shoots. After trimming, wash the soil from the pseudobulbs and roots with clean water using a small brush. When brushing, do not use excessive force, to avoid damaging the roots and buds. Then disinfect with 40% thiophanate-methyl or chlorothalonil 800-fold solution, and place in a cool place to dry. When the roots turn white and soft, use scissors to cut open between the pseudobulbs (commonly called the "horse road"), apply charcoal to the cut, to help prevent rot, and then plant in a pot.
Pest and Disease Control of Spring Orchids:
1. Soft rot of spring orchids
In late spring and summer, with high temperature and humidity, poor ventilation, and excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer, soft rot is relatively likely to occur. In the early stage of the disease, bacteria invade the leaves or heart leaves, producing water-soaked lesions, which rapidly expand and are watery; in the later stage a foul odor develops, the diseased leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the whole plant soft-rots and dies.
Solution: Improve growing conditions, increase ventilation, lower temperature and humidity, and use streptomycin 1000-fold water solution, lime-sulfur mixture, or Bordeaux mixture 500-fold water solution, spraying once a week.
2. Anthracnose of spring orchids
Too dense planting, poor ventilation, water imbalance, or wounds from injury make anthracnose infection likely. In the early stage of disease, brown sunken small spots appear on the leaves, later expanding into round or irregular lesions; in severe cases the center of the lesion shows necrosis.
Solution: Do not plant too densely, cut away diseased leaves, apply 1/500-fold Daconil-45 water solution or 1/800-fold Wan Jun Qing to the wounds, and spray once a week with 1/1000-fold thiophanate-methyl or carbendazim water solution.
3. Southern blight of spring orchids
When southern blight occurs, the base of the stem turns black and rots, and gradually white mycelium is produced on the lesions; the diseased plant gradually withers and dies.
Solution: Cut away the diseased pseudobulbs, and burn them together with the planting pots and medium, and spray once a week with 500-fold Daconil-45 solution or carbendazim 1000-fold water solution.
4. Scale insects
Scale insect damage is generally most prevalent from June to September, often concentrating on the basal sheaths and veins of orchid leaves to suck nutrients, secreting large amounts of pathogens. The stems and leaves turn moldy brown, causing various diseases, blocking photosynthesis, and weakening the growth of the orchid. In severe cases, pale yellow small spots and yellow spots appear on the leaves, later gradually expanding, until the entire leaf withers and yellows, loses green, and falls off, and even the whole plant dies.
Solution: You may use an appropriate amount of 50% omethoate emulsion (or 80% dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate) plus Xin Gao Zhi Mo, spraying on the front and back of the leaves, spraying once every 5 to 7 days, continuously spraying 3 times or more.