Orchids are a very popular feng shui plant to grow, with many varieties, the most common being Cymbidium goeringii (spring orchid), Cymbidium faberi (tiger orchid), Cymbidium ensifolium (four-season orchid), Cymbidium kanran (cold orchid), Cymbidium sinense (Chinese cymbidium), Dendrobium orchids, and more!
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But many people fail to grow them well, as their requirements for light, water and soil are relatively high. Orchid roots are fleshy: thin-skinned and strong at storing water, so planting them too deep or too firmly packed can easily cause root rot!
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Overall, orchids like loose, breathable, well-draining, slightly acidic soil, with a soil pH of around 5.5 to 6.5 being ideal. Next, gardening expert Chengcheng shares his orchid-growing experience with everyone.
1. Choosing a pot: a purple clay pot or ceramic pot with holes in the bottom and around the sides is best.
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2. Choosing soil: orchid soil comes in two types, soft materials and hard materials. Soft materials mostly use perlite, peat soil, pine needles, peanut shells, leaf mold and other substrates as the mix. Hard materials mostly use senite (Japanese orchid soil), kiryu stone, orchid stone, hyuga stone, fired clay soil, ceramsite, volcanic stone, akadama soil, red soil and other substrates as the mix. So which soil suits ordinary people and orchid-growing beginners? It is the hard material type - it holds water and breathes well, and also has nutrients. The ratio is: 4 parts kiryu stone, 2 parts senite, 1 part tree bark, 1 part volcanic stone, (a little ceramsite and sphagnum moss, for top dressing)
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3. Potting: trim the orchid's rotten roots, let it dry for a day, rinse all the planting materials with water to remove impurities, put a small amount of foam at the bottom of the pot, place the orchid, fill with soil, spread a thin layer of sphagnum moss, top-dress with ceramsite (you can also use the leftover volcanic stone for top dressing), and water with ferrous sulfate + rooting powder + carbendazim (let tap water sit for two days beforehand).
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4. Care: warmth and ventilation are very important. From mid-April to mid-September, place it somewhere with indirect light (sun before 9 a.m.), and from October to March of the following year, place it somewhere warm with sunlight. When the surface sphagnum moss dries, water or soak the pot with a small amount of ferrous sulfate and Miracle-Gro orchid-specific fertilizer diluted in water (mix according to the instructions, better less than more).
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Ifyou also love growing flowers and think "Chengcheng" explained it well, give it a like with your lovely little hand. For gardening questions, follow me and send a private message!