Detailed explanation of orchid growing techniques, teaching you to grow beautiful orchids

Because of their refined and elegant character, orchids are cherished by many flower lovers, but since orchids have a delicate constitution, growing them requires a great deal of thought. Below, we introduce the methods for growing orchids.

1. Location

The location where orchids are placed is very important, as it directly affects their growth and development. Orchids are generally placed outdoors in spring, summer and autumn (in summer, in a shaded spot outdoors), 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. This is favorable for orchid growth. The orchid pot is best placed on a wooden stand or a table, not on the ground.

2. Shading

Most orchids are semi-shade plants, and most species fear direct sunlight, so appropriate shading is needed. In early to mid-April, orchids can receive more sunlight to promote their growth. After late April, they should be appropriately shaded. Among summer orchids and autumn orchids, varieties with upright leaves are best placed on the south side of a shaded spot so they receive a suitable amount of sunlight; for autumn orchids and spring orchids with drooping leaves, two hours of light per day is best. From the beginning of June to September, shading should be started earlier each day; if reed curtains are used, dense curtains or two layers of sparse curtains can be used. After October, when the weather turns cooler and the sunlight is weaker, shading can be delayed, but around midday, attention should still be paid to shading.

3. Rain protection

Orchids can be exposed to 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 the rainfall is small, 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 their roots rot and die. If a shower is followed by sunshine, shading should be done in time to prevent the rising heat from the ground from affecting orchid growth.

In rainy seasons, which coincide with the stage when orchids sprout leaf buds, if the potting soil is too warm, it will cause poor leaf bud growth or invite disease. At this time, a small amount of plant ash can be sprinkled to regulate the moisture of the potting soil.

4. Watering

A flower proverb says: "Dry orchids, wet chrysanthemums," and there is some truth to this. Generally speaking, for orchids, eight parts dry and two parts wet is best. If too wet, the flowers are prone to root rot and death. The principle of watering should be: water when dry, stop when wet, and lean appropriately toward dry. In practice, generally note the following: during the growth period (May to the end of June), water appropriately more; during the leaf bud sprouting period (about March-April) and the flowering period (about March-April), water appropriately less; during the dormant period (winter), water even less or not at all. If the flower pot is large and the orchid plant is small, water less; if the pot is small and the plant is large, water more. In hot, dry weather, water appropriately more; in cool, damp conditions (such as the plum rain season), water less or not at all. For orchids newly dug from the mountains, if the root system is sparse or many roots are broken, water less and keep the potting soil a bit dry; this will prevent root rot and help new leaves sprout.

The above are the techniques for growing orchids. Growing orchids requires sufficient patience and skill. Have you learned them?