Notes on Hydration for Edible Fungi and Techniques for Applying Organic Fertilizer to Orchids

(1) Manure and livestock manure: commonly used are fully decomposed human urine, rabbit urine, silkworm droppings, cow dung, chicken manure, etc. Human urine and rabbit urine are diluted 100 times before application. Silkworm droppings, cow dung and chicken manure are usually mixed into the substrate at a weight ratio of 1%-2% as a base fertilizer.

(2) Residue cake fertilizer: rapeseed residue cake, soybean residue cake, peanut residue cake, and oil-tea camellia seed residue cake and tung seed residue cake, which have insecticidal properties, are fully composted for 3-6 months, then diluted 100-150 times before application.

(3) Bone meal: bone meal can be mixed in directly when making composted fertilizer. If used as a base fertilizer, it must be thoroughly burned over fire to burn off the fat in the bones, so as to avoid attracting ants and other pests into the orchid pot and causing damage.

(4) Composted fertilizer: composted fertilizer causes no fertilizer burn, provides comprehensive nutrition, has high fertilizer efficiency, does not affect soil structure, does not cause physiological diseases, and can strengthen the plant's stress resistance; it is a good fertilizer for soil cultivation. However, it also has drawbacks such as easily carrying and attracting fungi and insects, and having a strong foul odor. The way to suppress these drawbacks is: add 100 g of carbendazim or tuijunte to every 50 kg of diluted solution to sterilize it. For the strong foul odor, water it or spray it with a 5%-10% orange peel water infusion or edible rice vinegar to remove the odor.

The method for making composted fertilizer is: choose a water vat or large plastic bucket, etc., fill it with human urine, rabbit urine or rice-washing water, etc., add 7 parts of seed residue cake and 3 parts of bone meal, occupying 40% of the container's volume, then add urine, etc. until it reaches 80% of the container. Cover the mouth of the vat or bucket with multiple layers of plastic film, tie it tightly with rope, and let it sit in the sun. In summer and autumn, it can be composted in 1 month; in winter and spring, it must be composted for more than 3 months before use.

In order to use the composted fertilizer stock solution without filtering it, the seed residue cake, crushed bones, etc. can be put into a woven bag, and the whole bag placed into the container for composting.

The application concentration of the composted fertilizer liquid is a 150-200 times solution.

(5) Commercial organic liquid fertilizers: Japan-produced "Duomu" has comprehensive nutrition, can promote roots and buds, neutralize soil quality, reduce diseases, and promote wound healing. Dilute 1500 times and water or spray.

Australia-produced "Xishuo" is a natural algae fertilizer and soil conditioner. It contains various elements, natural sugars, amino acids, enzymes, natural plant hormones and live bacterins. It can resist cold, drought and moisture, and inhibit insect pests and viral infections. Apply as a 600 times solution by watering.

Taiwan, China-produced "Yiduo" special liquid fertilizer for Chinese orchids contains high amounts of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, amino acids, vitamins, auxins, trace elements, biological bacteria, etc.; spray or water as a 1000 times solution. Do not use it on variegated-leaf orchids.

USA-produced "Shida" organic liquid fertilizer. It contains succulent plant extracts, the three major fertilizer elements, trace elements, vitamins, etc.; it can promote roots, stimulate buds, break dormancy, increase photosynthetic intensity and strengthen adaptability. Spray as a 500 times solution.