How to grow orchids in the north and points to note

Orchids, also called lancao, are a specialty flower of our country and are also recognized as one of China's top ten famous flowers. Orchids mostly grow in the mountains and ravines of the south, with a refined fragrance and elegant posture, and have long been praised by poets and painters ancient and modern. There are indeed many people who love orchids. Growing orchids in the south is as simple as growing Irisensata in the north, because the humid climate and slightly acidic soil and water of the south are the best hotbed for orchid growth. But what about the north? Especially in many areas of North China, the soil is alkaline, the water is alkaline, and the air is dry, forming a strong contrast with the orchid's native environment. Such climate and soil and other environmental conditions are not suitable for orchids, which prefer humid environments, semi-shade, and acidic soil, to grow and develop. Therefore, during cultivation they often easily develop poor growth, yellow leaves and rotten roots, and even the whole plant dies. So when people bring orchids from the south, before long they will slowly go from poor growth to death. Some people think orchids are delicate and difficult to care for, and then give up growing orchids.

If orchids are to be grown well in northern regions, an environment suitable for their growth and development should be created as much as possible, meeting the requirements of the orchid's biological characteristics, so that they can grow and bloom well. Specifically, the following tasks should be done well.

Choose a good pot and growing medium. For ordinary home orchid growing, it is still best to choose a clay pot. If you want to increase the decorative effect and add beauty, you can place a colored-glaze 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. The pot soil is best orchid mud. It can also be mixed yourself. You can use 6 parts leaf mold or peat soil, 3 parts sand, 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 on selecting orchids and cultivation techniques.

Watering should be moderate. Watering orchids is a regular task and also an important link in whether orchid cultivation succeeds. The orchid's pot soil should be kept moist often, but excessive water content should be avoided. During cultivation, the amount of watering should be determined according to different seasons and different growth stages of the orchid. Generally starting in spring, as the temperature rises, orchids enter a vigorous growth period, and the amount of watering should be gradually increased, watering once every 1-2 days; in summer the temperature is high, and it is also a vigorous growth period for orchids, so it is usually suitable to water once each in the early morning and in the evening, and watering at noon should be strictly avoided. When the rainy season comes, the amount of watering should be controlled flexibly according to how much rain there is and how wet the pot soil is, and water accumulation in the pot that causes root rot should be strictly avoided; in late autumn, when the temperature begins to drop, the amount of watering should be gradually reduced, watering once every 2-3 days is enough; in winter, when the temperature is low, most orchids enter dormancy, and at this time watering should be controlled, watering once every 5-7 days, except that the winter-blooming Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran should be watered somewhat more.

Apply thin fertilizer skillfully. When fertilizing orchids, apply thin fertilizer, and strictly avoid applying concentrated fertilizer. There is a saying of clear orchids and cloudy jasmine. Generally speaking, newly planted orchid plants should not be fertilized in the first year; start fertilizing from after Qingming in the second year, until the Beginning of Autumn. You can apply fully decomposed dilute cake fertilizer water 1-2 times a month. Because orchids have fleshy roots, never apply undecomposed fertilizer, so as to avoid root rot. Before each fertilization, control water for 1-2 days, and apply after the pot soil is slightly dry. On the morning of the second day after application, water once, to prevent unclean matter in the fertilizer liquid from contaminating the roots and harming the orchid roots. When applying liquid fertilizer, be careful to avoid splashing and soiling the leaves. For orchid plants that have been cultivated for several years and have reached flowering age, in the early stage mainly apply nitrogen fertilizer to promote new bud sprouting and rapid growth; in the later stage mainly apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which helps the pseudobulbs enlarge, the 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 continuously twice a liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; during the bud gestation period, on a clear evening first wash the leaves with clean water, and after they dry, use a small sprayer to spray a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on the leaf surfaces and undersides, or apply wood ash water to the roots. At this time, foliar fertilization is beneficial for promoting the development of orchid roots, stems, and flowers. About 20 days after the flowers fade, apply twice more a liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer or a compound chemical fertilizer, which can promote plant growth. Do not fertilize on rainy days, and stop fertilizing during the winter dormant period as well.

Light should be suitable. Orchids prefer shady, cool environments and avoid direct sunlight. Therefore in the north, from April to early May, before 9 a.m. they can properly receive a bit more sunlight, and after mid-May they need shading, at which time they need to be placed in a cool, ventilated place for cultivation; especially in summer the degree of shading should be greater, and exposure to blazing sunlight should be strictly avoided. Among Chinese orchids, Cymbidium sinense has the strongest shade tolerance, followed by autumn orchids, while Chunlan and Xialan need more sunlight. Light is an important factor in orchid flower bud formation. Although orchids need appropriate shading during the growing period in spring, summer, and autumn, keeping orchids in a shady place all year without letting them receive sunlight will also affect flower bud differentiation, leading to fewer flowers or no flowers. Therefore after autumn turns cool, all kinds of orchids should be given more sun or placed indoors in a place with bright scattered light and good ventilation; 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 the winter-blooming Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran, they should be placed indoors in a sunny spot in winter; without light they will not bloom well.

In short, when growing orchids, one should achieve: not out in spring, no sun in summer, not dry in autumn, not wet in winter, meaning in spring avoid invasion by cold wind and do not move them outdoors; in summer they fear direct sunlight, so they should be placed in a cool, ventilated place; in autumn avoid dry pot soil, as this is exactly the orchid's bud gestation period, and the amount of 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 to alternate between dry and wet.