Analysis of the Reasons Why Orchids Do Not Bloom and Solutions

The author is located in Shangnan County, Shaanxi, at the junction of the three provinces of Qin (Shaanxi), Yu (Henan) and E (Hubei), one of the main producing areas for Qinling Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium faberi. Since the 1990s, influenced by the nationwide orchid craze, orchid enthusiasts here are everywhere. Some collect orchids on the mountains themselves, while others receive them as gifts from relatives and friends; they can be seen everywhere in courtyards, on balconies, on rooftops, in front of and behind houses - truly worthy of the title "Hometown of Qinling Orchids." But when the orchid blooming season arrives, few can enjoy the flowers and smell the fragrance; most households growing orchids find themselves in the awkward situation of "flowers in the first year, grass in the second year, firewood in the third year." Professional orchid gardens, however, present a vibrant scene of graceful blooms and intoxicating fragrance. To this end, we analyzed and studied the matter together with numerous orchid friends, and concluded that the main reasons household-grown orchids mostly fail to bloom, and the countermeasures that should be taken, are:

Unsuitable lighting. It is known that some place orchid plants in sunny spots, receiving direct sunlight year-round; some place them deep in courtyards, never seeing sunlight throughout the year; and some keep them indoors all year long, seeing only daylight by day and lamplight by night, substituting daylight and lamplight for sunlight. From this it can be seen that one reason orchid plants cannot bud and bloom is either that there is no shading in summer and autumn, so they are exposed to strong light; or that they never see sunlight, so the orchid leaves cannot carry out photosynthesis to accumulate nutrients for reproductive growth. "Meiling Lan Yan" says: "Shade grows leaves, sun grows flowers." Only by adjusting the light in good time can both flowers and leaves be excellent. Orchids are semi-shade plants; they cannot do without sunlight, but strong sunlight is also harmful. The correct method of providing light is: in winter and spring, when sunlight is weak and mild in quality, orchid plants may receive full light; in summer and autumn, when light is strong, shading must be carried out according to the light requirements of different varieties. If cultivating in a courtyard, place them on the north side to receive sunlight in winter and spring, and move them to the foot of the south wall in summer and autumn for shade. If cultivating on a balcony, give full light in winter and spring; in summer and autumn, use shade netting to block direct strong light, and if conditions permit, move them to a north- or east-facing balcony. Climbing plants such as grapes and loofah may also be grown in courtyards and on balconies, providing both shade and cooling. This helps orchid plants grow robustly, bud and bloom.

Unsuitable temperature. Some orchid friends keep their orchid plants in one place all year round, indifferent no matter how the temperature changes, letting nature take its course. As a result, they either suffer high temperatures that make the leaf texture coarse and scorch the leaves, or suffer low temperatures that damage the orchid leaves and cause root rot and death. In such a situation, when even life cannot be preserved, how can there be flowers to enjoy? Temperature is one of the important conditions for growing orchids well, and whether the temperature is suitable is the key to whether they can bloom. We know that the suitable growing temperature for orchids is 15°C-30°C; above 30°C or below 5°C they enter dormancy, and without a suitable temperature they cannot bloom. Take Cymbidium goeringii as an example: flower bud differentiation generally occurs in July-August, requiring a temperature of 20°C-25°C; after several months of development, they bloom only in early spring when the daily average temperature is around 10°C. We should regulate the temperature in good time according to the orchid's temperature requirements. During periods outside the suitable temperature range, attention should be paid to cooling and increasing humidity in the scorching heat of midsummer, and cold protection and warmth preservation must be done well in late winter and early spring. Only in this way can orchid plants grow robustly and have flowers to bloom.

Insufficient fertilizer. Some households have never applied fertilizer even once since cultivating their orchid plants, so the orchid leaves become yellower and the plants thinner and weaker the longer they are grown, and photosynthesis is extremely poor. In addition, with no fertilizer for a long time, nutrient accumulation is less than consumption, with expenses exceeding income, so they will not bloom. On the contrary, some pour all nutrient-containing things, even leftover rice and dishes and greasy items, into the orchid pot at once, causing the orchid plants to suffer fertilizer damage and die prematurely. Abundant nutrient accumulation is the fundamental guarantee for orchids to bloom. That is to say, to make orchid plants bloom normally, strong seedlings must first be cultivated; to cultivate strong seedlings, fertilization must be relied upon. Timely and appropriate fertilization is also an important part of the fertilization process. Orchid growth is divided into the vegetative growth period and the reproductive growth period; different growth periods have different fertilizer requirements. During sprouting and rooting and the vegetative growth period, nitrogen fertilizer should be dominant, generally applied once every half month from late April to early July. During bulb enlargement and flower bud differentiation, generally from mid-July to late August, phosphorus-potassium fertilizer should be applied once every half month. Before flowering, one additional application of quick-acting phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is needed, so that the flowers are large, the colors vivid, and the fragrance rich.

Improper watering. Household orchid growers mostly pay little attention to water, and there is even less regularity or principle to speak of. When they remember, they water regardless of whether the growing medium is dry or wet; when they forget, they do not water once for ten days to half a month or even longer, so the growing medium in the pot is either too dry or too wet. Water is one of the material foundations of plant growth; without water they cannot survive. On the mountains, orchids are supplied with water by rain, snow, dew, ground air and ground moisture, and nature effectively regulates the water for them. After orchids come down from the mountains, they are watered by hand, but the water requirement must have a limit; one cannot water freely and without restraint. We must follow the watering principles of "dry but not parched, moist but not wet" and "do not water if not dry; when watering, water thoroughly," keeping the growing medium in the pot moderately dry and wet. In particular, prevent the potting soil from becoming too dry in autumn. July to August is the period of flower bud differentiation; at this time the wind is strong and the air is very dry, so if the potting soil is too dry, it will hinder the accumulation of nutrients in the orchid plant and affect the development of flower buds and blooming.

Single plants grown alone. Some orchid friends, in order to sprout and multiply quickly, repot and divide the plants several times a year; some divide them into clumps of 2-3 shoots, and some divide them into single plants grown alone. Although this is conducive to sprouting, it affects blooming. Orchids are plants that "like to cluster and fear separation from the mother," and frequent division deprives them of the conditions for transmitting information. Cultivation practice also tells us that each repotting may affect one blooming. If your purpose in growing orchids is to multiply them, then doing so is acceptable. If it is for the sake of flowers and appreciation, then this practice should be changed, repotting as little as possible and dividing as little as possible. Even when dividing, each clump should retain at least 3 strong shoots, and should remain connected across multiple generations, so as to facilitate accumulation by multiple heads, nutritional complementation, and an increase in the total amount of nutrient accumulation, which is conducive to cultivating large and strong seedlings.

Weak plants and thin roots. Due to inadequate light, temperature, water and fertilizer care, or neglect of management, weak plants and thin roots are an inevitable phenomenon. Only when all aspects of orchid cultivation conditions are met can orchid seedlings and roots have a source of strength. Only then can the leaves be broad and thick, the bulbs firm and hard, and the orchid roots long and thick. With such robust plants, and with coordination in photosynthesis, respiratory function, transpiration and metabolism, they manufacture and accumulate abundant nutrients, thus creating good conditions for reproductive growth and laying a solid foundation for budding and blooming.

Damage from diseases and pests. The main orchid diseases include anthracnose, southern blight and root rot; after being affected, either the leaves or the roots are damaged, and the whole plant may even die. Scale insects, aphids, red spider mites and whiteflies pierce and suck the sap of orchid plants, causing orchid leaves to wither and yellow, and wounds are prone to rot; ants make nests in orchid pots and gnaw on the sweet-tasting orchid roots. These all cause great harm to orchid plants and affect budding and blooming to varying degrees. For diseases, the main thing is to do prevention well, spraying sterilization agents such as carbendazim at regular and irregular intervals. For pests, the key is to observe frequently and use pesticides to kill them promptly.