How to grow orchids? Detailed explanation of orchid cultivation methods and precautions
1. Soil selection
The soil used for orchids should be mainly humus, primarily leaf mold or mountain forest humus soil. In the south, the humus soil from the place of origin, commonly known as orchid mud, can be used; leaf mold, vermiculite, perlite, etc. can also be used to artificially prepare a loose, airy, and water-permeable potting soil. Generally, a potting soil is made by mixing 8 parts leaf mold and 2 parts river sand, or 7 parts leaf mold, 2 parts perlite, and 1 part river sand, or 6 parts leaf mold (peat soil), 3 parts compost soil, and 1 part river sand. All the potting soils prepared above are slightly acidic.
Orchid
2. Fertilization method
For fertilizing orchids, one is to apply base fertilizer in the potting soil, and the other is to apply topdressing during the growing period. Topdressing mostly uses liquid fertilizer or foliar fertilizer, and the concentration should be lighter than that for other flowers. Orchids are repotted with fresh potting soil once a year, so less topdressing can be applied during the growing period, and the timing should be noted. Generally, during the growing season, a well-rotted thin cake fertilizer water of about 15% can be applied, or 0.1% urea fertilizer water plus 0.2% monopotassium phosphate fertilizer water, applied once every 15 to 20 days; from before flowering to the flowering period, 0.2% monopotassium phosphate or plant ash water can be sprayed on the leaves 2 to 3 times to promote the development of roots, stems, and flowers. Orchids have fleshy roots, so unrotted fertilizer must not be applied, to avoid root rot.
3. Watering method
Watering orchids should be determined according to the species, growth conditions, and local climate, and should achieve moist but not wet, dry but not parched; watering should not be too much or too little, and the principle of not dry in autumn and not wet in winter should be grasped. In winter, when the temperature is low, the plant is in a dormant state, so watering should be controlled, generally once every 5 to 7 days, but Cymbidium sinense, which blooms in winter, needs more water;
In spring and autumn, water once every 2 to 3 days; in summer, when the temperature is high and orchids are in a vigorous growth period, water 1 to 2 times a day on average. When watering, be careful to prevent water droplets from splashing on the leaves, so as to avoid black spots that affect the ornamental effect. During the growth period of orchids, water should often be sprayed on the leaves, and in summer water should also be sprinkled on the ground around the flower pot to increase air humidity and promote the growth and development of orchids. For watering orchids, rainwater and snow water are best; if tap water is used, it should be stored for 2 to 3 days before use.
Orchid cultivation methods
4. Temperature requirements
For potted orchids in the north, they should be moved indoors when the temperature drops to 5°C around the Frost's Descent solar term, and in the early period after being moved indoors, windows should be opened frequently to keep the air circulating. In winter, the indoor temperature should be kept at around 10°C. After Grain Rain, move them outdoors for care. The suitable temperature for orchid growth is 16 to 24°C. In winter, the indoor temperature is generally required to be relatively low, preferably 10 to 12°C during the day and 5 to 10°C at night, and the temperature and humidity should not be too high; in summer, the temperature should not exceed 30°C.
5. Light requirements
Orchids prefer shade and fear direct strong light, so shading should be carried out in spring, summer, and autumn. For growing orchids at home, in order to control the amount of light, it is best to place them on a balcony windowsill or under the eaves with bamboo curtain shading, generally shading from 9 a.m. to before 6 p.m., and pulling the curtain open in the morning and after 6 p.m. so that they receive scattered sunlight. In winter, they should be moved indoors to a place with visible scattered light, but direct sunlight should also be avoided. Among orchids, Cymbidium sinense has the strongest shade tolerance, followed by Cymbidium ensifolium, while Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium faberi have weaker shade tolerance.
6. Potting method
The environment for cultivating orchids should be well ventilated, humid, and pollution-free. The orchid pot should be a tall pot, thick at the top and thin at the bottom, with multiple drainage holes, or with drainage holes on the pot wall. The orchid pot itself should also have ornamental value.
Because orchids grow slowly, they can be repotted once every 1 to 2 years after the flowers fade. When potting, first fill the bottom of the pot with about 3 cm of tile pieces, cinders, etc. to facilitate drainage. Then, put in a layer of potting soil, place the orchid seedling in the center of the pot, straighten the roots, and let them spread naturally. When the soil is filled to half, gently lift the orchid seedling while shaking the flower pot so that the soil and roots are closely combined. When the soil is filled to 2 to 3 cm from the pot rim, gently press it firm with your hand. After planting, water thoroughly and place in a cool place, spraying water once each in the morning and afternoon, and after about 7 to 10 days move it to a shaded and cool place with dappled light for care.
Orchid
The precautions for orchid cultivation are as follows:
(1) Orchids are mainly distributed in the southeast and southwest regions. They mostly grow wild in moist valley open forests and shaded places beside rocks, so they like a warm, humid climate, prefer shade and moisture, require a shading degree of 70% to 90%, and avoid high temperature, dryness, and strong light.
(2) During orchid cultivation, dead yellow old leaves and diseased or insect-damaged leaves should be constantly pruned to facilitate ventilation. After the flower buds emerge, one strong flower bud should be kept per plant and the rest cut off, so as not to consume too many nutrients and affect flowering the next year. After the flowers fade, the flower stalks should be cut off.
How to grow orchids
(3) In winter, attention should be paid to cold protection. Terrestrial orchids have strong cold resistance, while tropical orchids require a higher overwintering temperature and should be moved indoors early or protected from cold with a plastic shed to avoid freezing damage. The room temperature is best kept at 10 to 15°C, and ventilation should be noted during indoor care. As the climate gradually warms in early spring, gradually move the orchids to the courtyard or balcony.
(4) For home cultivation of orchids, natural rainwater, stream water, well water, and river water are best. If tap water is used, it should first be stored in a vat and exposed to the sun to remove bleaching powder before use. If tap water is used to water flowers for a long time, the cultivation medium will gradually become alkaline. Ferrous sulfate can be applied once every so often to increase soil acidity. In addition, watering orchids with fermented rice washing water can also keep the soil in a slightly acidic state.