Can snail shells be used to grow orchids? A detailed guide to planting precautions

The snail is a hard-shelled mollusk found in the major lakes and rivers of Jiangnan, and it is especially favored as food by people in Zhejiang and around Xuzhou, Jiangsu. It is a delicious dish on the table in late spring and early summer.

The shell of the snail is fairly hard, and the shells left after eating are also a very good supplementary material to add when growing orchids. Once used, they also greatly improve the looseness and air permeability of the growing medium. However, when added to orchid growing medium, they must first undergo some processing. Because the snail shell is hollow in a spiral inside with one closed end, when growing orchids the orchid roots may very likely grow into the snail shell, preventing the orchid roots from growing and extending. Therefore, before use, the tip of the snail shell must be knocked off with a small hammer or pinched off halfway with pliers, so that the snail shell is hollow and open through. In this way, even if the orchid roots later grow into the snail shell, root growth will not be restricted.

In addition, the snail shells left after eating have various seasonings added during cooking and stir-frying, such as salt and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Therefore, before use the snail shells must be soaked in water, so that the salt, MSG and other components in the snail shells are soaked out and rinsed clean before use. The amount added should also not be too much; it is usually 1/5 or 1/6 of the total growing medium. It can only be used as an auxiliary material for planting orchids. In summary, when using snail shells to grow orchids, the precautions are to wash away the salt in the snail shells, and at the same time pinch off the tip at one end of the snail shell with pliers to avoid hindering the growth of orchid roots.

In orchid growing medium, snail shells are used more by flower enthusiasts in the south and are not often used by orchid growers in the north. This is also because, due to regional differences, the types of orchid growing medium collected also differ.