How to Grow Orchids in the North? A Detailed Guide to Practical Cultivation Methods

To grow orchids well in northern regions, you should create environmental conditions suited to their growth and development as much as possible, meeting the requirements of their biological characteristics, so that they can grow and bloom well. Specifically, the following tasks should be done well.

I. Choosing Good Pots and Growing Medium

For ordinary household orchid growing, clay pots are the better choice. 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 spread out completely inside it. The potting soil is best made of orchid soil. You can also mix it yourself. You can use 6 parts leaf mold or peat soil, 3 parts sandy soil, 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 Buying Orchids and Cultivation Techniques.

II. Watering Should Be Appropriate

Watering orchids is a routine task and also an important link in whether orchid cultivation succeeds. The potting soil for orchids should be kept moist at all times, 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 orchids. Generally starting in spring, as the temperature rises, orchids enter a period of vigorous growth, and the amount of watering should be gradually increased, watering once every 1-2 days; in summer, when the temperature is high and orchids are also in their peak growth period, it is usually suitable to water once in the early morning and once in the evening, and watering at noon should be strictly avoided. When the rainy season comes, the amount of watering should be flexibly controlled according to the amount of rain and the moisture level of the potting soil, 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, and watering once every 2-3 days is enough; in winter, when the temperature is low, most orchids enter dormancy, and watering should be controlled at this time, with watering once every 5-7 days, except that the Cymbidium sinense and Cymbidium kanran that bloom in winter should be watered somewhat more.

III. Light Fertilizer Should Be Applied Skillfully

When fertilizing orchids, apply light fertilizer, and strictly avoid heavy fertilizer. There is a saying: clear orchids, cloudy jasmine. Generally speaking, newly planted orchid plants should not be fertilized in the first year; start fertilizing 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 only after the potting 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, nitrogen fertilizer should be mainly applied in the early stage to promote the sprouting and rapid growth of new shoots; phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be mainly applied in the later stage, 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 liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium fertilizer twice in succession; during the bud stage, 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. Foliar fertilization at this time is beneficial for promoting the development of orchid roots, stems, and flowers. About 20 days after the flowers fade, apply liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer or compound fertilizer twice more, which can promote plant growth. Do not fertilize on cloudy and rainy days, and stop fertilizing during the winter dormancy period.