Orchid Daily Cultivation Management Methods and Technical Key Points
This includes controlling light, ventilation, watering, fertilizing, and pruning to create the necessary conditions for the healthy growth of orchids.
(1) Light control Proper light without harming the orchids is what allows them to carry out photosynthesis, accumulate the nutrients they need, take root, sprout, and bloom. Light control means simulating the light conditions under which orchids grow in nature. Their growth habit favors diffused, scattered light, so orchids should avoid direct harsh sunlight but receive soft refracted light, all determined by the time and season. The morning dew-lit sunlight of spring is very good, while in summer and autumn they need shading.
(2) Ventilation The place where orchids are kept must be ventilated. Wind is to orchids what oxygen is to people. A gentle breeze and smooth airflow not only make the roots strong and the leaves lush but also prevent disease and drive away insects.
(3) Watering Potted orchids are cut off from contact with the earth's ground energy, so you must always pay attention, observing the season, the climate, and the pot, watering when it is needed and not watering when it is not. Some orchid plants grow vigorously and need more water, while some are weaker and need less, so it depends on the individual orchid. After the Spring Equinox, flowering ends, temperatures gradually rise, and the orchid seedlings begin to grow slowly, so their demand for water gradually increases. Therefore, the scope of watering should be expanded and the amount of water increased to meet the needs of spring sprouting and growth. In early summer, the climate tends to be dry, and as soon as the pot shows the slightest sign of drying, you must water immediately. Watering must be done before the sun rises in the morning, or in the evening after the pot has cooled down. You can alternate heavy and light watering. After watering, you must blow it dry; otherwise, once the sun comes out and the temperature rises, if the water in the leaves and the heart of the orchid has not dried, the sun will heat the water, easily triggering stem rot and soft rot. After early autumn, the autumn wind is dry, and the pot must not dry out. Once it dries, it easily causes dehydration of the seedlings, affecting the flower buds and the normal flowering and growth of the seedlings, so water at any time. Entering winter, orchids enter a period of slow growth and dormancy, and their water requirements weaken. Watering orchids should be done as follows: water heavily on a regular schedule, and water thoroughly and completely, pouring directly from the leaf surface and letting the water keep flowing out from the bottom of the pot, then repeat once after 20 minutes. This is equivalent to regularly giving the orchids a cleaning, flushing away the stale air, corrosive air, and diseased air in the pot, then ventilate immediately, using a fan, exhaust fan, or ventilation fan to blow them dry. Ordinarily, just water lightly to moisten the seedlings, and blow them dry immediately after watering as well.
The water used for orchids has particularly high requirements. The best water is winter snow water. Tap water should be stored overnight and used the next day.
(4) Fertilizing Orchids need both base fertilizer and top dressing all year round (except in winter). As for what fertilizer to use, it varies from person to person. Most of us now use rapeseed cake fertilizer fermented for more than 2 years. Others, such as sheep manure, beans, eggshells, bone meal, soft-shelled turtle shells, and renzhongbai (i.e., latrine pit slabs), are ground into powder or soaked into liquid for use.
The above organic fertilizers are used as the main base fertilizer, which is beneficial for the vigorous growth of the seedlings. At the same time, some chemical fertilizers are also used, because they are highly targeted, convenient to use, and fast-acting, but they easily harm the seedlings. Therefore, choose as much as possible the various fertilizers that orchids need, and apply them flexibly according to actual conditions, using more organic fertilizer and less compound fertilizer, especially chemical fertilizer. At the same time, both must be used with caution. The amount and concentration of fertilizer should be determined according to the strength of the orchid's growth and the changes in season and climate, and according to the growth characteristics of orchids, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be applied in stages and as needed. In summer weather above 32°C, under conditions without orchid-growing facilities, please do not fertilize, to prevent reverse osmosis and harm to the seedlings. In general, the principle of fertilizing is to apply thin fertilizer frequently.
(5) Pruning Orchids are perennial plants and generally retain excess old leaves and old pseudobulbs, which affect appearance and ventilation and make them prone to disease infection. Therefore, timely pruning should be carried out to cut off old leaves, diseased leaves, and dry, withered old pseudobulbs. Before pruning, the pruning tools should be disinfected. Disinfection methods include alcohol, potassium permanganate, steam, and boiling water.