Sharing my balcony growing experience, I am in Rizhao, Shandong

My balcony growing, Rizhao, Shandong---Reviving weak seedlings

http://www.dfac.cc/showtopic-116-411618-0-0-1.htm

Rizhao is located on the southeastern coast of Shandong, where the four seasons are distinct, the air is fresh, the water is sweet, there is no severe cold in winter and no intense heat in summer, making it a great place to live leisurely and grow orchids.

My home is on a southeastern hill slope about 5 km from the sea. I grow orchids on a south-facing balcony on the third floor, enclosed with floor-to-ceiling double-layer glass, with good light and ventilation.

First: weak seedlings should not be grown alone. It is best to find a pot of orchids with a similar plant shape, vigorous growth, and well-developed roots, and plant them together using the old growing medium from the original pot. Once the weak seedlings grow into medium-strong seedlings, separate them and plant them on their own.

Second: for weak seedlings, it is best to use fine granular growing medium. Below the pseudobulb, use growing medium rich in organic matter; from the base of the pseudobulb upward, use fine granular Kanuma soil. When potting, place a few granules of Magic Fertilizer in the middle of the pot as base fertilizer, so that after the new seedlings take root they can absorb nutrients in time.

At the pseudobulb of weak seedlings, fill it firmly with even finer weathered stone. This is to keep the pseudobulb area as moist as possible, so that the new roots that emerge can promptly come into contact with the ground moisture and prevent stunted buds and black tips on new roots, because weak seedlings have poorly developed roots,

and the roots and buds they produce are generally not strong either. If the granules around the bud points on the pseudobulb are too large, and it is dry in the early stage of sprouting and rooting, the new buds and new roots will find it very hard to grow. Cover the top of the ultra-fine granules with a layer of fine Kanuma soil to prevent watering from washing them away.

This is the young plant produced last year from the old pseudobulb of Tiger Stamen, along with the detailed treatment of the pseudobulb. The young plant has not yet fully grown, and two small buds have already appeared. Third: water and fertilizer management. When potting weak seedlings, they cannot be kept dry. When the pot surface is dry, they should be given a generous spray. After they have settled into the pot, for every two waterings with clear water, apply a light fertilizer once in between. When applying fertilizer, pour it along the pot wall, and do not pour it into the leaf center or onto the pseudobulb.

The fertilizer I use is: in spring, rice-washing water, one packet of yogurt, some eggshells, and a handful of roasted soybeans, placed in a large transparent drink bottle, opened and put outdoors in a sunny place to ferment. In autumn, gradually add dried orange peel, until the fertilizer turns to a fruity smell, then dilute with 50 times water and water the roots.

Fourth: light. It is very important for weak seedlings to get sun. Do not use fungicides. With sun exposure, old seedlings decline quickly and new seedlings also grow quickly. Following the traditional method---clean growing, shaded growing, and regular sterilization---will only be like a nearsighted person giving birth to a blind child, each generation worse than the last.

Below are the growth conditions of several weak seedlings I have grown

The toothpick-sized seedling of Old Stamen Butterfly that the seller gave me last year has produced one medium seedling with 5 leaves, and now two buds have appeared. The buds are clearly growing more vigorously than the mother seedling

Last year I introduced Chuichui. At the time it was a small seedling with one or two leaves plus a small bud. I planted it together with other Cymbidium ensifolium, separated them at the end of the year, and now the new buds already show four leaves. Last spring I introduced Red Yipin, two small seedlings with two leaves each. In summer they revived, so I separated the old seedlings. Later the pot was dropped twice, and they were glued back together again. After some time, strong and weak together will make 11 seedlings. By the end of the year I am afraid the pot will be too small, haha. Finally, a pot of Heart-to-Heart in full bloom. May orchid friends have a kind heart, a little more love, and keep a bit of childlike innocence, and have patience in growing orchids o(∩_∩)o