Management Methods and Care Points After Orchid Buds Emerge from the Soil

Management After Orchid Buds Emerge from the Soil - The Opening Stage

In spring, as temperatures rise and all things come back to life, orchids also begin to bud and grow. Taking Cymbidium goeringii (Spring Orchid) as an example (the same applies below), under natural outdoor cultivation in the Shanghai area, orchid buds will generally begin to push through the soil surface one after another by late April, with May being the peak period for orchid buds. From budding and emergence to becoming mature seedlings, orchid buds go through three stages: the opening stage, the growth stage and the pseudobulb formation stage, lasting more than half a year in total. Therefore, the management of orchid buds determines the harvest of an entire year and must not be taken lightly. The period from when orchid buds swell underground and emerge from the soil to when they open can be called the opening stage, which takes about one and a half months or more. In order to make one's beloved orchids sprout earlier and more abundantly, the "spring warming for buds" method summarized by veteran orchid growers can serve as a reference for us. That is, starting from mid-March, one should keep the pot surface moist (water more frequently), raise the pot soil temperature (expose to more sunlight) and reduce ventilation. Some people use chemicals or hormones to make orchids sprout more; this can be tried, but is not advocated. Fertilization during this period should be mainly nitrogen-based, combining root application with foliar spraying, and can be slightly more concentrated; since temperatures are not high at this time, it should not be done too frequently - once or twice is sufficient. Generally, when orchid buds emerge 2-3 cm above the soil, there will be a phenomenon of growth pause lasting more than a week, as they shift to root growth. Some varieties grow buds and roots simultaneously. When the roots reach 2-3 cm in length, they can begin to transport nutrients to the new buds. Management at this time is very important. Many orchid enthusiasts have found that the stunted bud phenomenon or even death of their orchids' new buds is related to improper management during this period. Management at this time should pay attention to three points: First, do not apply concentrated fertilizer, especially root fertilization, as the root tips of new buds are very delicate and will be burned and stop growing upon contact with fertilizer; Second, humidity should be appropriately higher to promote root growth (some orchid enthusiasts' experience is: keep the growing medium appropriately drier, especially the surface medium, to force the new roots of orchid buds to grow downward); Third, expose to more sunlight to promote the orchid's metabolism and induce the orchid roots to grow faster. The above is personal experience. I wish orchid enthusiasts' orchids abundant sprouting.

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