Orchid cultivation methods
If you want to know about the experience of cultivating orchids, the following article will introduce the cultivation methods of orchids.
There are many versions of orchid cultivation methods, each with its own characteristics. This article is a summary based on a flower friend's two years of experience in cultivating orchids, which is of very high reference value for新手 flower friends. It has been two years since I got my first orchid, and I have just stepped into the入门 stage. In the past 700 days, I have made mistakes and paid tuition fees, fortunately, I have received help from orchid friends around me, and I am grateful.
Here is a summary of two years of orchid cultivation:
I. Planting materials: Talking about planting materials is one of the most troublesome things at the beginning of orchid cultivation. I dug up tree bark and humus soil, sieved and dried them, and even差点 cooked them. After finishing, I planted the orchids in pots, watered them and rooted them. Do you think that's all? In fact, it's not over yet. What to do after planting? Of course, it's to post the planting materials I prepared in various QQ groups and forums for comments. When I hear others pointing out the shortcomings of my planting materials, I feel tight and instantly lack confidence. Then I search for good material formulas on Baidu and Taobao, and quickly buy the so-called June 1st, August 1st, and October 1st mixes,翻 the pot over and over again, tired but happy. As a result, I only have soil and pots left after all the折腾.
II. Watering and fertilizing: Watering is the second big difficulty for beginners in orchid cultivation. The saying 'Don't water until it's dry, and water thoroughly when watering' has baffled many people. Weighing the pot, using chopsticks, and repeating it over and over again, it's still hard to control. Later, I read an article in a friend's space and finally had an insight. The main content is as follows:
Water is a necessary element for plant growth. The water content in plants is very high, up to more than 80%. Plants can only grow normally when they have sufficient water content. Because various biochemical reactions in plants, such as the conversion of nutrients, cell division, and photosynthesis, must be carried out with the participation of water. During growth, plants usually rely on water absorption to make cells elongate or expand. If there is a lack of water, the cell turgor pressure in plants decreases, and growth slows down or stops.
The main flow of water in plants. For terrestrial plants, water is absorbed by the root hairs, flows along the roots to the stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits, and is consumed by participating in various growth activities in the plant body. Some of the water is lost to the atmosphere through the surfaces of stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits.
The main role of water in plants. The first is to provide the necessary water for plant growth. The second is to act as a solvent for transporting various nutrients. The organic and inorganic fertilizers and other nutrients needed by plants must be dissolved in water and then transported to the plant body. The third is that plants dissipate radiant heat absorbed by the plant into the atmosphere by losing water, avoiding a significant rise in body temperature. The fourth is that the evaporation of environmental water can carry away a large amount of heat energy, regulating the environmental temperature.
Plants' active protection of water. When the water content in plants is insufficient, they will instinctively close the surface stomata, reducing the rate of water loss to prevent excessive water loss. Plants will also close their stomata during dormancy, at night, or during hot and dry midday in the summer to reduce the rate of water loss and protect the water in their bodies.
The amount of water consumed and lost by plants must balance with the amount of water absorbed by the roots. When the former is greater than the latter, the water content in plants decreases, and the water potential and turgor pressure also decrease accordingly, affecting normal plant growth. When it exceeds a certain limit, the normal physiological processes of the plant will be severely disrupted, causing damage to the plant and even death. This condition is theoretically called water stress.
The harm of water to plants. Excessive water in the soil can cause waterlogging, blocking the oxygen supply to the roots (G-Y), hindering aerobic respiration, and damaging the plant roots.
In summary, our watering principle in orchid cultivation is: give enough water without damaging the roots and do not advocate dry cultivation. Especially during the growing period, do not扣 water, otherwise, the seedlings will be like seedling picks.
Maybe some people want to ask: What if the seedlings collapse when giving a lot of water during high temperatures? In my personal opinion, this is not the fault of the water. As long as you use clean drinking water, it should be the fault of the fertilizer (medicine), especially the planting material, and the temperature. Haha, I blame others. Keep reading, and you might understand something.
Next is about fertilizing. Fertilizer is also an indispensable important element for plant growth. The main types of fertilizer for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Other types of fertilizers are all trace elements.
The role of fertilizer. The main role of nitrogen: First, it is the main component of plant proteins. Plant proteins have a high content in plant cells, about 17%. Second, the composition of plant hormones and plant vitamins also requires nitrogen.
Lack of nitrogen will hinder the synthesis of organic matter in plants, leading to slow growth, small seedlings, and yellowing leaves. Excessive nitrogen will make the leaves dark green, the branches grow excessively, the maturation period is delayed, and the plant's adaptability to the environment is poor, making it prone to disease and insect infestation.
The main role of phosphorus: First, it is an important component of plant cells, existing in cytoplasm and cell nuclei. Second, it participates in photosynthesis and respiration during plant growth and is indispensable in the growth process. Third, phosphates in plant cell sap maintain cell osmotic pressure, which can be simply understood as maintaining the osmotic order in the plant body, preventing it from getting out of control.
Lack of phosphorus will hinder the synthesis of plant proteins, affect cell division, make plants short, few branches, few flowers, and leaves dark green or purplish red. Excessive phosphorus will cause small burn spots on leaves (due to calcium phosphate deposition) and may also affect the absorption of other trace elements to some extent.
The main role of potassium: First, as an activator of enzymes, it participates in important metabolic processes in plants. Second, it promotes the synthesis of proteins and carbohydrates in plants. Third, it improves the quality of water in plants, reduces viscosity, and enhances cell water retention. Fourth, it affects cell turgor pressure in plants and participates in controlling water absorption.
Lack of potassium will cause leaf chlorosis, leaf margin necrosis, slow growth, and reduced drought and cold resistance.
Although fertilizer is an important element for plant growth, it is much less than water. The fertilizing principle in orchid cultivation is: apply less and slowly, and never apply concentrated fertilizers.
Applying less means to apply as light as possible each time; applying slowly means to have a longer interval between two fertilizations; and never applying concentrated fertilizers means never applying thick fertilizers. Why? As mentioned earlier, the concept of 'osmosis', I'll start with osmosis.
Osmosis, simply put, refers to the process of a liquid entering another environment from one environment. The absorption of water by orchid roots is also a process of osmosis. The principle of osmosis is: the liquid flows from the side with lower concentration to the side with higher concentration. According to this principle, if concentrated fertilizers are applied, the water in the orchid roots may be absorbed by the concentrated fertilizers. Wow, that's powerful! What if it's not the case? Don't believe it? Try it yourself.
Take a white radish, cut it into strips, and divide it into two parts. One part is soaked in water, and the other part is soaked in saltwater. Add more salt for a more obvious effect. After a while, the result is self-explanatory.
Here is my own summary:
I. Planting materials: The most important thing is to choose the right one, with good water permeability and moisture retention, and the amount of fertilizer is determined by the seedlings.
II. Watering: Water is the source and foundation of all things, indispensable and irreplaceable.
III. Fertilizing: Apply fertilizer slowly for strong roots and sturdy seedlings, and apply thick fertilizers for root rot and seedling collapse.
IV. Fungicides: Medicines are always limited, and sunlight is the most powerful.
V. Insecticides: The home environment is very limited, don't take high toxicity as a joke, and only apply the right medicine.
The above is the complete content of the orchid cultivation methods (two years of summary). Green plant enthusiasts may refer to this for reference.