Method and Precautions for Growing Orchids
If you want to know about the method of growing orchids and precautions, as well as knowledge about green plants and flowers such as orchid cultivation and points to note, the following will share detailed content.
1. Orchid Cultivation Location: Orchids can be grown indoors, on balconies, in courtyards, greenhouses, or large-scale orchid farms.
2. Choosing Orchid Pots: Terra cotta pots are the preferred choice for growing orchids, as they have good water permeability and breathability, are not prone to waterlogging, are easy to manage, and do not easily rot roots.
3. Soil Selection: Orchids prefer loose, decomposed soil, with soil from under the trees in mountainous areas, pond mud, or peat soil being the best. You can also use碎砖 (broken bricks), weathered granular material, and specially made particle soil.
4. Orchid Potting and Dividing: It is most suitable to repot and divide orchids in spring and autumn. Repotting and dividing during the high temperatures of summer can easily cause root infections and leaf yellowing, leading to plant loss. In winter, when orchids are dormant and temperatures are too low, repotting and dividing are not conducive to new root growth and can also infect the next year's buds. Before potting, check for rotten roots and leaves, and trim if necessary. Disinfect the scissors with alcohol before trimming, then soak the orchid roots in a diluted pesticide solution for about 10 minutes, remove, and dry before potting.
5. Light and Ventilation: Like other plants, orchids need light to grow but should not be exposed to strong sunlight. During strong sunlight in summer and autumn, use shade nets to cover them. If the temperature is too high, use two layers of shade nets. Good ventilation is key to successful orchid cultivation, requiring that the orchid shelves and cages are well-ventilated. On windless days when growing orchids indoors, air circulation should be provided. In summer, fans can be used to exhaust air, and in winter, windows and doors should be opened regularly for ventilation, maintaining a temperature not lower than 0°C to prevent frost damage to buds and young plants.
6. Watering Management: It is said that "dry orchids, wet chrysanthemums" emphasize that orchids should be slightly dry. Watering orchids is not based on a fixed schedule but rather when they are dry. Orchids have succulent roots, and too much water can easily cause root rot, while too little water can cause the roots to wrinkle and dehydrate. The water supply for orchids comes from root absorption, transported through the vascular system to the entire plant, and from moisture in the air, absorbed through leaf stomata to meet metabolic water needs. During high temperatures and dryness in summer and autumn, especially when growing orchids on balconies, sprinkle water on the ground to increase humidity and frequently mist the leaves.
7. Disease and Pest Control: Preventing diseases and pests is the main approach for orchids.
(1) Common orchid pests include scale insects, red spiders, and mites, which mainly occur in high humidity and poor ventilation conditions. Control scale insects with敌百虫 (diazinon) at a 1% dilution, spraying every 5 days for three consecutive times, and monthly for prevention. For red spiders and mites, use 三氯杀螨醇 (dicofol), miticides, or敌杀死 (cypermethrin) according to the instructions.
(2) Common orchid bacterial diseases include black spot, brown spot, anthracnose, and leaf yellowing, treated with多菌灵 (carbendazim), 甲基托布津 (thiophanate-methyl), 百菌清 (chlorothalonil), or炭疽灵 (captafol) according to the instructions.
(3) Viral diseases include stem rot and root rot, treated with potassium permanganate, copper sulfate, or杀毒矾 (metalaxyl). There is also a devastating viral disease called拜拉斯病 (Bailas disease), with symptoms of irregular yellowish-white spots on the leaf surface, semi-transparent in appearance. Treat this disease with penicillin or板蓝根 (isatis root), and isolate or burn infected plants if found.
8. Fertilization Management: Fertilizing orchid roots should generally be minimal. Organic fertilizers can include a small amount of soybean cake, fish waste water, or yogurt, and inorganic fertilizers can include a small amount of compound fertilizer or potassium dihydrogen phosphate, usually applied 3 to 4 times a month. Leaf fertilization for orchids includes high potassium fertilizers, yield enhancers, leaf fertilizers, plant growth regulators, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate, usually applied 2 times a month according to the product instructions.
Method and Precautions for Growing Orchids
9. Orchid Flower Promotion and Propagation Techniques: The standard for successfully growing orchids includes dark, strong, green, and shiny leaves; increasing the number of new seedlings; and being able to bloom beautifully.
(1) To make orchid leaves dark, strong, green, and shiny, the key is to manage moisture levels properly, frequently spray leaf fertilizers, and prevent diseases and pests.
(2) To encourage new seedlings, the key is to frequently repot and divide. For example, a pot with 5 to 6 orchid plants can normally produce 2 to 3 new seedlings each year, but if divided into three pots with the orchid bulbs twisted 180 degrees to maintain a "broken but connected" state, it can produce 6 to 9 new seedlings. Twisting each bulb in the entire pot 180 degrees will also increase the germination rate.
(3) Being able to enjoy blooming orchids is the greatest spiritual enjoyment for orchid growers. To ensure timely and proper blooming, provide adequate sunlight, suitable temperature and humidity during growth. Water should be slightly acidic, especially in areas like Shandong where the water is alkaline, using sulfuric acid iron or oxalic acid to improve it. Use potassium-rich fertilizers and more plant regulators, and try to keep the bulbs exposed above the soil surface when potting, mainly controlling moisture to be slightly dry.
The above is the complete content on the method and precautions for growing orchids and the points to note in orchid cultivation, for your comprehensive understanding and reference!