How to cultivate orchids to keep them alive
A comprehensive introduction on how to cultivate orchids to keep them alive, along with detailed knowledge on orchid care in the field of green plants and flowers. Here is a detailed explanation for you:
Orchids, one of the top ten famous flowers in China, have been popular from ancient times to the present, especially among scholars and literati, who often keep one or two pots of orchids at home. The cultivation history of orchids is very long; they are plants that require "rich nourishment." What is rich nourishment? It means you have to take good care of them and nurture them carefully, or else problems will arise.
Orchids are very delicate plants, and if they get upset, they won't bloom, which can be quite frustrating. The main reason orchids get upset is due to some minor details in their care that you may have overlooked.
1. First, the environment for growing orchids should be well-ventilated and bright, preferably outdoors rather than indoors. Outdoor cultivation helps orchids grow stronger and healthier, and they are less likely to get sick.
2. Second, the soil is crucial. Orchids mostly have fleshy roots and require very good aeration. The soil should be loose and not compacted or waterlogged, as this prevents proper root respiration and can lead to many issues.
In our country's regions, loamy and compacted alkaline soils are not suitable for planting orchids. Ordinary garden soil can be improved by adding river sand, tree bark, pine needles, peanut shells, melon seed shells, and eggshells to increase its looseness.
How to cultivate orchids to keep them alive
But generally speaking, garden soil is not ideal for orchids. For orchids, using a mixture of coarse and fine growing media is best.
The fine growing media we usually collect include sunflower seed shells, nut shells, and peanut shells; coal slag and red brick particles are considered coarse growing media.
When preparing the soil, use a portion of both coarse and fine growing media, and add some humus to increase nutrients, which is perfect for orchids! There is a lot of humus from decomposed leaves, pine needle soil, and bamboo soil in the mountains, all of which can be used to grow orchids.
3. Next, let's talk about watering. Watering is always a crucial factor in orchid growth. Most orchids are killed by overwatering, which is never a good thing.
Although orchids enjoy a moist environment, they also have a certain degree of drought tolerance. Excessive watering can cause root rot and yellowing leaves if the roots cannot drain in time or the orchid doesn't absorb the water quickly enough.
When watering orchids, it is important to do so based on the current ambient temperature, maintaining appropriate lighting and ventilation after watering to speed up water absorption and evaporation. Spraying water on the orchid leaves regularly can also help to properly supplement the plant's water needs.