How to care for wild orchids
The editor will briefly discuss how to care for wild orchids and the methods of growing wild orchids at home, as well as knowledge about flowers. What follows is a comprehensive introduction.
China's wild orchid resources are widely distributed across regions, with almost every province having them. However, in recent years, with the development of the economy, orchids, as ornamental flowers, have become very popular among people. The resources of wild orchids have been severely damaged. In the main producing areas of orchids, there are orchid dealers and orchid farmers. The dealers are responsible for sales, while the farmers are responsible for planting, digging, and cultivating, leading to a sharp decline in the number of wild orchids. As a result, wild orchids have entered the homes of numerous orchid enthusiasts.
First, let's understand the growth environment of wild orchids. Wild orchids generally grow in forests or bamboo forests mixed with chestnut and pine trees. The branches and leaves of chestnut, pine, and bamboo are lush, with a large crown and height, which can effectively shield the sun, allowing the sunlight hitting the ground to be scattered. Their fallen leaves cover the ground, not only making it loose and breathable, but also retaining moisture and providing abundant nutrients for orchids, effectively maintaining ground temperature. This is also why wild orchids are less likely to freeze in low-temperature environments. Due to the high altitude of trees, the wind can pass effectively through the place where orchids grow, making it warm in winter and cool in summer, which is very suitable for the growth of orchids. In mountainous areas with short trees, orchids are very scarce because the short trees block too much sunlight, leading to excessive humidity at the bottom, making it difficult for orchids to bloom and bear fruit, thus unable to reproduce effectively, resulting in a decrease or extinction in their numbers.
It is not difficult to grow wild orchids well. The key is to master the method. There is a big difference between the growth environment of wild orchids in the wild and in our homes. When growing orchids at home, we need to simulate the survival environment of orchids in the wild as much as possible, mainly in terms of light, temperature, water, and nutrients. This article will explain how to grow and care for wild orchids from these four aspects.
I. Light
Orchids are semi-shade plants that dislike strong light and prefer cool environments. Excessive light can burn the leaves, causing gray-brown spots or a state of dehydration and wilting. For flowering orchids, it can cause the flowers to wilt prematurely. However, flowers have a strong phototropism. Insufficient light can result in a lighter fragrance and poor flower color, affecting their ornamental value. The appropriate light intensity for orchid growth is about 10,000-30,000 LUX. Light within this range can make the orchid leaves green and glossy. However, if the light is too weak, the leaf color will be dark green, and the leaf texture will be thin. Therefore, we should place orchids in a place with sufficient light, avoiding direct sunlight and insufficient light. Diffused light is sufficient. In spring and winter, orchids can be exposed to direct sunlight for a short period before 9 am. When the light intensity is high, they should be placed indoors. In summer and autumn, direct sunlight should be avoided, and the placement location should be cool and well-ventilated.
How to care for wild orchids
II. Temperature
Wild orchids grow in cool mountainous areas. Excessive high or low temperatures are not suitable for the growth of orchids. The best temperature range is between 25-30°C. Orchids can adapt to the environment between 30-40°C. If the temperature exceeds this limit, there is a risk of death. Therefore, when cultivating orchids at home in the summer, we need to pay attention to heat prevention and cooling. If orchids are placed in a place with direct sunlight, they must be shaded in hot weather, with a shading rate of about 70% to prevent strong sunlight from burning the leaves. The shading rate for varieties with wide leaves is slightly higher, and lower for varieties with narrow leaves, as the wide leaves have a stronger photosynthetic capacity. In enclosed cultivation areas, fans or water curtains can be used to cool down. In winter, we need to keep warm and prevent cold. When the temperature is below 0°C, we should warm up or move the orchids to a warm place with a temperature above 0°C and plenty of sunlight to prevent frostbite to the leaves and roots of the orchids.
III. Water
Orchids in the wild prefer shady and moist environments and dislike waterlogging. In our homes, we should keep the potting soil moist but not waterlogged. It is essential to use orchid pots with drainage holes to allow accumulated water to be drained out. The growing medium should also be selected to be drainage-friendly and moisture-retaining, such as植金石 (stone), snake wood, pine cone king, peat, and coconut brick, etc. When the orchid spike emerges and blooms, water should be controlled appropriately. Wait until the surface soil is slightly dry before watering. This can make the petals of the flower short and round, enhancing the quality and duration of the bloom. In hot and dry weather, in addition to watering, the air humidity can be increased by using water curtains or misting to balance the absorption of water by the roots and the leaves, preventing the plant from wilting. When misting, try not to spray the leaves or flowers to prevent diseases or early blooming of the flowers. In rainy weather, when the air humidity is high, the water in the pot should be reduced, and less or no water should be poured.
IV. Nutrients
Wild orchids grow in forests and bamboo forests mixed with chestnut and pine trees. The accumulated leaves over the years form a thick layer of humus on the ground, which is loose and breathable, rich in nutrients, and full of beneficial bacteria. Those who often go hiking can find that when the leaves are turned over, there are a large number of white菌丝 (hyphae) attached to them. This is the beneficial bacteria suitable for orchid growth, also known as orchid bacteria. The roots of orchids do not absorb nutrients directly but coexist with beneficial bacteria, obtaining nutrients through them. Therefore, when selecting growing media, we can refer to the soil environment where wild orchids grow and choose orchid media rich in orchid bacteria or conducive to the growth of bacteria, mainly organic soft media such as pine bark, chestnut bark, pine needles, chestnut leaves, pine cones, and decayed pine hearts, etc. This type of media is rich in orchid bacteria and does not require fertilization later. If inorganic hard media such as植金石, stones, ceramsite, brick chips, and tile chips are used, they do not contain nutrients and require us to fertilize later to supplement nutrients. Appropriate fertilizers include wood ash, decomposed bean cake water, rice washing water, coated long-acting slow-release fertilizer, etc. Chemical fertilizers should be used sparingly, with proper nutrient supplementation to enhance flower color, improve flower quality, extend the blooming period, and increase fragrance. However, excessive fertilization should be prevented, and thin fertilization should be applied after high dilution to avoid fertilizer damage to the orchid's life. Author: Mei Fei, founder of the Orchid Bar Forum, posting professional orchid graphics and knowledge daily, explaining one orchid question per day, taking you deep into the world of orchids, teaching you how to easily care for orchids. If you have any questions about orchids, you can follow me for online questions or leave a comment below. Don't forget to bookmark or share after reading!
The above information on how to care for wild orchids and the methods for growing wild orchids at home, provided by the Green Plant Enthusiast website, is for reference by netizens.