How to Cultivate Orchids
Compared to the related introductions on orchid cultivation and maintenance techniques for green plants and flowers that most people are familiar with, the following will share detailed content.
Orchids have a graceful posture, noble and elegant, placing them at home not only looks beautiful and generous but also adds a touch of cultural atmosphere, so many orchid enthusiasts like to keep several pots of orchids at home for appreciation.
Orchid enthusiasts know that this plant has high environmental requirements, such as soil, temperature, and humidity, which is why many beginners have difficulty growing them well. In fact, orchids are not as difficult to grow as people imagine. As long as they are cared for according to their growth habits, they can usually be grown very vigorously. For新手 orchid growers, these four key points of care should be remembered to ensure healthy growth and prevent root rot.
Cultivation Material Should Be Water Retaining and Breathable
Cultivating orchids is different from other flowers. It has high requirements for the growing soil. In the wild, orchids often grow in soft and breathable humus soil. When growing orchids in pots at home, we should also try to provide soft and breathable materials to make the orchid roots grow thick and avoid empty and rotting roots.
Why do many beginners have orchids that always rot at home? Most of the time, it is because the potting soil used is too sticky and has poor breathability, causing the soil to remain moist for a long time after watering, leading to root rot. Therefore, the first step in growing good orchids is to prepare the right materials for the orchid growing medium.
There are many materials used to prepare orchid growing media, usually divided into hard and soft materials. Hard materials include volcanic rock, vermiculite, coal slag, broken bricks, etc., while soft materials include fermented pine needles, bark, peanut shells, coconut bran, etc. Regardless of the type of material used, it should be loose and breathable and have some water retention, otherwise, the roots can easily dehydrate after watering, leading to more empty roots.
How to Water Properly?
As the saying goes, "To grow orchids, one must master the art of watering," which means that watering orchids is not easy to master. Everyone may have their own watering method, but the same watering method may not be suitable for all orchids. There are two reasons for this. First, different materials have different water evaporation rates. If the material is breathable but does not retain water, it dries faster and cannot be watered based on a fixed schedule; it should be watered when dry.
Second, different seasons have different watering intervals. The evaporation rate of water in summer and winter is significantly different, so you cannot stick to one watering method and must adapt accordingly. Only by understanding the orchids you are growing can you find a watering method that suits you, rather than following others' schedule of watering every few days.
Many orchid enthusiasts say, "Dry for orchids, wet for chrysanthemums." By "dry for orchids," they mean to avoid excessive watering, which can keep the potting soil moist for a long time, leading to root rot. However, it does not mean that drier is better, as this can cause more empty roots. In fact, orchids grow better in moist but not wet soil and are more likely to sprout new buds.
Issues Regarding Orchid Fertilization
Any plant's growth depends on nutrients, and orchids are no exception. When the nutrients in the growing medium are insufficient, especially for orchids grown in hard materials, without fertilizing to supplement nutrients for a long time, the plant will become weak, and the leaves will turn yellow and lack vitality.
Improper fertilization can also cause root burn and yellow leaves, especially for beginners who may apply unfermented organic fertilizer to the pot, leading to root rot.