Beginner's Guide to Growing Orchids
Main Content Introduction: The topic of knowledge about orchids (Orchidaceae), a guide for beginners on growing orchids, with detailed introduction below.
Beginners will encounter various problems when growing orchids, from what variety to buy to how to care for each stage, all of which require intensive study of orchid care. Enthusiastic orchid lovers have compiled a Q&A article on growing orchids for beginners, which is simple and easy to understand, providing answers to different questions. If orchid lovers carefully ponder it, they can gain a lot of valuable experience.
I. The "heart" required for growing orchids
I once saw an article titled "The Heart of Growing Orchids" in a book, which was profound and impressive, but it might be too deep for new orchid enthusiasts. In fact, the most important thing for new orchid enthusiasts is perseverance, with love, patience, confidence, and responsibility all being necessary companions of perseverance. Growing orchids is a long-term process, and one should not lose interest just because a pot dies, and completely give up on the excuse that "orchids are difficult to grow." People always shift their responsibilities onto external things without reflecting on themselves. "The reason why you can't grow orchids well is not because orchids are difficult to grow, but because you haven't mastered the method of keeping them alive. It's a human problem, not a flower problem." This is what I've told many flower buyers.
II. The most important goal in growing orchids
Different people have different goals in growing orchids, such as cultivating sentiment, improving quality, adding interest, or decorating halls, and some even have the mindset of getting rich. However, none of these goals surpass the word "keeping alive." If you can't even keep the plant alive, what else is there to talk about? Therefore, "keeping alive" is the most basic primary objective. My point of view is: "For new orchid growers, first keep the plant alive, then consider growing it well, then consider refining it. Only by following this step-by-step, without rush or impatience, can you truly enter the world of orchids. Haste makes waste, and impatience leads to no fun."
III. Creating the right environment
Large environments such as region and climate are beyond human control, and certain small environments like home structure, orientation, and whether there is a balcony are also unchangeable, and one can only adapt to the circumstances within the controllable range. In terms of where to place the orchids, it's generally better to keep them indoors, as there will be fewer harsh conditions and they are less likely to be lost. In terms of adapting to orchid habits, ventilation and temperature are usually not a problem, and the common issue is humidity. In areas where humidity is insufficient, various methods can be used to increase humidity. The simplest method is to always keep water in the saucer under the pot, making sure the water does not overflow the ventilation holes at the bottom of the pot to ensure proper aeration, and it's best to place a bowl of water next to the pot to maintain humidity at around 60%.
IV. Suitable orchid varieties for beginners and subsequent sequential varieties
This is a well-known issue, starting with Cymbidium. Cymbidium usually has thick roots and leaves, and a robust pseudobulb, which is very suitable for beginners. Among the many varieties of Cymbidium, Xiaotaohong and Jinhe are the best. These two varieties belong to the evergreen Cymbidium category and can usually ensure three blooms per season, with flowering and sprouting being very easy. After Cymbidium, I believe hybridized Cymbidium, such as Yulingle, Biyuyuanhe, and Dajutuan, should be the best choice. Next, you can consider Cymbidium or Sinorchis, preferably with ripe grass, and avoid fresh grass; for variety grass, Yichun Xian, Guanyao Mei, Xueshan Tiancao, and Jiyuan are good choices. Next is Cymbidium, preferably with cheap grass like Qihei and Daming. After these four categories are well cared for, you can consider robust, multi-stemmed varieties like Huilan, Songchun, Chunjian, and Kuanyehanlan, and finally, Lianban.
V. Selecting orchids
Mainly choose ripe grass or commercial grass due to their lower price. When selecting grass, it's best to choose large plants with at least 3 stems and 1 leaf bud. The reason for at least having a leaf bud is to ensure that not all are old stems, as some old stems have difficulty sprouting new leaves. The more roots the better, the thicker the better, without hollow, black, or rotten roots, and with crystal heads at the root tips being the best choice. The thicker the pseudobulb, the better. The leaves should not have any spots. There should be no black-brown leaves inside the leaf core. The leaves should be thick and glossy. Leaf length, width, posture, and overall plant shape should be chosen according to personal preference, after all, "appreciating flowers is momentary, but observing leaves is perennial."
VI. Choosing an orchid pot
Considering aesthetics, price, and practicality, it is recommended to use black plastic pots with side holes. Transparent plastic pots have poorer heat retention and water absorption compared to black pots, and the so-called observable humidity effect of the planting material is not as ideal as expected, and they are less aesthetically pleasing. If you really feel that the aesthetics are not enough, it is recommended to plant in plastic pots and then place them in suitable purple sand, Han sand, or ceramic pots. Porcelain pots should never be used.
VII. Matching planting materials
The range of planting materials that can be used for growing orchids is very extensive. Through long-term experimentation, I feel that the best combination ratio (mainly in terms of subsequent management) is: 50% volcanic stone, 40% pond stone, 5% snake wood, and 5% coconut skin, with large or medium-sized coke or炉灰渣 at the bottom of the pot. If the above materials cannot be purchased, they can be replaced accordingly: volcanic stone with red brick particles, pond stone with植金石 or lightweight stone, snake wood can be bought online, and coconut skin can be replaced with peanut skin, but the effect is not as good. In general, when buying orchids in places like Fujian and Shantou, you can request a gift of these materials (more practical than a single orchid plant).
VIII. Planting method of orchids
Orchids are generally divided into two categories: deep planting and shallow planting, roughly using the pseudobulb as the boundary standard. Deep planting is when the pseudobulb is completely buried under the surface of the planting material, and shallow planting is when most of it is exposed above the surface. The pros and cons of deep planting: new shoots grow stronger, and new roots grow more and faster; but the germination rate is lower, and it's easy to get wet during the flowering stage, causing the flower spike to rot before it even emerges. In summer, if it's humid and poorly ventilated, it's prone to stem rot and soft rot. The pros and cons of shallow planting: higher germination rate, but not as strong as deep planting, but it can basically avoid the disadvantages of deep planting. I use shallow planting, and I feel that it's simpler to manage than deep planting from a later management perspective, so I recommend shallow planting.
IX. Use of orchid fertilizer
There are many types of orchid fertilizer, but fertilizing can cause many problems, such as easily causing fertilizer damage due to accumulated fertilizer or burning roots due to excessive fertilizer. Therefore, I used to adopt the clear cultivation method, which means not using any fertilizer. Orchids can still sprout and bloom on time without getting sick, leaves are clean, and there is no sign of discomfort, completely relying on the nutrients in the planting material and water. This completely proves that orchids are indeed not very fond of fertilizer. Later, I learned a method of supplementing fertilizer from an old orchid grower, which is to water the orchids with tap water soaked in maifanshi. Maifanshi is a natural ore rich in more than 30 trace minerals, which, when soaked in water, will release trace minerals into the water, making tap water into micro-fertilized water and also softening the water. After using it, the effect is very good, and it does not cause fertilizer damage. In fact, the mineral water sold in the market, mineral water pitchers, and water purifiers all have maifanshi in them. Therefore, after experimenting for a year, I have been using this so-called fertilizing method ever since.
X. Method of potting orchids
There's no need to say much about the method of potting, as it is explained professionally in various textbooks, such as soaking roots and sunning roots. However, one thing that needs to be mentioned is the issue of fungicides. Generally, "Multi菌灵" or "Methyl thiophanate" is recommended. Friends who don't want to spend money, especially smokers, can also use water soaked with cigarette butts, which has a very good effect in killing germs and removing fungi. This has been mentioned by many people in various situations. I have personally tried it and it's indeed good. But be careful, it's best to soak the cigarette butts a day in advance; if the time is too short, the effect is poor; if the time is too long, the taste and some sticky feeling make it unsafe to use. Therefore, a day in advance is best.
XI. Method of watering orchids
The method of watering orchids is quite delicate, generally using the method of pouring water onto the pot surface with the appropriate tool. In practice, it has been found that the tools used for watering have their advantages and disadvantages. If you use things like cola bottles or water cups, the water flow is often too strong, making it difficult for the planting material to absorb as much water as possible, and these large-mouthed utensils easily pour water onto the leaves, causing water to enter the leaf core. It's best to use a special spray bottle, adjusted to a fine stream for watering. To prevent splashing, you should water close to the planting material slowly. As for the method of immersing the pot, it can indeed allow the planting material to absorb enough water, but if you can't use one pot of water for each orchid, it's better to use the watering method, because no one knows whether there are viruses, bacteria, or pests in the pot, and they might infect other orchids, which would be counterproductive.
XII. Method of removing dirt from orchid leaves
Orchid leaves are relatively easy to accumulate dust, and using the method of spraying water to remove dirt is not advisable, as it can easily cause water to enter the leaf core, leading to stem rot and soft rot, which can wipe out an entire pot. The same is true when cooling in summer. Although you can use a cotton swab or a wadded piece of tissue paper to absorb the water after spraying, considering the convenience and safety of the operation, it is best to use a dry tissue to wipe the leaf surface. However, be careful not to pull the leaves hard to prevent breaking the leaves, especially the core leaves.
XIII. Interval of watering orchids
This seems to be a rather difficult issue, as almost no book can give a clear answer. Indeed, considering many specific situations, there is no method. But because I am in the orchid business, when customers ask me this question, if I answer truthfully, I might lose 99% of my customers. Fortunately, I have been growing orchids at home for several years, and because I like to simplify things, I can say a relatively accurate time, which is to water thoroughly once a week. (It needs to be specifically mentioned that this is only feasible in Beijing at the moment; it is unknown whether it is feasible elsewhere). Water in the morning when it's hot and at noon when it's cold.
XiV. The role of orchid books
Practicing orchid care is important, but books also play a part. For example, new orchid growers must know how to distinguish between the major categories of orchids, such as national orchids and foreign orchids. Since this article is about national orchids, you should know how many major categories there are, such as Cymbidium, Hemipogon, Cypripedium, Dendrobium,兰属, Chusquea, and Sinorchis. You need to know the habits of these major categories. How to distinguish different orchid species? How to identify petal types? How many types of tongue petals are there? How many types of捧瓣 are there? What are the types of leaf art? How to distinguish different flower diseases based on leaf manifestations? These all require reading books.
The above sharing of comprehensive knowledge on growing orchids for beginners (from buying to caring for the entire process) hopes to help you.