How to care for orchids to prevent root rot and promote fast growth
The editor introduces how to care for orchids to prevent root rot and promote fast growth, as well as tips for beginners to maintain orchids in the field of green plants and flowers. Detailed introduction is as follows:
Orchids have a graceful, noble, and elegant posture. Placed in the home, they not only look beautiful and generous but also add a touch of cultural atmosphere, so many orchid enthusiasts like to keep several pots of orchids at home for appreciation.
Many orchid enthusiasts know that this plant has high environmental requirements, such as soil, temperature, and humidity, which makes many beginners struggle to care for them properly. However, orchids are not as difficult to care for as people imagine. As long as you follow their growth habits, you can usually keep them thriving. For beginners, remember these four key points to keep orchids healthy and prevent root rot.
Cultivation materials should be water-retaining and breathable
Caring for orchids is different from other flowers. They have high requirements for growing soil. In the wild, orchids often grow in soft, breathable humus soil. When growing orchids at home, we should also provide soft, breathable materials to ensure the orchid roots grow sturdy and avoid becoming hollow or rotting.
Many beginners find that their orchids at home often rot because the potting soil used is too sticky and has poor breathability, leading to prolonged moisture and causing root rot. Therefore, the first step in caring for orchids is to prepare the right 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, and broken bricks, while soft materials include fermented pine needles, bark, peanut shells, and coconut bran. Regardless of the type of material used, it should be loose and breathable, and also have some water retention, as roots can easily dehydrate if the soil dries out too quickly.
How to water orchids properly?
It is often said that "One who understands orchids can water them for ten years," which means that watering orchids is a skill that is hard to master. Everyone may have their own watering methods, but the same method may not suit all orchids. There are two reasons for this: First, different growing media have different water evaporation rates. If the media is breathable but does not retain water, it will dry out quickly, and you should water it as soon as it's 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 figure out a watering method that suits you, rather than following others' schedules.
Many orchid enthusiasts say, "Dry care for orchids, wet care for chrysanthemums," which means to avoid excessive watering that keeps the potting soil moist for too long, leading to root rot. However, this does not mean that drier is better, as it can cause more hollow roots. In fact, orchids grow better in moist but not wet soil and are more likely to sprout new buds.
Issues related to orchid fertilization
All plants need nutrients to grow, and orchids are no exception. When the nutrients in the growing medium are insufficient, especially for orchids grown in hard materials, the plants may become weak and the leaves may turn yellow and lack vitality if no fertilization is done for a long time.
Improper fertilization can also cause root burn and yellow leaves, especially for beginners. Do not fertilize randomly by adding unfermented organic fertilizers to the pot, as this can lead to root rot.