Grandpa Zhang Cultivates "Spring Orchid"
Spring Orchid is known for its elegant and unconventional reputation, but its difficulty in care has deterred many flower enthusiasts. At the age of 76, Grandpa Zhang cultivated Spring Orchid with kitchen waste to produce plants with snow-white roots and dense flower buds, and his secret is hidden in three common waste materials. Through scientific fermentation and rational application, these waste materials can be transformed into natural nutrient sources, allowing the Spring Orchid to achieve full growth throughout the year.
Core Technology of Organic Waste Fermentation
1. High-Calcium Nutrient Source from Large Bone Residue
Poultry and livestock bones are rich in hydroxyapatite and collagen, which are ground into 0.5cm particles after high-temperature desalination treatment. It is recommended to use a two-step fermentation process: first, anaerobic fermentation with EM bacteria for 15 days, then mixed with pine needle soil for 30 days of aerobic fermentation. The matured bone residue has a calcium-phosphorus ratio of 2:1, which is especially suitable for the differentiation stage of Spring Orchid flower buds.
2. Willow Bark Salicylic Acid Activation
Grandpa Zhang Cultivates "Spring Orchid"
Selecting the bark of three-year-old willow branches, which contain up to 0.08% salicylic acid. After extraction through high-pressure steam cooking, it is fermented with brown sugar at a 1:10 ratio for 45 days. The resulting willow acid solution can significantly improve the stress resistance of Spring Orchid, and when combined with a 1:50 dilution spray on the leaves, it can enhance the thickness of the leaf wax layer.
3. Rice Washing Water Nitrogen-Phosphorus Enhancement
The first washing of rice water contains 0.12% soluble protein, and adding citrus peel can adjust the pH to 5.5-6.0. Using the intermittent aeration fermentation method, stir for 3 minutes every day with the lid open, and after 15 days, obtain a fermented liquid containing active lactic acid bacteria. Experimental data show that regular use can increase the germination rate of new Spring Orchid buds by 37%.
Care Effect Verification and Precautions
Three years of consecutive tracking data show that the average number of flower spikes per Spring Orchid plant using this method is 4.2, which is a 62% increase compared to conventional care. Special attention is needed: bone residue must be fully decomposed to avoid root burning, willow bark liquid should not be used more than twice a month, and the EC value of fermented rice washing water should be controlled below 1.2mS/cm. Combined with scattered light control and dry-wet cycle management, it is possible to achieve the special effect of flowering twice a year.