Method and Precautions for Cultivating Potted White Orchid
An introduction to the cultivation method and precautions for potted white orchid in the field of green plants and flowers. Corrections are welcome if there are any mistakes!
Whenever watching old Shanghai movies or TV series, there is often a scene where an elderly grandmother or a little girl is selling white orchids on the street. Shanghai women in the past were particularly fond of wearing white orchids on their collars because of their pure white and fragrant nature, which exudes a noble and elegant气质. Today's article focuses on revealing how to cultivate white orchids to make them look beautiful.
White orchid is an evergreen tree of the Magnoliaceae family, and if planted in the ground and left to grow, it can reach 17 meters in height. The flowering period of white orchid can last from April in spring to late autumn, with summer being the peak blooming season. The flowers have a strong fragrance, and planting a couple in the courtyard will make the whole garden smell wonderful. They can also be cultivated in pots. However, many flower enthusiasts say that potted white orchids are prone to yellow leaves. Below is a brief introduction to the maintenance methods and precautions for potted white orchids.
Method and Precautions for Cultivating Potted White Orchid
White orchids generally have poor cold resistance and may suffer from frost damage when temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius in winter. It usually requires winter temperatures not below 5 degrees. Therefore, only in southern regions can they be planted in the ground, while in other areas, they are mainly cultivated in pots and brought indoors for overwintering in winter. Move them back outdoors when spring temperatures stabilize. To grow potted white orchids well, it is recommended to do the following three points.
1. Potting Soil Selection and Potting Method
White orchids have fleshy roots and do not tolerate waterlogging. When potting, the soil should be loose and well-draining. For woody flowers, to enhance plant stability, some garden soil is usually added to the soil mixture to increase its weight, making the roots more stable. The soil mixture can be made of 1 part garden soil, 1 part decomposed leaf soil, and 1 part river sand, mixed evenly for planting. If there is no garden soil, it can also be planted in nutrient-rich soil.
White orchid seedlings on the market are generally cultivated in garden soil. When potting, if we also use the garden soil mixture, the seedlings can be transplanted with the original soil clump. If pure nutrient soil is used, it is recommended to first remove 2/3 of the original soil before planting.
Note here that after removing 2/3 of the original soil clump and planting, the white orchid may show soft leaves on the outside, or even leaf drop, which is a normal seedling establishment phenomenon. As long as the seedlings establish well, subsequent maintenance will be simple. Additionally, if seedlings are planted in the summer, they can only be transplanted with the original soil, otherwise, they may wither.
2. Sufficient Light
White orchids prefer an environment with plenty of light. Insufficient light will cause the white orchid to grow weakly without flowering. During the growing season of white orchid, it is recommended to maintain full sunlight or at least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day. Potted white orchids can be slightly shaded in the summer, or the pot can be shaded to prevent the soil from becoming too hot and damaging the roots.
3. Moderate Watering and Fertilizing
White orchids have fleshy roots and do not tolerate waterlogging. Watering should adhere to the principle of watering thoroughly when the soil is dry. In the hot summer, water can be added when the surface of the potting soil is dry. During consecutive rainy days, be sure to drain the water to prevent waterlogging in the pot.
White orchids grow relatively fast, bloom profusely, and have a long blooming period, so they require a large amount of fertilizer. However, since white orchids grow new branches and develop flower buds simultaneously, the right fertilizer needs to be chosen when top-dressing.
In spring, when white orchids begin to grow, the top-dressing should be mainly balanced growth fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. After the white orchids develop flower buds, additional phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be applied. At this time, water-soluble fertilizer can be applied every 7 days, mainly using "Flower More No. 1," or alternately using "Flower More No. 1" and monopotassium phosphate, which increases phosphorus and potassium fertilizer while also providing nitrogen, allowing the white orchid to maintain branch growth while developing more flower buds.
Finally, it is important to note that white orchids prefer acidic soil. If the potting soil becomes alkaline, it can easily lead to iron deficiency and yellow leaves. Therefore, during regular maintenance, it is advisable to apply sulfate iron fertilizer once a month to maintain soil acidity. White orchids often develop spots on their leaves in the autumn and winter seasons, and by spring, these old leaves with spots will fall off as part of natural metabolism, so there is no need to worry.
The above methods and precautions for cultivating potted white orchids introduced here are for your reference.