Planting methods and precautions for Xiashanlan

When to plant Xiashanlan

The time to plant mountain orchids can be chosen from March to April every year. Spring is a good season for sowing. The temperature, humidity and transpiration at this time are most suitable for plant growth throughout the year. It has very high requirements for water quality, and it cannot be too dry or too waterlogged.

How to plant Xiashanlan

Orchids grown from the mountains generally live in places with high mountains and flowing water. They are usually transplanted. It is best not to divide the orchids when replanting them from the mountains. This will increase the damage to the orchids, causing the old seedlings to fall quickly and the new seedlings to not grow strong. In this way, it will be a long time before the orchids can recover and bloom.

How to plant Xiashanlan

1. Placement

Descending mountain orchids like to grow in high mountain forests, with good ventilation, high air humidity and shaded environments. Therefore, the planting site should be selected in a ventilated area and placed in the southeast direction. The shade degree should generally be controlled at more than 80%.

2. Choose a pot

The orchid pot you choose should be able to provide ventilation and water permeability for the orchid planting material. The size of the orchid pot should also be chosen carefully. It should not be too big or too small, too shallow or too deep. If it is too small and too shallow, it will be inconvenient for the roots to grow, while if it is too large and too deep, it will be detrimental to water permeability.

3. Operation

Trim off the rotten roots, broken leaves and burnt tips of the orchids that have been planted. Try to choose fertile soil from the forests around the orchids as planting material. First add some planting stones to increase drainage, then fill it with a quarter of fertile soil, straighten the orchid seedlings, and allow the roots to spread naturally. When the soil is filled, water it on the second or third day, and make sure it is watered thoroughly.

4. Medication

Most mountain orchids rarely have diseases and pests. Even if some fungi are brought in, they are mostly beneficial bacteria. However, disinfection and sterilization measures are still necessary. It is essential to use some fungicides and disease prevention drugs after cutting the roots of mountain orchids and when putting them in pots.

Maintenance and management of Xiashanlan

1. Wash the seedlings and divide them

For orchids grown from the mountains, the roots need to be washed clean with clean water. If the orchid cluster is large, it is necessary to divide the orchids. There should be no less than 3 seedlings in each cluster. Trim off the rotten roots and then immerse the orchids in 0.1% potassium permanganate solution for 20 minutes for disinfection. After taking them out, it is best to apply wood ash or thiophanate-methyl to the division incisions and broken roots to prevent infection, and place them in a cool place to dry.

2. Use vegetarian planting materials

The roots of mountain orchids are easily damaged during the process of digging, selecting and transporting. Therefore, the main task is to maintain good roots. Only by maintaining good roots can the orchid absorb more nutrients, and the selection of planting materials is the key to maintaining good roots. It is best to use sandbag soil mixed with orchid mud for the planting material of mountain orchids. The soil should not be too wet or too dry when potting, and do not add base fertilizer.

3. Avoid strong light

Before new roots grow, the orchid must be properly shaded and away from strong light, because under strong light, the orchid plant will lose water quickly, which is not conducive to the survival of the orchid.

4. Water carefully

After the mountain orchid is potted, it should not be watered immediately to help it take root. It needs 2-3 days for the root wounds to heal before watering. The rooting water must be watered thoroughly. If the weather is dry, you can spray it to moisten it. You can spray water on the leaves frequently. In daily management, watering should be flexibly controlled according to the dryness and wetness of the planting material in the pot to ensure that the planting material is moist but not soaked.

5. No fertilizer applied to the roots

Because the root system of the orchid is damaged, no root fertilizer should be applied during this period, but foliar fertilization can be used. For the orchid, foliar fertilization can provide nutrients quickly and in a timely manner. Foliar fertilizers are mainly fast-acting nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, such as Huabao No. 1, Huabao No. 2 and other fast-acting fertilizers.

6. Prevent diseases and pests

Spraying pesticides to prevent diseases and control insects is an essential part of raising orchids, especially during the plum rain and high temperature periods. Orchids are prone to diseases such as white rot, stem rot, and anthracnose. Before the disease occurs, regular prevention should be carried out. Spray alternately every 10 days with 800-1200 times diluted methyl thiophanate, carbendazim, etc. If there are scale insects, use imidacloprid wettable powder.