How to care for orchids

1. Breeding environment

1. Soil: Choose soil with good drainage and rich in organic matter. It can be made by mixing humus soil and sandy soil. Be careful not to choose heavy clay soil. When planting, spread a layer of fine sand at the bottom of the pot, leaving a little bit of the roots exposed.

2. Water: Do not water too frequently, and the substrate should be relatively dry; if you feel that the soil is no longer moist, water it. Water cannot accumulate at the bottom of the pot, otherwise it will cause the bulb to rot. If the soil is dry and cracked, water it in time, otherwise the stems and leaves will grow too fast and affect flowering.

3. Light: Orchids are sun-loving plants. During the growth period, they can be placed in a sunny, ventilated and dry location, but be careful not to place them in direct sunlight.

4. Temperature: When flowering in spring, the suitable temperature for growth is 18-23℃; when dormant in winter, keep it at 5-10℃.

5. Fertilization: During the growing season, use cake fertilizer and apply fertilizer once every half a month. Continue to fertilize after the flowering period stops, mainly with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers, and stop fertilizing in late autumn.

2. Breeding Methods

1. Division: Divide the small bulbs on the head into pieces. After 1-2 years, many small bulbs will grow on the head, and then you can change the pots, change the soil, and divide the plants.

2. Divide the bulbs: In spring from February to March, take out the bulbs collected last year, peel off the small bulbs around the mother bulb, dry them for two days and then plant them. Water once right after planting in the pot, and then water again after it blooms.

3. Pest and disease control

1. Viral disease: Use 700 times diluted 75% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder and spray it on the leaves.

2. Spot disease: Autumn is the peak season of the disease. The diseased leaves should be removed after the disease occurs, or the bulbs should be soaked in 0.5% formalin solution for about 2 hours before planting.

3. Nematode disease: Soak the bulbs in 43°C warm water with 0.5% formalin for 3-4 hours.