Do orchids need to be watered and fertilized frequently?

The most important thing in orchid cultivation technology is how to cultivate orchid roots. Because the orchid root is the main organ that supplies nutrients, a good root system can promote the growth of new shoots. Generally speaking, if the roots and leaves are better, the flowers will naturally grow better. Roots and water are closely related. As the saying goes, planting orchids can be mastered in just one lesson, but it takes another three years to water them. When we repot, we will see that some roots grow downward, some grow horizontally outward, and some even grow upward. Not only do some orchids not grow new roots, the old roots will shrink, and some roots will rot. It appears edematous or forms an empty shell, leaving only the fibrous stem. These are basically caused by improper water supply. Here is some analysis on how to apply water reasonably and related issues. (1) Water quality issues

Generally speaking, the water for orchids should be clean, warm and cool. The ancients said that running water is better than stagnant water, and clear water is better than turbid water. After people’s long-term practice, the order of water quality is roughly as follows: 1) rainwater (including dew), 2) snow water (also called snow-melted water), 3) mountain water (including spring water), 4) river water (refers to no water) Industrially polluted natural flowing water), 5) water from ponds, lakes, reservoirs, etc., 8) tap water, 7) well water. (2) Water requirements

The water of orchids comes from three aspects: (1) The roots absorb water from the pot soil, which is the main one, (2) The leaves receive artificially sprayed water, (3) ) is the absorption of water by leaves and individual roots in air humidity. It is best to keep the humidity of the pot soil at 45-50%, but it should increase or decrease with weather changes in the four seasons and cannot be used mechanically. Under normal circumstances, the surrounding air humidity should be kept around 75%. This is proposed with reference to conditions in the natural environment and parameters accumulated in practice.

As for the air humidity around the orchid pot, if the orchid pot is planted in the open air and there are trees with lush branches and leaves around the orchid pot, and there are low vegetation on the ground, the above humidity can basically be reached in summer and autumn. Require. If you live in a high-rise apartment, plant orchids on the balcony. Most balconies are windy and the wall temperature is high, especially on the top floor. Enclosed balconies should be properly ventilated, while unenclosed balconies should be alerted to violent storms.

Common ways to increase humidity are:

(1) Build pools and sinks in the balcony. Try to use domestic water sources for water intake and balcony drainage holes for drainage.

(2) Place water tanks, buckets, basins, etc. for storing water.

(3) Hang or lay sponges, straw mats, thick cardboard, bricks, etc. (it is best not to use materials that easily cause mess). Pour water over them to saturate them and allow them to slowly evaporate.

(4) Pay attention to the changes in humidity and sprinkle water on the ground and around the orchid basin in a timely manner.

(5) Using the principle of changing water in a fish tank, use a medical syringe needle to make a device that sprays fine water columns. A small amount of water will also evaporate during the spraying process.

(6) When growing orchids indoors, a humidifier can be used to increase the humidity. (3) Basis for watering orchids

Generally, household orchids do not have instruments to measure and analyze moisture content. They rely largely on practical experience. Commonly used simple methods are:

(1) Hold the waist of the orchid pot with both hands. When you lift the orchid pot upwards, you will feel weightless, which is what the saying goes, it is light and airy. This means that the soil in the pot is dry and needs water; otherwise, there is no need to rush to water.

(2) There is moisture seeping out of the surface of the basin (this phenomenon often occurs in tile and sandy basins), and it feels cold to the touch, indicating that the soil in the basin has sufficient moisture; the surface of the basin appears dry; there is no cold The feeling of coolness indicates that the water in the basin is limited.

(3) Use a small stone to tap various parts of the pot body. If the sound is crisp, it means that the pot soil is dry. If the sound is dull, it means there is still a certain amount of moisture.

(4) Carefully observe the growth of weak plants and orchids growing on the pot surface: if it is too dry, the weak plants will shrink, the orchid leaves will be dull and soft, and the edges of the leaves will be slightly curled. ; If it is too dry, the leaf surface will be dull, the sagging will increase, and the edges of the leaves will be more distinct; if it is dried again, the whole plant will wilt, and in severe cases, it will fall. If you encounter this kind of situation, it is not advisable to water it vigorously. It should be placed in a cool and windless place, and water should be gradually supplied in order to recover slowly.

(5) The leaves of Orchid Rhizoma have burnt tips or have brown spots (blocks) from light to dark. At this time, if you turn the pot and look at the roots, you can clearly see the edema and rot of the root tips; water content If it is too dry, the phenomenon of tip burning will also occur. If you repot the roots and look at the roots, you will also see shrinkage and dry rot on the root tips. This is basically root damage and leaf scorch. In addition, fat content can also cause burnt tips.

(6) Now let’s introduce a simple and effective way to test moisture. Make some slender bamboo sticks with a diameter of 3 and a length of about 400 mm. Gently insert them into the pot soil along the edge of the pot. Pull them up after an interval of an hour. You can clearly see the moisture content and water content on the bamboo sticks. If you try it in all directions, you will have a more comprehensive understanding of the depth distribution, and you will be able to be reminded what water supply method to use. The above all refers to the water content of the pot soil, but orchids have no fibrous roots, let alone root hairs, and the water absorption area is limited, while the area of ??evaporated water from the leaves is not small. Humid air is most conducive to the balance between water absorption and evaporation. Therefore, if you can carefully solve this problem when raising orchids in cities (towns), you can grow good orchids. (4) Dialectical application of water according to different situations

Roughly summarized, there are the following differences:

(1) All pots made of tiles and sand should be watered more often, with purple sand in the middle and porcelain in the middle. Pour less in glaze pots;

(2) Pour more in large pots. Small pots have less soil and the water storage time is short, so you need to pay more attention. If there are few seedlings, give less, and if there are many seedlings, give more;

(3) If the potting soil material is rough and water-friendly, water more ; On the contrary, those that do not benefit water should be watered less.

(4) According to the growth season of the orchid, water more during the germination period and gradually reduce it after the buds grow; water less during the dormant period, that is, after winter; the flower buds should be moistened during growth and flowering, and the water should be watered the following year. After the arrows are pulled up, there will be a little more; during the flowering period, the water supply will be reduced, and the normal water supply will be restored half a month after the flowers wither.

(5) Water supply according to seasonal climate changes. In spring, the temperature gradually rises, and watering should be timely. It is not suitable to lack water during this period, because it is the stage of bud formation and growth. Summer is the season with the highest temperature in the whole year and is also the growth period of roots and leaves. In addition, water evaporation is large, so water shortage is indispensable. Water the pot soil when it is dry, which is conducive to the formation of dew at night. During this period, it is also necessary to maintain a certain humidity in the surrounding air to facilitate cooling. The growth habit of orchids prefers a temperature difference between day and night, which should generally be controlled between ±6 and 8°C. The temperature in a closed balcony can reach over 30°C, requiring proper ventilation and humidification. The temperature gradually drops in early autumn, and some orchids can still grow autumn buds at this time. After October, water evaporation gradually decreases, and the pot soil should be moist. In winter, most orchids enter the hibernation period, and the water content may decrease, but don't forget to prevent dryness. The turn of winter and spring is the period when spring orchids bloom rapidly, so it is necessary to maintain an appropriate amount of water supply, but it should not be too wet.

(6) Looking at the types of flowers, epiphytic orchids can be watered less, and terrestrial orchids can be watered more; those with broad and thick leaves can be watered less, and those with large and thin leaves can be watered more. Those with strong growth should be watered more, while those with poor root systems should be watered less. The specific time of watering in a day and when is appropriate. According to people's long-term practice summary, in late spring, throughout summer, and mid-autumn, watering should be done at night; in winter and spring, watering should be done after sunrise or at noon when the weather is warm. It is advisable to water at this time. In addition, do not give water to an orchid pot that is exposed to the sun suddenly. Sudden cooling will affect the water absorption of the roots. In summer, avoid watering when the temperature is highest at noon. If you want to speed up the cooling rate, you should only spray around the orchid. Generally speaking, the water temperature should be as hot and cold as the human hand feels. The temperature difference between the pot soil and the surrounding air temperature and the water should not be too large. Therefore, watering in winter must be done at noon on a sunny day, or the water must be dried for a while before watering. Water again later. (5) Watering method

(1) When watering, water should be poured slowly from the edge of the basin, allowing the water to slowly soak from the edge of the basin to the center of the basin. When using this method, We must emphasize watering thoroughly and make the potting soil thoroughly soaked to prevent the potting soil from being unevenly tight and causing a dry patch and a wet patch. Improper mastery of this method can easily lead to abnormal orchid root growth direction, floating roots (that is, horizontal root growth), or even mostly upward growth of the orchid roots. As a result, the orchid root absorption will be poor, development will be slow, and growth will be weak.

(2) Soak the orchid pot in water. Put the orchid pot into a pool, a large basin or a bucket filled with water and soak it. You can also put the orchid pot in the pot and then slowly add water, making sure that the water surface does not overflow the edge of the pot. At first, the basin absorbs water quickly and the water surface drops. Be patient and add water until the water level stabilizes and then soak for 2 to 4 hours. After taking out the orchid basin, be sure to dry it for a while and place it in a ventilated place. After the water dripping stops, put it back to normal. Location.

(3) For filling, knead fibers such as waste yarn into a ball, plug the bottom hole (side hole) of the orchid basin, fill it with water and soak it for a few hours, then open the drain hole for drainage. .

(4) Soak the orchid pot in a shallow basin and soak it in water, but try to use an orchid pot with tripod legs. This infiltration method can moisten the soil. At present, the patented two-layer purple sand set basin manufactured by Yunnan Dongchuan Porcelain Factory is very unique and practical.

(5) Spray water The water sprayed should be fine, and the amount should not be too much, and the degree should be moist. Spray at appropriate times during the growth period of orchids, but be careful not to allow more water droplets to remain in the leaf sheaths and flower buds. The water spraying time should be carried out in the morning and evening. If the temperature is particularly high, you can spray water on the basin and surroundings for the purpose of cooling down