Phalaenopsis cultivation techniques in Northwest China

1 Ecological habits Phalaenopsis Moth orchid, also known as phalaenopsis, is a perennial epiphytic genus of Orchidaceae. It is mainly distributed in the Philippines, Malay Peninsula and Taiwan Province of China. Phalaenopsis is of high ornamental value and has the reputation of the Queen of the Sea Orchid. The optimum temperature for growth is 22 to 28°C during the day and 18 to 20°C at night. Relative humidity 70% to 80%. The light required for the seedling stage is less than 10,000 Lx, about 10,000 Lx in the medium term, and 15,000 to 20000 Lx or more in the flowering period. From the bottle seedlings of plantlets to flowering, the growth of Phalaenopsis can be divided into five stages: bottle seedlings, seedlings, middle seedlings, large seedlings and flowering seedlings.
2 Cultivation substrates and pots
2.1 Substrates Phalaenopsis cultivation is often used as a cultivation medium for some materials with strong water permeability, such as sphagnum moss, peat moss, charcoal, coconut fiber, vermiculite and perlite. The selection of a good permeable cultivation medium facilitates the growth of the Phalaenopsis root system and effectively prevents the occurrence of root rot. The substrate must be fully sterilized prior to cultivation to kill the remaining pests and diseases. Generally, the following two matching methods are commonly used for the cultivation matrix: one is to put 1/3 charcoal in the pot first, then put 3/4 pots of the pots on the sphagnum plant; the other is to mix charcoal and gravel and put Put 1/3 of the pot, then use peat moss to put 1/3 of the pot, and finally use coconut shell fiber to put 1/3 of the pot. The two culture substrates can completely avoid the rot roots caused by water accumulation in the bottom of the loquat. Among them, the first ratio is most commonly used.
2.2 Potted Phalaenopsis cultivation should use opaque containers. At present, plastic pots are more common in the market because of their light weight, small size, and low price, which are loved by consumers. However, I believe that Zisha pots are the best containers for the cultivation of Phalaenopsis. The size of the container should be determined by the size of the plant. In general, 6 to 8 cm diameter pots are suitable for growing large seedlings. Too small pots are not conducive to the growth of the root system. Too big a pot will cause the waste of the matrix, and the size of the container and the plant will be out of proportion, affecting the appearance.
3 Cultivation Management
3.1 Temperature In the northern region, the room temperature in the summer should be controlled at 20 to 28°C. The indoor ventilation is good enough to ensure the robust growth of plants. Excessive temperatures can easily cause wilting of plants. The room temperature in winter should be kept above 18°C. Warming measures should be taken when necessary.
3.2 Humidity and watering Phalaenopsis is suitable for growing in high temperature and humid environment. The air humidity should be kept at 70%~80%. Watering should not be excessive, if the root system is often immersed in water, it can easily breed harmful bacteria, causing rot. Watering should follow the principle of “do not dry, pour is poured,” and after the first drench, the matrix is ​​slightly dry and then poured. It is worth noting that the matrix should be prevented from over-drying. It is best to use clean well water, river water, and rainwater at a temperature of 15 to 18°C. Avoid direct cooling by using cold tap water. If you must use tap water, you should sleep for 1 to 2 days before use. Avoid watering the flowers when watering flowers during flowering.
3.3 Light Phalaenopsis The demand for light varies from period to season. The minimum amount of light needed at the seedling stage should be controlled below 10000Lx; it should be increased in the middle period, above 10000Lx; the flowering period can reach 15000 to 20000Lx or more. If the temperature is too high and the light is too strong during the seedling stage, the plants can be easily damaged.
3.4 Fertilizer Due to the lack of nutrients in the cultivation medium, the nutrients needed for the growth of Phalaenopsis basically depend on artificial supply. In organic fertilizers, soybean dregs are rich in nutrients, and they can be soaked in water for 12 hours before they are filtered out and the seedlings are poured. Inorganic fertilizers are popular because they are easy to purchase and many other features are used. They are best for flowering, flowering, and quick-zeg.
3.4.1 Seedlings of small seedlings should not be fertilized or watered within 1 week after they are bottled, but carbendazim 1000 times should be used for foliar spray sterilization. Rooting powder was sprayed every other day to promote root growth. After 1 week, the flower was sprayed with a lot of No. 10 (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio of 30:10:10) for 1800 times, and the matrix was used as the standard. In the future, it will be sprayed once with a lot of 10,500 times every other week. After 4 months of cultivation, the seedlings grew into middle seedlings, and the first change of pots should be carried out at this time. The fertilization uses 2500 times more fluid (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio of 20:10:20) and 2500 times of Huadudo No.1 (20:20:20 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), each 7 ~ 1 day. In the middle period, it is necessary to control the direction of the leaves. Generally, they are placed along the east-west direction. The principle of fertilization at this time is: low nitrogen, high phosphorus, high potassium.
3.4.2 Seedlings in large seedlings will enter the big seedlings cultivation stage after 4 to 6 months of cultivation. The management method is the same as that in the middle seedling stage, but the use of fertilizers is easier to use. (N, P, K ratio is 20:20:20) 2000 times liquid.
3.4.3 Management of flowering at the flowering stage should be more elaborate. First, the temperature must be controlled. Phalaenopsis flowering is caused by low temperatures. First, the temperature is maintained at 20°C for 2 months, and then the nighttime temperature is reduced to about 15°C. Flower buds can be formed after 4 to 6 weeks. After the formation of flower buds, the pillars shall be erected next to the plants and the stems shall be tied to the pillars. The lashings shall not be too tight and shall be left to the space where the stems grow longer and thicker. At this time, a lot of flower No. 2 (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium ratio of 10:30:20) was applied 1500 times, once every 15 days.
4 Pest control
4.1 The two most common diseases are soft rot and gray spot. The speed of infection of gray leaf spot is extremely fast. If it is found, the diseased plant should be isolated immediately. Use a pair of scissors to remove the diseased area. First apply 75% alcohol to disinfect the wound, then use mancozeb or carbendazim to 1000 times spray to sterilize. Every 15 days. Soft rot is often caused by high temperature and humidity and poor ventilation. After the onset of disease, the diseased part should be promptly removed to disinfect the wound with 75% alcohol to prevent reinfection. The sterilizer should be spray-sterilized with 1000 times of chlorothalonil. In the last 15 days, the indoor air circulation was maintained.
4.2 Insects The most common pests of Phalaenopsis are the two species of scale insects and aphids. It can be sprayed with 50% large pine emulsion 1000 times spray.
Author: Department of Landscape Architecture, Gansu Forestry Vocational and Technical College