Cultivation soil of orchids

The traditional cultivation of orchids in China mostly uses loose, soft and unbonded humus soil. This kind of soil, commonly known as orchid mud, is rich in soil in the Lanshan area. When digging, first remove the surface moss, weeds and so on, select a few inches thick mud layer, or dig from the cliff rock, stone gap. The quantity of this kind of orchid mud is small, but the texture is good. If this kind of good humus soil can not be found temporarily due to geographical conditions, it can also be made of loose soil or sandy soil in nearby mountain areas, mixed with mature green manure, oil meal, etc., which can be used as orchid cultivation soil.

Ideal orchid planting materials should have good drainage and air permeability, contain sufficient nutrients, and are not easy to rot or harden. In order to obtain this ideal material, it is necessary to prepare it yourself. One part of rotten leaf soil mixed with pumice, or one part of Alsophila spinulosa root plus broken brick or small gravel is the most suitable for growing orchids. (Lin Qingde, Mu Wei)