Planting orchid with willow bark

There are many kinds of substrates used to cultivate orchids, which often vary according to geographical, natural conditions and cultivation habits. Relatively speaking, the northern orchid planting environment is more difficult, coupled with the lack of management and maintenance experience, often the phenomenon of falling seedlings (dead seedlings), which is a pity for orchid growers. It would be a great blessing to find a desirable substrate. Choose what substrate is better, this should be by the individual orchid habit. Environmental conditions and techniques. The author has used several substrates for orchid planting, and compared them with different ways of supplying water and fertilizer. Two years later, willow bark was found to be the most suitable.

Willow trees are everywhere in the north. When garden staff cut willow trees, they can seize the opportunity to collect their skins back. If the newly collected willow bark is not used at that time, it should be fully dried and preserved for future use. The dried willow bark can be preserved for a long time without mildew or rot.

Here is how to use it. The collected willow bark is soaked in clean water for the purpose of saving effort when chopping, and then cut into small pieces of 1cm with sharp tools, washed with clean water, and disinfected with pressure cooker to eliminate eggs, cut off the source of disease, and prevent future pests and diseases. This must be done and must not be ignored. After doing this, you can use the willow bark directly on the pot.

Willow bark loose texture, light weight, slow evaporation after water absorption, water conservation, fertilizer conservation good function. Even if you forget to water it once or twice, the water stored inside will be slowly released for the orchid root to absorb and utilize, so that the orchid root is protected from drought.

Willow bark is granular, there is a certain gap between the particles, watering more water is no harm, after watering, the water between the gaps quickly flows away, that is to say, the air and water replacement is very fast, the gap is still a gap, there is no ponding phenomenon, which ensures the ventilation performance of the plants in the pot. Even beginners who have no experience in orchid cultivation will not die because of watering too frequently.

The advantage of planting orchids with willow bark is that they can be cultivated in wet conditions during the growing season. The so-called wet culture, is to make orchid leaves, orchid balls, orchid roots often keep wet, what time to observe orchid balls, orchid roots, always appear wet. The orchid planted in this way has a high germination rate, the orchid root has a large water content, white, thick and lively, the root grows a lot and is very fragile, a bit like bean sprouts, very close to the orchid root of the water wall, but stronger than the root of hydroponics, gratifying, and the orchid grows vigorously. The author thinks that this may be because the oxygen supply rate of roots is higher than that of hydroponic culture. Some of the plants in Cymbidium grandiflorum can sprout 3-4 buds a year, and all of them are strong buds. It is worth noting that the mixed culture method is limited to the vegetative growth stage of the orchid seedling growth season. When it reaches the reproductive growth stage and dormancy stage, the watering amount should be reduced, otherwise it will be unfavorable for flowering and dormancy.

It is generally believed that "dry orchid wet chrysanthemum". But through my practice of orchid cultivation, orchid flower growth season water demand is very large, only to achieve wet leaves, wet balls, wet roots, can grow exuberant. As long as the pot soil is not muddy, permeable and breathable, orchids are not afraid of water.

Advantages of raising orchids with willow bark. Willow bark is moisture resistant and rot resistant, and will not rot in the pot for two years. Willow bark contains natural salicylic acid (salicylic acid) and aspirin (acetic acid salicylic acid, vinegar salicylic acid). Salicylic acid and aspirin both promote rooting, germination and leaf photosynthesis. Therefore, willow bark planting orchid, orchid born quickly, take root more, germinate more, chlorophyll rich, orchid plant growth exuberant. At the same time aspirin also has anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, antiseptic effects, can prevent the reproduction of other microorganisms (bacteria), which reduces the chance of infection of the orchid root, but also reduces the occurrence of diseases, effectively preventing the root rot phenomenon.

When we transplant and divide plants, it is inevitable to break the orchid root, and the broken orchid root is extremely perishable. If willow bark is used as a substrate for planting orchids, root rot can be avoided. After the orchid root is broken, its sensing cells can be transmitted to the orchid plant body, and promote the orchid plant body to produce an enzyme, this enzyme can make the orchid plant body produce a chemical substance called "jasmonic acid", it can make the orchid newspaper rot quickly, and aspirin can inhibit the production of this enzyme, played a role in protecting the orchid root and orchid plant. The willow bark can increase the survival rate of plant division, transplanting and newly planted orchids, and reduce the trouble of root soaking, seedling soaking and leaf spraying with aspirin.

With willow bark as substrate for orchid cultivation, it is best not to use organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer is not sanitary, easy to infect diseases and insect pests, easy to hurt roots and seedlings, and nutrient elements are incomplete, and a long time will appear deficiency. Therefore, chemical fertilizers containing all elements should be used all the year round, so that there will be no lack of cable phenomenon, and the dosage is small and easy to control. At the same time, depending on the growth of orchid seedlings, increase or decrease the dosage at any time to maximize the effect of fertilization.

To sum up, the author thinks that it is feasible to plant orchid with willow bark, and the effect is good, and it also finds an ideal substrate for beginners to cultivate orchid. (Jin Weng)