Orchids and Air

In the air, there are eleven gaseous elements in the periodic table of chemical elements, most of which are related to plant growth. In particular, orchids are advanced mycorrhizal plants with much higher air permeability requirements than other plants. For example, hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules are mainly carbohydrates. During photosynthesis, orchids mainly absorb nitrogen (N2) and hydroxide in the air, carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by water and mycorrhizal nitrogen fixation also need a lot of air. In particular, the decomposition and absorption of carbon dioxide, the digested nutrients from a variety of amino acids to form various parts of the orchid need all kinds of cells, the part must have oxygen (O2) in the air. So there is the theory of inhaling carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen. The main reason for the rotten roots of orchids is breathable. This is the basic difference between orchids and other flowers. The better the aeration condition is, the more favorable it is for the growth of orchids. Ventilation is the first essence of planting orchids in ancient times. We know through practice and long-term observation that it is necessary to achieve "one-point communication on six sides" in pot cultivation, which is of great benefit to the cultivation of orchids. The so-called "six sides" means that the seats placed in the orchid basin can be ventilated before and after the left and right sides, and the basin rack should have a gap, which can block the hole at the bottom of the basin. "one-point communication" means that the medium in the orchid basin has good air permeability and can be replaced with external air, so it requires that the material should have a certain particle size, no waterlogging, and ventilation on the basin. Therefore, some people advocate planting orchids with earthen pots. The use of hole-by-hole flower basin or wall hole basin can make ventilation and permeability better.

As long as the orchid pot is properly placed, the air needed by the orchid can be adjusted by itself. The air will expand and contract when there is no wind. On a windless day, the orchid air flow goes up and down continuously, convection can be produced inside and outside the shed, the warm and humid air flow rises continuously below, and the cold air above automatically drops and replenishes. The plant material in the basin naturally adjusts the air flow by the expansion and contraction of the air in the gap, so that the circulation can maintain the air supply on a windless day. If the weather is fine, the shed and windows should be opened to increase air convection.

Another characteristic of air is to adjust temperature and hold moisture, so for orchid friends with orchid sheds, low temperature and high temperature in winter and summer should have different requirements. For example, when the temperature in the summer orchid shed is more than 40 degrees, the use of vertical head-shaking electric fans to cool down, each fan can solve the ventilation and cooling problems around 15m2, preferably with a breeze on the face. The green orchid leaves are driven by the flowing air and swayed gently. In this case, if coupled with humidifying spray, the orchid can be nourished by fresh air.

Air is especially important to orchids, but you should know something about the other side of the air. The air naturally adjusts temperature and humidity, which is sometimes harmful to orchids. The dry wind of spring and autumn has a great influence on orchids. In spring, the high wind takes away the water, and the grass buds cannot be sent out on time; in autumn, the wind is dry, so the immature grass cannot grow long, so it must be sheltered. "good permeability" refers to the situation where there is no wind, but it is not applicable when the wind is dry.

Generally speaking, the air quality in the countryside is better than that in the city. The ventilation condition is good, and the air quality should be considered. For example, urban vehicles and factories emit a large amount of toxic gases containing arsenic, fluorine and sulfur, and gas may leak. These gases are absorbed by stomatal flowers during photosynthesis, which can poison orchids or make orchids stomata to resist invasion and stop photosynthesis. If these problems cannot be solved, the growth of orchids will be affected. Taking isolation measures, using special scaffolding, sealing balcony and other methods can avoid harm.

The monsoon will also pollute bluegrass, especially in the windy and sandy weather in the north and the windy and dry weather in the spring and autumn in the south. If the orchid pot is put in the open air, it is very disadvantageous to avoid ash sand pollution and prevent the ambient temperature of the orchid field from falling.

Yanglan in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Anhui and other coastal provinces and cities should pay attention to prevent typhoon attacks and avoid the phenomenon that the orchid pots on the balcony are blown off and the tall grass is broken by the wind. Typhoon prevention is the balcony orchid cultivation in summer must pay attention to.

In short, the orchid's requirement for air is "no wind ventilation, breeze blowing, strong wind should guard against, the most to prevent dirt."

Guan Wenchang, Zhu Hexing