Nature and use of Orchid Mud

Orchid mud commonly known as mountain mud, there are many kinds, good has been rare. In fact, orchid mud can be divided into two types: negative soil and positive soil. Yin soil fragrant gray, black color, light quality, soil surface easy to grow moss, due to high humus content, dry after difficult to absorb water, southeast of zhejiang mountain for the best. Another color yellow soil, is the general mountain mud, humus less, heavy quality, poor orchid cultivation. The positive soil is hard when dry, granular, brown when wet, sticky, difficult to grow moss on the basin surface for many years, heavy in quality, prolific in the mountains around Taihu Lake, Yixing and Changxing; the bamboo root mud in some places is also very similar (but its granular shape is easier to crush, and it is easy to harden in the basin in the future). In fact, orchids can grow well in both kinds of soil.

The bold and most convenient way is to mix 30%~40% of chaff ash when using any kind of soil (chaff ash is best showered in the open air for a few days, so it must be prepared as soon as possible, and some local canteens and tea shops have it). If the soil is dry, it can be mixed with wet chaff ash. When planting, the mud tile basin is the main one, and the bottom can be filled with some charcoal blocks or red bricks. After planting, water it until the bottom water comes out. If the surface of the negative soil basin is planted with green cloud grass, it is easy to survive. Positive soil covered with particulate matter is good. Some people say that chaff ash is alkaline and dare not be used. In fact, it can be used without harm. The author once cultivated precious spring orchid and cymbidium reeds with this pure ash. All of them emerged into plants. In autumn, they came out of the pot to inspect, and the roots had circulated.

If Lan You thinks that precious orchid is delicate and expensive, it is inconvenient to use, then it is also OK. For negative soil, 20%~30% of rice-shaped red brick particles can be mixed. Families often break them with hammers, put them into snakeskin bags, beat them, kick them, grind them to acute angles, and then sift them out with plastic containers with corresponding holes. Coarse ones can be used as pot bottom planting material after washing; fine ones like rice grains and mung beans can be put into fine eye containers, washed with water to remove ash powder, soaked in clean water for several days, and then used. Conditional can be mixed with small particles of pine cypress orchid stone, Tangji orchid stone, the effect is the same. If it is a seedling or weak seedling, the mixing amount can be increased accordingly. If it is positive mountain mud, then use window screen to make a sieve, screen out the gray fine powder, extra large particles can also be screened out for the basin bottom, you can rest assured of planting orchid. If weak seedlings, old seedlings can be mixed with a small part of pine cypress orchids or pearlite particles. In this way, light soil mixed with heavy medium, heavy soil mixed with light medium, complement each other.

The above methods are used with clay tile green basin for wonderful (to basin outside can be soaked easily moss is better), but also to open for the first choice. When planting, the traditional sitting method is mainly used to maintain the old garden orchid seedlings, which are easy to turn pots and rejuvenate, grow seedlings and bloom quickly. For imported seedlings, indoor soilless culture seedlings maintenance is difficult, easy to grow seedlings, do not take root, pour old seedlings. Before planting orchid grass, the former had better spray water and mix with tide, so as not to dry up in the middle without absorbing water after watering, while the latter should be watered around or simply soaked in pots after planting. This method is suitable for garden and patio orchid cultivation. In the growing season, even if there is a little long rain, there is no prevention.

The flowers of Jiangsu and Zhejiang petal-type flowers are typical ground orchids, native, of course, soil cultivation is the most reasonable. Reasonable use of soil, can make colorful, thick petals, soft glutinous, commonly known as "jade head", and orchid leaves short and wide fruit, reed head stout and strong, it is a small seedling big flower, contrast is more intense. The "refining grass" advocated by the orchid community at present must also have reasonable soil conditions, otherwise,"out of" the unique mountain environment, how can orchid grass not be "burned", yellow leaves and withered roots! Therefore, for the purpose of appreciation, family amateur orchid cultivation is still suitable for cultivation in muddy media. Can be mixed in the particles more or less high-quality orchid mud (Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai major cities are sold in the flower market). But it's better not to mix orchid mud with other soil. As mentioned above, dry fairy soil has water repellency, while orchid mud should be used as dry wetland. When the two are mixed, it is afraid that water will flow out of the bottom hole and water will not enter the basin, which will cause losses in vain. I don't know if the orchid friends have noticed that when enjoying the orchid photos, they will find that the potted orchid planted with green cloud grass will have thick flowers, probably because of the use of orchid mud. (Jiangsu-Wang Xinlei)