Several substrates and fertilizers for planting orchids

Recently, the author has often received calls from many orchid friends around the country to inquire about all aspects of several kinds of plant materials and fertilizers. The following is only based on the questions asked by orchid friends, several kinds of plant materials and fertilizers are systematically introduced in many aspects, such as source, performance, composition, dosage, production, effect and so on.

Waste bacterial material

Waste fungus is the leftover material after the cultivation of edible fungus, it can be used as the cultivation substrate of orchid, the source of waste fungus is extensive, and it is easy to get materials. There are a lot of leftover fungus materials to be used every year in the edible fungus research institutes in cities and mushroom farmers in rural areas. There are many kinds of waste mushroom materials, among which "mushroom soil" and "mushroom soil" are widely used to cultivate orchids.

"Lentinus edodes soil" is an abandoned bran bag after cultivating Lentinus edodes. Most of the raw materials used to cultivate Lentinus edodes are mixed wood bran as the main material, and some cottonseed hulls are mixed into the formula. The practice shows that the effect of growing orchid in Lentinus edodes soil with miscellaneous wood bran as the main material is good, but the effect of mixed cottonseed shell is not good. Lentinus edodes soil is slightly acidic, comprehensive nutrition, light and loose, not easy to solidify, permeable and breathable, dry and wet can be controlled, there is no danger of lack of fertilizer. Growing orchid with Lentinus edodes soil has developed root system, white and tender root tip, strong orchid seedlings, multiple buds, thick leaves, dark green and bright leaves, low incidence and few weeds, which is an economical and effective substrate for orchid planting. The Lentinus edodes soil must be crushed before use and exposed to the hot summer sun for three days. During this period, omethoate and isocarbophos are sprayed on the ground Lentinus edodes soil to achieve insecticidal and sterilization. It is better for Lentinus edodes soil to be fully mature and black-brown. The proportion of Lentinus edodes soil in orchid planting mixture should be 20%, 30% (volume ratio), and the proportion of planting spring orchid can be increased to 50%, 70%.

"mushroom soil" is a waste material after cultivating mushrooms, which is very common in the vast rural areas. The raw materials used for cultivating mushrooms are made of rice straw and dried cow dung as main materials, supplemented with urea, calcium superphosphate and peanut cake mixed fermentation for one month. Mushroom soil is rich in organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are all three elements, and small particles, loose, good drainage and air permeability. Mushroom soil used as base fertilizer not only has sufficient fertility, but also has long fertilizer effect and is not hardened, which is beneficial to the absorption of orchid plants. The processing, dosage proportion and cultivation effect of mushroom soil used to plant orchids are roughly the same as those of Lentinus edodes soil.

Chaff charcoal

Rice husk charcoal, also known as rice bran ash in the south, is a black charcoal made from rice husk by smouldering. It is a kind of plant ash, which can be used not only as orchid substrate but also as fertilizer. The composition of plant ash is very complex, which contains all kinds of ash elements in crops, such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, iron, silicon and so on. From the point of view of fertilizer, it is often used as a source of potash fertilizer, but for crop nutrition, it is not only potassium, but also phosphorus and other elements. Husk charcoal is alkaline, rich in potassium, phosphorus, calcium and other nutrient elements, contains potassium 5% Mel 10%, phosphorus 1% Mel 4%, and fertilizer effect is fast. Adding a certain amount of grain hull carbon to the orchid mixture can promote the photosynthesis of orchid plants, facilitate the synthesis of carbohydrates and the growth of orchid roots, prevent the lodging of orchid plants and improve the ability of resistance to diseases and insect pests. Rice husk charcoal has good air permeability and water absorption, which can improve soil structure and increase basin soil temperature. The husk charcoal is alkaline when it is fresh (PH value 8.5 Mel 9). It should be placed for many days or drenched in the sun and rain for a period of time after firing, and then be used again when it is neutral. The proportion (volume ratio) of grain husk charcoal mixed with orchid mixture should be 10% and 20%. If it is used to cultivate Yilan, the proportion can be increased to 20% MUE 30%, and the alkali soil is beneficial to Ye Yilan's art preservation and improvement.

If the ash is white after burning, the phosphorus and potassium nutrients will be greatly reduced.

Rice panning water

Amoy rice water, that is, the water left after washing rice, is called Milo water in some areas. it has a wide range of sources and is easy to get materials, but the oily rice washing water should not be used. Amoy rice water is weakly acidic, contains more potassium, followed by phosphorus, and contains certain trace elements, so it is a good phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Watering orchids with retting rice water can promote the growth and development of orchids and make them green leaves, strong seedlings, fragrant flowers, rapid reproduction and no diseases and insect pests.

Amoy rice water, generally need to be used after divination week retting, summer high temperature season retting, faster ripening speed. The retting method can be naturally ripened in the open air, or it can be barreled and sealed with a lid. In the "natural ripening method", because the container is not covered and sealed, the stench produced by fermentation in the process of retting will spread out from the barrel, float away with the wind and pollute the environment. "barreled with lid sealing method" retting, there is no such malpractice. It is better to irrigate orchids with retted rice water. Generally speaking, it is appropriate to mix 1 part of rice water with 2 parts of clean water. From February to May, the soaked rice water was watered every 15 days: from June to October, the roots were watered every 5 days, and in November, in January, the orchids were in hibernation and watered every 10 days.

(Longyan-Zhang Bingfu, Fujian)