Do you know that wild cymbidium leaves can be shortened without hormones and drugs?

This is a small video screenshot taken in early April this year. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture at that time, so the screenshot is not very clear. Can you tell which pot is Chunlan? Which pot is Huilan? In fact, most orchid friends will admit their mistakes in this picture. The two short pots on the left are Huilan, while the tall one on the right is Chunlan.

Usually, we understand that the leaves of Huilan are tall, while the leaves of Chunlan are relatively small. But you know what? Their leaves can be changed by domestication, which starts with the growth habits of orchids. People who raise orchids all know the phrase "long leaves in the yin and strong roots in the yang", but have you ever really understood it? So that the farmer can tell you with his own experience.

The pot of cymbidium on the right was found by farmers on the mountain this year, when it grew in a forest that has now been cut down. The tree is very tall and its growing place is very damp. Chunlan, which grows in this environment, must strive desperately for sunshine. We know that orchids are plants that need sunlight, so we can only grow their leaves as long as possible. This is similar to the slender trees in the dense forest.

The two pots of cymbidium on the left are ripe grasses that have been domesticated for two years. They also had long leaves when they came down the mountain, and they also grew in the woods. After going down the mountain, the light conditions changed, and they received more sunlight (I kept it outside all the time), and the new leaves were not as long as they used to be, but the leaves felt more powerful and not like loose drapes.

With regard to "long shady leaves and strong roots", in fact, like the cactus in the desert and the lianas in the tropical rain forest, one has to evolve the leaves small and the roots deep in order to reduce evaporation, and the other evolves the leaves to grow in order to win the sun.

When many orchid friends communicate with good farmers, they say that Cymbidium, which likes dwarf leaves, can actually change its leaf shape through artificial domestication. The method is very simple, mastering it can make the leaves look better, and the dwarf leaves are not easy to break, and the flowers and stems are more beautiful.

First, increase the light, of course, do not bask in the sun between 11:00 and 15:00 in summer, it's not fun. Increasing light is the most direct way to dwarf leaves.

Second, properly increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, you can use potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar spray (said before), but also can use light calcium superphosphate leaching solution as fertilizer.