Orchid ventilation should not be excessive
This article introduces: orchid cultivation experience in the field of Orchidaceae, orchid ventilation should not be excessive, please see the detailed introduction below.
Many orchid enthusiasts search online for the first principle of orchid care - ventilation, carefully reading many articles discussing orchid ventilation, how to enhance orchid ventilation, and how ventilation can reduce diseases, etc. Many new orchid enthusiasts try their best to ventilate and take care of their orchids based on their understanding and cultivation environment, believing that their orchids have good leaves, more flowers, strong seedlings, and vigorous roots without diseases; however, after a period of observation, orchid enthusiasts do not achieve the expected results or fall far short of expectations. The main problems that cause the above are as follows: the choice of planting material, the ratio of soft to hard and poor water retention, planting disinfection, killing, lighting not in place or too strong, temperature, humidity, ventilation, and poor lighting, etc.
Through 5 years of observing orchid cultivation, communication with orchid enthusiasts, learning, and practicing, the author found that temperature, humidity, and ventilation have the following relationship: when the temperature is high and ventilation is strong, the humidity is low (orchid room), and vice versa. This article mainly discusses the adverse effects of excessive ventilation on orchids, as follows:
1. Excessive ventilation causes the orchid leaves to burn the tips: Orchids require humidity between 50-80% (some say 40-80%). In general, the humidity of the orchid cultivation environment (microenvironment) is higher than the external humidity, and the increase of air convection accelerates the loss of moisture in the air of the microenvironment, causing the humidity to drop rapidly. In general, the temperature in the orchid room is higher on top and lower on the bottom, with the air humidity at the top being even smaller. The low humidity at the leaf tips of orchid leaves leads to local water loss, and the strong respiratory function of the leaf tips causes the leaves to lose water and burn the tips over time.
2. Excessive ventilation causes mechanical damage to orchid leaves: As the saying goes, "The spring breeze in February is like a pair of scissors," it is clear that strong wind causes the orchid leaves to sway violently. The leaves rub against each other, collide with equipment, and the leaf stems break, etc. After the leaves are mechanically damaged, bacteria and pathogens in the air can easily enter the orchid, causing diseases and bacteria in the leaves, which are then transported in reverse through the leaves, causing the whole plant to carry pathogens and bacteria. Over time, the accumulation of quantitative changes leads to qualitative changes, resulting in leaf damage, black spots, and breakage in orchids, or soft rot and stem rot in severe cases.
3. Excessive ventilation easily causes empty roots: When orchid leaves lose water, the moisture in the roots and bulbs is transported upwards. The planting material dries faster than normal, and the exchange of moisture between the environment and the pot is faster due to the relatively larger capillary tubes in the planting material and the pot wall or stronger ventilation ability. These factors cause the time needed for the planting material to change from wet to moist and from moist to dry to be short. According to previous watering methods, the planting material around the pot wall is already completely dry, causing reverse osmosis between the roots and the planting material. If this continues for a long time, severe water loss in the roots can lead to root death and eventually empty roots.
4. Excessive ventilation can easily lead to fertilizer damage: Under normal circumstances, when fertilizing, the time it takes for the planting material to go from moist to dry is long, allowing orchids to absorb and digest nutrients over a long period, causing the fertility of the planting material to decrease. However, when the planting material dries too quickly, the orchids cannot absorb and consume the nutrients in time, causing the fertilizer concentration to increase as the moisture decreases, exceeding the tolerance of the orchids and leading to fertilizer damage, resulting in black roots and root rot, etc.
In summary, moderate ventilation is suitable for orchids. After several years of cultivating orchids, the signs of proper ventilation include: the leaves of orchids gently sway without colliding with other leaves. Believing that orchid enthusiasts can easily master this through observation. Since the author has a short history of cultivating orchids at home and the orchid cultivation technique needs to be improved, the above views are based on personal experience and limited knowledge, and there are definitely some inappropriate points. I hope that the majority of orchid enthusiasts will correct them, and I am grateful for any assistance!
The above is a brief experience on excessive orchid ventilation from [], hoping to bring help to you in life!