Orchid Farming in India
In recent times, many Agripreneurs and Big farmers are looking towards Agrifarming business that gives more income. Orchids Farming is one among the AgriFarming Business that gives huge profits in the flower cultivation business. In order to let you know about the basics and guide for Orchids cultivation, we have come up with this article on Orchid Farming guide.
Orchid Farming is one of the Agribusinesses that requires more investment as it is better to grow Orchids in Polyhouse. Here, you will get to know about the basics of Orchid farming from the sowing of Orchids to Yields and Harvesting of Orchid Flowers in Polyhouse.
Lightning for Orchids Farming: Orchids grow well in diffused light conditions. Therefore, it is better to grow Orchids in Polyhouses than Greenhouses.
Temperature for Orchid flowers: Orchids need cool and less warm climatic conditions. As we grow Orchids in polyhouse that maintain cool temperatures throughout the year.
Watering in Orchids Polyhouses: Water plays a major and important role in Orchid Farming. It is always suggested to water the orchids’ plants with deionized distilled water or tapwater free from salts or rainwater.
Humidity for Orchid flowers: Orchid flowers bloom well at humidity levels between 60% to 80% RH.
Propagation of Orchids:
We can propagate orchids through three methods viz., vegetative propagation, tissue culture and embryo culture.
Vegetative propagation of Orchids: Orchid species such as Dendrobium and Epidendrum can be grown by cutting the orchid plantlets such as the primary and tertiary branches. Those plantlets are removed and potted up.
Embryo culture: The seeds are collected from the desired orchid flowers are treated with a chemical called tetrazolium chloride and the seed germinates in one or two weeks.
Tissue culture: Orchid species such as Cattleya, Cymbidium, Calanthe, Dendrobium, Miltonia, Odontoglossum, Oncidium, Zygopetalum, and other orchid hybrids are used for tissue culture of hybrids. The meristems of the desired orchid plants are cut down and grown on a culture media called Knudson C or the more stable Vacin and Went medium. The new plants emerge in 15 to 20 days.
Growing of Orchid plants: Always grow Orchids in plastic container pots if you go for commercial orchids cultivation business. The size of the Orchid cultivating pot must be 4 to 8 holes on 3” to 4” inches pots, 8 to 12 holes on 5” to 6” inches pots.
Steps to Start Saffron Farming
Potting mix for Orchids cultivation: Always grow the Orchids in a sterilized potting mixture made up of brick pieces, tiles, cocopeat, sphagnum moss, tree fern, osmunda fiber, coconut husk, coconut fiber, lava rock, charcoal, pieces of cork, peat moss and Rockwool.
Always hold the plant center of the plastic orchid pot and then pour the orchid potting mixture.
Fertilizer for Orchid Plants: Always supply fertilizers to orchid plants using the fertigation method. Supply 0.2% to 1% NPK (30:10:10) during vegetative stage and 10:20:20 during blooming stage. Supply micronutrients such as Potassium nitrate: 2.63 g, – Ammonium sulfate: 0.44 g, Magnesium sulfate: 2.04 g, – Monocalcium phosphate: 1.00 g, – Calcium sulfate: 4.86 g, – Iron sulfate: 0.5 g, – Manganese sulfate: 0.25 ml by mixing in 10 lt water using fertigation method.
Supply organic manure like cow dung by soaking in water 4-5 days and ferment and then supply at 10% dilution.
Harvesting and Yield of Orchid flowers
The yield of Orchid Plants: Orchid farmers can get 4-5 spikes per plant in the second year and 6-8 spikes per orchid plant from the third year of orchid cultivation.
Harvesting of Orchid Flowers: Harvest the Orchid flowers when the flower is fully opened with 2-3 buds. Cut the flowers with peduncle. Treat the flowers after cutting with 8-HQC+5% sucrose solution in order to maintain the vase life and quality of the Orchid flowers.
This is all about Orchid Farming and cultivation package of practices. For more details regarding Orchid Farming, comment below.