"Huang Weipin's... civil engineer... cultivating orchids in Shanghai. ... vice-president of the Chungding Biotech Shanghai...
"... none of the orchid breeders on either side of the straits have previous academic training. What matters is time and a desire to learn. Nothing is impossible," Huang said. ... annual sales of orchids in Shanghai came to about 800,000 plants, with CBS ranked top -- raising 150,000 plants per year -- among 10 Taiwanese horticultural companies based in the city... Last year orchids became the best-selling flower in the Netherlands... Chinese people like pink or red orchids, seen as bringing good luck, while Japanese and American people prefer white ones. Most Chinese purchase the... flowers for New Year's gifts, while Westerners buy them all year around. "The best sales season for orchids in Shanghai is a week before the Spring Festival. Orders flood in and up to 80 per cent of our plants are sold during that period, at prices ranging from 50 to 150 yuan (US$6.25 - 18.75)," Huang explained. "So the key to this business is getting the orchids to blossom on schedule. If they flower too far before the Spring Festival, or too late, the price declines dramatically -- 3 years of hard work can be destroyed in a moment... " he added. ... Shanghai is not an ideal place to cultivate orchids, because of the shortage of sunshine. Greenhouses are... essential. ... Huang... said a high temperature is needed to raise the seedlings: 28 to 30 degrees in the daytime and 24 to 26 degrees at night. "But the temperatures should be lowered a bit if you want them to blossom. The plants feel threatened by the change of environment so they have to propagate the new generation," he said. ... Huang invites people to return the orchids after they cease flowering. "It is like when a woman gives birth, she gets weaker and deserves good care to help her recover. I enjoy looking after these plants that have brought pleasure to people, waiting for their next flowering season," Huang said... He... a "boarding school" for the flowers if their owners don't have enough time to take care of them". Article URL : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-10/18/content_711025.htm **************** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
