Mr. Jiang Fulai grows orchids in Pingtung County at the southernmost point of Taiwan. He specializes in cultivating Renathera orchids, and sells the cut flowers to a market hungry for the crimson-red, kidney-shaped flowers that have been revered in Chinese culture for centuries. Mr. Jiang has used Plant-Prod water soluble fertilizers exclusively for the last thirty years.
Orchid growing conditions in Taiwan
The climate in southern Taiwan is tropical, ideal for growing orchids. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, there is no risk of frost and no need for greenhouses. Plants only need to be shaded from direct sunlight.
In Taiwan, the economics of plant cultivation are significantly different from North America.
It is a small island, the same size as Maryland, with a population of 24 million. Two thirds of the island is rugged mountains, while this population, together with the booming manufacturing sector, are squeezed into a small area remaining. That means land is expensive. In comparison, an acre of agricultural land in the United States costs on average $3,000, while you can expect to pay about $15 million per acre in Taiwan.
Growing 10,000 plants with water soluble fertilizer
Mr. Jiang has been cultivating orchids for thirty years, refining methods to maximize productivity. His operation is supported by the Plant-Prod distributor, EverSing. Most of the time he employs Plant-Prod 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizer, applying every 7-10 days during the growing phase, followed by Plant-Prod 10-52-10 to induce flowering and strengthen the plant. During periods of high temperatures and rainfall, Mr. Jiang turns to Plant-Prod 8-20-30 to prevent overly leggy plants.
Mr. Jiang states that Plant-Prod nutrition is key to his remarkable levels of productivity. “Each season we can harvest 10,000 flowers from 6,000 plants,” he states, “which is the same number of flowers that a competing operation produced from 10,000 plants”.
Maximizing plant yield by focusing on plant health
Orchids are one of the highest value plants cultivated by professional growers, and one of the most sensitive. Plant health needs to be protected and saving a few pennies by using a typical grade fertilizer is unwise.
Plant-Prod water soluble fertilizer is formulated with quality and consistency that is unmatched in commercial fertilizers. Mr. Jiang’s experience is a testament to Plant-Prod’s commitment to maximizing productivity of high value crops.
“When using competing fertilizers, the productivity is about 40% lower,” explains Mr. Jiang in an article on the EverSing website.
In May 2017 Sanda Jovasevic, Plant-Prod Sales and Marketing Manager accompanied by Jane Liu of EverSing visited Mr. Jiang’s operation. Following are photos from their visit.
Mr. Jiang’s plant breeding nursery in southern Taiwan:
