Retired female journalist grows 70 orchid pots in 3m2 balcony

Ms. Hoang Kim, 55 years old, spent much of her time after retirement growing orchids. She took advantage of the 3 square meter balcony corner of her apartment on the 11th floor to garden. Every time she went to the market, she bought about 4-5 orchid pots to grow. After only 6 months, her mini garden was full.

The orchid pots on Ms. Kim’s balcony cost about 40,000-70,000 VND, and are of the Dendro species. She does not invest in expensive orchids, but only buys flowers from ordinary gardeners.

The woman who loves orchids shares: Dendro orchids are easy to grow, with a rich variety, allowing players to freely collect. Ms. Hoang Kim has up to 70 pots of orchids of different colors, each plant has its own beauty.

When buying an orchid from the market, the flowers only last about a month before fading. After the old flowers wither, Ms. Kim takes good care of the plant so that new flowers can bloom. These flowers are more durable, lasting about 2-2.5 months.

Ms. Hoang Kim’s orchid care process is simple, including watering and fertilizing. Every day, she waters the flowers twice, in the morning and before 5 p.m. She does not water too late because after 6 p.m., the roots are susceptible to fungus.

Ms. Hoang Kim uses B1 fertilizer for orchids, spraying the leaves at 4-5pm, regularly once a week. The next morning, she watered the leaves to avoid sunlight shining on the remaining fertilizer on the leaves, burning the plant.

Occasionally, Ms. Hoang Kim changes the fertilizer for her orchids. The 55-year-old mother uses vermicompost, applying about a teaspoon to the base of the plant, then watering. This process saves more time than using B1 fertilizer.

According to Ms. Kim, sunlight is a necessary condition for orchids to bloom. Without sunlight, the plant will grow poorly and will not produce beautiful flowers. However, if the temperature is too high or the sunlight is too strong, the orchids will easily wilt or have blisters on their stems.

Ms. Hoang Kim placed the orchid pots that were about to bloom on the sunny side of the balcony. She used a thin curtain to cover them to reduce the temperature. The former journalist changed the position of the orchid pots regularly so that each plant had the right amount of light and shade.

Every time she is away, Ms. Hoang Kim feels uneasy when 'entrusting' the orchid garden to her son. She tells him: 'If you want the flowers to be beautiful, you must water them with love, not with responsibility.' The first thing she does when she returns home is run to the balcony to check on the blooming orchids.

Hoang Kim’s son often smiles when he sees his mother talking to flowers. She calls herself ‘mom’ and the orchid pots ‘children’. One time, Kim accidentally broke a newly sprouted orchid branch. She hurriedly apologized to the potted plants and promised to take good care of them so they would bloom again soon.

Currently, Kim's balcony corner is full of orchids, but wherever she goes, she pays attention to collecting more beautiful and unique plants.

The coffee-colored orchid was bought by her on a recent trip.

'Growing flowers is a great joy that helps me live happily every day,' Ms. Hoang Kim confided. The mother in Ho Chi Minh City often shares her experiences and passion for flowers with everyone; encouraging friends and relatives to grow flowers to reduce stress.