It's hard to believe, but orchids are not much younger than ferns. They existed 130 million years ago. Perhaps no flower has acquired so many legends as the orchid. One of them tells that the beautiful Aphrodite, running through the forest, lost her shoe, and an equally beautiful orchid flower grew in this place.
Another tells of a broken rainbow, from the fragments of which orchids grew.
For a long time it was believed that breeding them was possible only in greenhouses. Nowadays, indoor plant lovers proudly display collections of orchids grown on the windowsills of city apartments.
Orchid - flower description
Pseudobulb
This is a seal on the stem that contains a supply of water. It is located almost on the root, this is where the peduncles and leaves come from. Pseudobulbs are spherical, ovoid and cylindrical in shape.
Leaves
Collected in a rosette, dense, green, oblong, and quite wide.
Roots
They have a flattened shape, using which they stick to any plant.
Features of cultivation
For a long time, the orchid was considered a difficult flower to grow at home. Now the situation has changed. The orchid is now quite home flower. For successful cultivation A little experience and practical knowledge is enough.
An orchid bought in a store does not always need to be replanted, but only in several cases:
- the flower does not stay in the pot, reasons: the leaves have grown to one side - you need to not just replant the orchid, but make the pot heavier or choose a heavy glass pot;
- if there was sphagnum moss in the transport pot;
- if a different pot is prepared for the orchid.
- there is not enough soil in the container, and the flower is swaying - add more substrate or replant the orchid;
- problems with the roots are visible through the transparent walls - the orchid must be urgently removed, the bad roots removed, the cut areas sprinkled with charcoal and replanted; if there are few healthy roots left, then the peduncle will have to be cut off, otherwise the plant will die, the roots will not be able to fully provide it with nutrition;
Planting methods
The orchid is planted in a transparent pot because its roots participate in photosynthesis along with the leaves. There should be many holes at the bottom for water to flow in and excess to drain out. An orchid pot can be plastic or glass. Step-by-step instruction according to the planting method is given below in the “Orchid Transplant” section.
Optimal time for planting
Best time for planting - spring.
Soil for planting
Ordinary soil is not suitable for orchids: their roots are accustomed to receiving a lot of air; in their homeland, most of them grow on trees. It is better to buy a ready-made substrate for orchids. Then the plant is guaranteed normal air permeability. If this is not possible, you can mix pine bark chopped into small pieces (pieces approximately 1-2 cm in size) with garden soil.
The bark needs to be boiled for an hour. Crushed charcoal is added to the mixture.
There are three main components in the process of caring for a plant: light, watering, temperature.
Location and lighting for the plant
Right organized lighting- the key to successful orchid breeding. They need a lot of light, but it should be diffused and soft. In summer sunlight filtered using curtains or special filters glued to the window.
In the fall you can let in Sun rays into the room: they will no longer be able to burn the delicate leaves of the flower. In winter, you not only need to remove everything that interferes with natural light, but also supplement it with artificial light. Daylight hours for orchids last up to 12 hours.
It is advisable for orchids to stand on a southern windowsill, especially from autumn to spring, but they do well in the southeast and southwest, although there will be a problem with additional lighting. With good artificial light Some types of orchids feel comfortable on northern windowsills. Orchids can be taken outside, but do not forget to shade them in time and not expose them to drafts.
Air humidity
Plants need high humidity. It is useful to spray regularly and increase humidity different ways, but only in a warm room. When kept cold and high humidity The orchid's roots may rot. Under any conditions, it is necessary to take care of orchid leaves by thoroughly wiping them with a damp cloth and spraying them.
When growing miniature orchids, the moisture problem is easily solved. They are convenient to grow in an aquarium. At the same time, keep watering to a minimum: they have enough moisture for a long time environment and its reserve in pseudobulbs.
To choose a temperature for orchids, you need to know what different types of plants prefer. different temperatures. We can highlight:
Heat-loving
They need heat, reaching 30-32 degrees in summer and not falling below 20. In winter they grow at 15-18 degrees, but the difference between day and night temperatures should not be more than 3-4 degrees. These orchids come from tropical forests: These are mainly phalaenopsis, dendrobiums, and some varieties of cattleyas.
Growing at average temperatures
In summer they will be happy with a temperature of 18-25 degrees, in winter 12-15. These orchids were once brought to Europe from the tropics, but from the mountains and foothills, hence the low growing temperatures. These are Miltonia and Odontoglossum.
Cool temperature lovers
In summer, such orchids will grow successfully at a temperature of 18-22 degrees, and in winter 10-13 is enough. They are from the highlands and subtropical regions. Australian dendrobiums, almost all paphiopedilums.
But most orchid owners bought them in a store or received them as a gift; again, the donor purchased them, as a rule, at the nearest flower kiosk. They themselves and their ancestors were raised in Europe, most likely in Holland, and will feel great at temperatures of 20-27 degrees in summer and 15-18 in winter.
Orchids get sick in stuffy rooms: the room must be regularly ventilated. But you can’t create drafts.
How to water correctly
For organization proper watering you need to have a good idea of the conditions under which orchids grew in nature. And bring watering as close to natural as possible:
- All orchid plants are epiphytes, so they can easily tolerate a short break in watering, but this should not be allowed often: the orchid’s leaves will begin to wrinkle;
- some orchids (phalaenopsis, cymbidium, paphiopedilum) they like the substrate to be slightly moist at all times; others (oncidium, dendrobium, cattleya) require the soil to dry out first;
- the water should be soft and warm; rain or heated melt is ideal; tap water can be boiled;
- It’s better not to water the plant from above, but to put it directly in the pot in a bowl with water and leave it for a few minutes, then take it out and let the water drain.
Ideally, there is no need to fertilize the orchid. It has enough nutrients available in the substrate. But then the flower must be replanted regularly every two years.
If there has been no transplantation, then it is better to fertilize. You cannot take any fertilizers for flowers. They only require special ones for orchids. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the proportions named in the instructions. Fertilizers are applied during the flowering period once a week.
Orchid pruning
Orchids have flower stalks trimmed after flowering.
Trimming methods
After the orchid has faded along the main axis, you can trim the peduncle, leaving up to 5 buds from leaf rosette. Then flower stalks may develop from the buds below the cut, and flowering will continue. When the plant has finished blooming, cut off all flower stalks.
Orchid transplant
The flower is replanted every two years to replenish nutrients in the substrate. If the pot has become small, then replant it more often. The plant is replanted in the spring, but this cannot be done if the orchid has released a peduncle. It may not bloom.
Transplant methods
Transplantation raises many questions for novice gardeners. Here you need to follow a certain algorithm:
- Using a sharp narrow knife, carefully separate the walls of the pot and the root ball (the roots may grow into the pot);
- clean the old soil and cut off dead and rotten roots;
- pour a little soil into the new pot;
- place the plant in the pot, trying to keep it in the middle;
- Gently straighten the roots, they are brittle;
- first, little by little fill the voids between the roots, then the entire pot to the very edge, shaking it from time to time so that the substrate fills everything evenly;
- lightly crush the soil on top with something flat, for example, a spoon;
- After transplantation, the orchid is placed in warm place and start watering little by little.
It is not difficult to propagate at home if you have certain knowledge.
Reproduction methods
There are two main ways: by seeds and vegetative propagation. When propagated by seeds, you may not get a plant identical to the parent.
Division
This method is suitable if the plant is large. Then the rhizome itself breaks into pieces when transplanted. It can also be divided:
- take the orchid out of the container and thoroughly clean the roots from the soil;
- using a knife, which was previously disinfected over an open fire, divide the rhizome between pseudobulbs;
- the sections are powdered with charcoal;
- flowers are planted in flowerpots according to the method already described.
Doing so better in spring.
Propagation by cuttings
Not all species can be divided this way, but some, for example, vanda, can be divided.
The apical shoot is separated with a sterile knife, the cut site is dipped in crushed coal and planted in a pot.
Reproduction by children (stem suckers)
Many flowers, such as phalaenopsis and dendrobium, produce side shoots, kids. If such a baby has formed, then you should take care of it, spray it often and wait patiently for it to take root. Then it is separated and planted in a container, sprinkled with coal on the cut.
The appearance of such a child can be provoked. This requires: high room temperature and nitrogen fertilizer.
Reproduction by layering (pseudobulbs)
The pseudobulb is carefully separated and, after treatment with coal, planted in the ground. Further care consists of watering.
Propagation by seeds
Orchid seeds are very small, this is the main difficulty of such propagation. It is used only by those involved in breeding. The seeds are placed in an artificial nutrient medium under sterile conditions to prevent mold from developing, and are germinated for 3-9 months. Then they are planted in a substrate and wait another 2-3 years until the plant can be replanted. Orchids grown from seeds bloom only after 3-4 years.
They buy in the store blooming orchid. Therefore, every owner faces two acute questions: is it possible to make it bloom for a long time and how to force it to bloom again if it has faded quickly.
When the orchid blooms
They bloom when they reach the age of 1.5-2.5 years.
In order for an orchid to please with flowering, it is necessary to create certain conditions for it:
- provide long daylight hours, the orchid must lay required quantity buds and form peduncles, this is a long process;
- Differences in day and night temperatures are required; during this period they can reach 5-7 degrees.
But if the orchid does not want to bloom, you can try to force it by arranging extreme conditions contents:
- keep it for 15-20 days at a temperature of 15-17 degrees;
- significantly reduce watering during this period.
U different types Orchid flowers vary noticeably in both shape and shades of color. But there is also something in common: the lower petal is shaped like a lip, there are two sepals on its sides, two side petals rise above them, and the upper sepal completes it all.
Caring for an orchid during flowering
An orchid, depending on the type and how many buds were laid in preparation for flowering, can bloom from 2 to 10 months. During this period, watering is doubled, the air temperature should be at least 20-25 degrees.
Orchid care after flowering
First of all, the peduncle is cut off to allow a new one to form. The orchid can be fed. Then comes the usual care.
Diseases:
- anthracnose- manifests itself brown spots with dots on the leaves - treated with preparations containing copper;
- fusarium- rotting spots appear on the leaves, this happens due to excess moisture - transfer to dry room and stop watering;
- rust- rust stains on the bottom of the sheet cannot be treated; the plant is destroyed so that others do not become infected;
- black rot- sprouts and leaves die off, the reason is that the room is too cold - it is better to destroy the plant so as not to infect others.
Pests:
- aphid- destroyed by a mixture of milk and water in equal proportions;
- soft-bodied tick- the affected areas in the form of rosettes are cut out and sprinkled with ash along the edges;
- spider mite- thoroughly wash the entire plant, window and windowsill with soap;
- scale insects- live in growths and bumps, get rid of them with soap suds;
- thrips - translucent bugs, living at the bottom of the leaf, the affected areas are cut out.
If such methods do not help, then turn to chemicals and process the plant according to the instructions.
Popular types (varieties)
- Phalaenopsis orchid- the most common in indoor floriculture view, there are many hybrids on sale that grow successfully in the house;
- Orchid dendrobium nobile- there are many varieties, they all bloom in spring, the most popular White orchid, such plants having pure White color, originate from Thailand;
- Cambria orchid- an artificially bred plant, it blooms for a long time, grows well on the windowsill;
- Ludisia orchid- a plant with very beautiful leaves, grows indoors only with very high humidity;
- Miltonia orchid-a difficult variety to breed, but with very beautiful fragrant flowers, shaped like a pansy;
- Cymbidium orchid-very large plants, now bred miniature varieties, which are so easy to care for that they are offered to beginning gardeners;
- Cattleya orchid-a species with spectacular waxy flowers, hybrids of which grow successfully in rooms;
- Vanda orchid- successfully grows indoors up to a meter;
- Oncidium- flowers resemble butterflies, grow in the house, but with strict adherence to the rules of care.
- If there is enough in the bathroom big window, that is optimal place for an orchid.
- It is better to buy orchids in spring or summer.
- If the flower gave aerial roots, then they need to be sprayed.
- After the orchid has faded, it must be moved to a new place.
Answers to readers' questions
Each species has its own life expectancy. At home, orchids live from 3 to 10 years.
Is it possible to keep this plant at home?
This flower will decorate any home.
Is this flower poisonous?
This houseplant is not poisonous.
Why doesn't the orchid bloom?
Preparatory measures were not carried out.
Why do the leaves turn yellow (dry)?
The reason is most often an excess of moisture or a lack of it.
How does the plant overwinter?
Overwinters in a cool room at average temperature from 15 to 18 degrees and limited watering.
Instructions
Do not replant during the flowering period. Replanting should be done only in the presence of poor-quality soil, which can harm the roots of the plant. Appearance will “tell” you that it’s time to replant: yellowed plants, drooping flower heads.
To carry out the procedure, you must purchase a special primer for, flower pot with holes in the bottom for air circulation, suitable size for the plant (approx. 2 cm free space what should remain from the walls of the bowl is if you lower the roots of the flower into it), expanded clay. Rinse the new bowl well, disinfect the scissors with alcohol or heat it over a fire.
Before transplanting, the orchid should be watered so that it root system softened. Carefully remove the plant from the pot, untangling the roots and removing any remaining soil. Carefully examine the roots: remove yellow, white, soft to the touch roots ─ these are diseased roots. Sprinkle the sections with a bactericidal agent ( activated carbon, ground cinnamon or crushed charcoal). Now you need to dry the roots. Leave the orchid on outdoors for 2 hours.
Prepare the pot for planting: pour expanded clay (1/3 of the height of the pot), the first layer of soil. Carefully plant the plant, filling it around and compacting it so that there are no voids between the roots. To strengthen the orchid, you should put a support and tie the flower to it.
Place the transplanted plant in a place where there is no direct sunlight and humidify the air around it. Carry out the first watering no earlier than in a week, and fertilize the soil in a month.
Now some tips for care. This flower should be watered only after the soil has completely dried. Having drainage at the bottom of the pot will help get rid of excess water. Water the plant in the first half of the day with filtered warm water 35-40° C. Do not forget to humidify the air around the orchid. An hour after watering, remove any remaining water from the leaves with a cloth, and wipe off white stains, if they appear, with diluted water. lemon juice in a one to one ratio.
The orchid is a light-loving plant, but it should be protected from direct sunlight. The plant does not live in dryness and dust, loves “walks” on fresh air, but without drafts and requires diffused light for at least 10 hours a day. The temperature in the room where it grows should range from 18 to 25°C.
Orchids need to be replanted periodically and on time. At the same time, flowers do not really need spacious pots. It is much more important for them to be regularly in fresh substrate so that enough air reaches the roots and the pot can dry out evenly. Over time, the substrate compacts and decomposes, and the roots receive less air than they need. That’s why orchids need to be replanted at the right time.
Instructions
This should be done once every year or two. The best time for transplantation is early spring, symbolizing the initial phase of development of all. The substrate can be updated from late summer to early autumn. It is not recommended to plant them during winter, otherwise the flowers will not have time to recover. In the summer heat, it is also better not to replant. It is better to transplant the newly acquired one directly into the substrate you are using.
A drainage layer, which is best made from clay shards, styrofoam flakes or pebbles, also plays an important role during transplantation. This layer will ensure the drainage of water from the roots, for which it is harmful to constantly be in water. Be sure to take fresh drainage material and a new
Orchid - beautiful blooming perennial, resident of tropical forests. Botanists count more than 600 species, the flowers are usually collected in spike-shaped or racemose inflorescences, but differ in the shape or color of the petals. Most orchids are epiphytes, clinging to the trunk of trees with aerial roots, the flower receives nutrients, accumulated in cracks in the bark. To grow such a plant at home, you need to know how to plant an orchid in a pot correctly. The maintenance of epiphytic plants differs in many respects from the cultivation of other indoor flowers.
Orchid propagation
To grow an orchid, you can purchase a mature plant in a store or divide an existing specimen. The flower reproduces very simply - by dividing the rhizome or by “children”.
For example, species such as cattleya, paphiopedilum, and cymbidium can be quickly divided by cutting the rhizome with a sharp knife. The procedure is best carried out in early spring when the flower has not yet begun to grow. The orchid is carefully removed from the substrate and divided so that each fragment contains 3-4 false bulbs. The cut areas are sprinkled with powder. charcoal and rooted in the substrate.
How to plant an orchid that reproduces by “children”? This division method is suitable for phalaenopsis or dendrobitum. Over time, the flower develops many side shoots; for successful growth and development, they need to be sprayed with water from a spray bottle more often. As soon as the young shoots have aerial roots, they can be separated from the mother plant and planted in separate containers.
Features of planting orchids
Regardless of which propagation method was chosen, the basics of planting in a substrate are not much different. If the orchid was purchased in a store, then you do not need to touch it for the next 2-3 weeks, let it get used to its new place in the shipping container. Only after making sure that the plant is healthy can you plan a transplant.
Choosing a pot for growing an orchid
The container in which the flower will be grown should be given Special attention. How to plant an orchid and which pot to choose? The roots of the plant must receive a sufficient amount of light, so the container is chosen from transparent plastic. Some florists prefer to use glass vases, the epiphytes in them look impressive, but this is not the most good decision. The glass will refract direct sunlight and the delicate roots will suffer from burns.
The root system of orchids grows superficially and more horizontally than vertically. For this reason, the container should be wide, but not too deep. Equally important for the roots is the presence of good aeration. The bottom of the pot should be equipped with several holes if the container is plastic, but several ventilation inlets can also be made in the side walls. When growing most indoor flowers, it dries out between waterings. top part earthen coma, and the bottom one is still for a long time remains moisturized, however, this is unacceptable when keeping an orchid. Dampness will very quickly lead to the appearance of fungal or other infectious diseases. The substrate should be moistened and dried evenly. You should not be afraid that debris will constantly fall out through the side holes of the container; the substrate for orchids is selected mainly from coarse materials, and the air exchange holes do not exceed 5-7 mm in diameter.
Preparing the substrate for growing orchids
How to plant an orchid and choose a high-quality substrate? Conditions for growing epiphytes should be as close to natural as possible. In the wild, the flower prefers tree bark and wet moss, these components must be present in the soil mixture. Specialized stores sell soil designed specifically for growing orchids, but, as a rule, all the components of this complex substrate are of low quality. Experienced flower growers prefer to prepare the mixture themselves:
- peat (suitable only upper layer) - 2 parts,
- crushed bark (it’s better to take pine bark) – 1 part,
- moss – 1 part,
- pieces of charcoal - 1 part,
- wood ash – 0.5 parts.
Any material that does not absorb water is suitable as drainage: crushed stone, pieces of foam plastic or river pebbles. Drainage should occupy at least 1/3 of the total volume of the pot; this is the only way to create the most favorable conditions for the root system of the flower.
How to plant an orchid in a pot correctly? Before planting, the plant must be carefully inspected. All rotten roots are carefully trimmed. Sometimes it happens that the root looks healthy, but in reality it is not. To determine its condition, you need to lightly touch the suspicious fragment. Healthy roots feel hard to the touch, while diseased and rotten roots are soft and often exude bad smell. You need to trim the fragment so as to capture 5–7 mm of healthy tissue, then dust the cut with charcoal powder or ground cinnamon. This will prevent the infection from spreading.
When replanting, stop watering the flower at least a week in advance; in a “dry” form, the plant tolerates the procedure better. After filling the container drainage material and partly with the substrate, place the orchid roots, after which, gradually, fill the space between them. The flower should be handled with care; orchids are fragile and tender plants. No need to fill the pot soil mixture to the edges, it is recommended to leave a little space and put a thin layer of moss on top. The first watering is carried out no earlier than 10–15 days later.
Knowing how to plant an orchid, you can use one trick. Most often, stagnant water forms in the center of the pot; it is recommended to place a large piece of foam there and distribute the roots around it. This is especially true for everyone orchid species, for example, phalaenopsis.
Method of planting sympodial orchids, prominent representative which Cattleya is is slightly different. The rhizome of such plants grows horizontally, so it is necessary to provide sufficient space on the surface of the earth for young shoots (bulbs). When choosing a pot, it is better to give preference to wide oval or rectangular shape, and plant the flower closer to the corner.
Securing the orchid after planting
It is not enough to know how to plant an orchid, it is important to then provide it with good conditions for rooting. Flower roots are very sensitive to mechanical vibrations, and if the plant is not planted tightly, the establishment process will take a long time. In a specialty store you can find flower holders made of thick metal wire. They resemble a frame and are stuck into the ground, the flower is placed inside the structure. The support securely fixes the orchid and prevents it from tilting to the sides. If a special design is not available for sale, then you can use improvised materials. Wooden pegs are stuck into the container on three sides and the plant is tied to them with soft ribbons. As soon as the orchid takes root and begins to grow, the devices can be removed or only 1 peg can be left.
Video on how to plant an orchid
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An orchid is a flower that is distinguished by the exquisite splendor of its blooms. More and more flower growers are happy to add it to their collection. One of the common species is phalaenopsis. Caring for her is difficult, but necessary. How to grow this flower at home?
Features of Phalaenopsis
The orchid itself is a very finicky flower. But there are species that do not require special conditions growth. Phalaenopsis is easy to grow even for people far from floriculture. Phalaenopsis mini requires the same approach to caring at home.
Phalaenopsis orchid
The orchid blooms for a long time and is very beautiful. The buds and flower look like artificial ones due to their excessively bright colors and correct form. The color range is very wide from white to black varieties and blues which are a rare find. Evidence of this is a photo of orchids.
The choice of phalaenopsis is very important point. After all, you need to distinguish between the healthy state of phalaenopsis and purchase a young, strong plant.
The orchid should have rich green leaves without damage, colored spots, scratches or dry shoots. They feel tight and elastic to the touch. The flower should sit firmly in the pot. This is the key to healthy roots. No buds crawling out of the ground, no wobbling of the flower with the risk of falling out of it.
Growing phalaenopsis at home
This type of orchid loves sunlight very much. On average, phalaenopsis requires 10 hours of good lighting per day. This will ensure that it absorbs moisture correctly, which means that nutrients will be absorbed for the structure.
Phalaenopsis at home
Place the orchid on a windowsill that receives full sun all day. But not with direct rays, but with oblique, scattered ones. Then the flower will be happy.
Advice. Choose windows for the plant from any side of the world, but not from the north. Light is the key to successful flowering and bud formation. If its place is darkened, then the phalaenopsis will simply grow leaves in order to capture as much light as possible.
Also, the usefulness and health of the orchid depends on the amount of light. IN dark room she gets sick often and may soon die.
Caring for an orchid at home involves maintaining a comfortable temperature:
- For an orchid to develop well, it needs a temperature within 16-24 degrees.
- Even 28 is allowed in the hot season.
- It is important to ensure a temperature difference between night and day. Approximately about 5 degrees. This also greatly affects the flowering result of phalaenopsis.
Advice. To cool the room, you can ventilate the room at night, but do not overdo it. An orchid with a strong drop or draft runs the risk of getting sick.
To successfully care for the plant, do not forget about the watering regime. Indoor plant loves water very much. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor so that the soil does not dry out. This is easy to determine: roots saturated with moisture look dark green, and dry roots look gray.
Watering phalaenopsis
It is important to know that watering is an unusual procedure.
- Simply pouring water into the soil is a common mistake.
- Moisturize as follows: immerse the flower in water for 2-5 minutes.
- In cold weather, it is better to reduce the time by 2-3 times. The procedure is done from morning until lunch.
- It doesn't hurt to spray the leaves with a spray bottle at the same time. After all, the moisture on the surface will not dry out soon. Therefore, phalaenopsis requires moderate watering.
It is necessary to support the flower in its comfortable conditions growth. Do not spread slurry in a pot. Indoor orchids They don’t like this kind of attitude. It is better for phalaenopsis to stand in drought for some time; this is much healthier than flooding.
Make sure the soil is completely dry. Wait a few days until it dries completely and then repeat watering. Much depends on the time of year, temperature, and activity of the plant itself.
Advice. Do not rule out bathing your phalaenopsis in the shower once a month with water at room temperature.
Water and fertilizer
What care is there without proper fertilization and watering? Water should be a nutritious liquid. Purified and distilled ones will not work. Good from a natural source that is rich in beneficial microelements.
You can additionally dissolve fertilizers in water. But the concentrated liquid is poured only into a pot with moistened roots, so as not to burn them.
Advice. At home, we are used to watering plants with tap water, but we do not recommend doing this. Tap water often oversaturated with salts.
Phalaenopsis copes well with long droughts. But only if the cases are rare, and not regular and long-lasting.
It is necessary to ensure humidity within 50-80%. This is required successful care behind the plant. There are several methods of provision:
- Spraying. Spray the phalaenopsis leaves evenly using a spray bottle. The main rule is to wet the orchid leaf, and not to make it rain. Drops should not form and flow into the pot. A light damp coating should appear on the orchid.
- Wet cloth effect. Regularly place a piece of wet cloth on the battery and radiator. Evaporation will give the desired result.
- Pot stand. Use a tray with small pebbles, which you periodically spray generously with water. No need to make a puddle there. Just wet the stones.
In the summer at home in the air low humidity due to heat, and in winter - dry heat heating system. As it dries, use techniques to increase the plant's humidity.
Pot and soil for phalaenopsis
Choose baskets or baskets in a wicker style made from twigs, bark, branches, bamboo sticks for an orchid. They are perfect for growing plants in room conditions. As for the filling, choose a mixture of finely chopped bark and moss. This is an ideal soil for young phelanopsis. No soil is needed, because in the wild it grows on trees. Provide a breathable substrate for your potted orchid.
Phalaenopsis pot
You can also purchase plastic pot for phalaenopsis, but not deep. Make big ones in the bottom round holes for moisture. Look for a pot that does not contain harmful chemicals.
For a phalaenopsis plant, replanting is always painful. Especially if the roots have been damaged by thorough cleaning of the previous filler.
Therefore, manipulation of the plant is done as a last resort: when the capacity is completely small for further growth.
- Carefully select the roots from large plot substance from the pot around the roots.
- Make the separation as far as possible so that the thin roots of the phalaenopsis are not damaged.
- After freeing the rhizomes, place them in large capacity plant, but do not bury it deeply. Let a small mound stick out. Over time, it will settle and a comfortable position for the orchid will form.
Change the pot with the substrate every few years. The fact is that over time, the useful components are washed out, the filler falls off and forms a tight, airtight layer. Such an atmosphere is not suitable for phalaenopsis life.
Orchid propagation
Pagons with roots grow on the stem of phalaenopsis. Keep an eye on their growth and development. As soon as they reach a certain size (3-5 cm), separate them from the mother branch and plant them in a free container.
Orchid propagation
The conditions for small phalaenopsis are 100% humidity. We wait a couple of months until the root system develops and strengthens. Then we transplant it into a large “adult” pot. A purely home propagation method.
Diseases and pests of phalaenopsis
All diseases arise from non-compliance with maintenance rules. If tight and brown crusts begin to form on the leaves, then something has happened. sunburn. Move the orchid into the shade and remove the affected foliage.
Signs of orchid disease:
- Soft marks of the same color indicate the presence of fungus. Trim off infected phalaenopsis leaves immediately.
- Areas covered with mold - the humidity level is high, the room is cold, evaporation does not help the situation. Improve the room climate.
The owners complain that there is still no long-awaited flowering, although no diseases have been detected. There is only one reason for this - excessive darkening.
Important. It should be remembered that another flower on the windowsill can also be a carrier of the disease. Separate flowers from the cluster and treat the disease.
The worm is another living threat. If you find small, cotton-like lumps on your pet, then you have malicious guests. Spraying, the mixture for which is sold freely, will help you get rid of them.
Slugs and worms that accidentally got into the composition of the flower are also not best gift. Such cases occur if you collected the substrate yourself. There's nothing wrong with that. The main thing is to use the mixture without any foreign residents in it.
They can also be caught by hand. Leave a piece of aromatic fruit in the pot overnight. Turn off the lights, and after a couple of hours you can return the lighting and check the bait. If there were slugs, then they will all crawl out for a night meal.
Flowering period
pleasing to the eye proper care And water treatments the orchid will last for several months or more (even six months). Quite a long time for a room dweller.
Orchid blossom
During this period, you can occasionally feed the rhizomes, although this is not a mandatory approach. It is more relevant after flowering.
Advice. If you replace watering with spraying the substrate and place the plant in a dark place, it will bloom faster. Of course, this is not done at the moment when you want. And at a biologically suitable time.
Further care
- Pruning flower stalks. You should not act at your own discretion. When the buds have completely faded and the peduncle has dried out completely, then use the scissors on the phalaenopsis. Only dead areas and parts can be removed surgically. Otherwise, you will harm the phelenopsis after flowering.
- Protruding roots. Roots protruding from the soil are not a signal to bury them back. Observe the condition of the flower. The root may be ready to die, which it will do in the near future. Your task is to wait for the root to completely die and carefully remove the dead part to the green area. Such processes are natural and beneficial for phalaenopsis.
- Leaf hygiene. Don't forget to wipe the sheets regularly. To do this you need to get a piece soft fabric. Wet in warm water, wipe the surface, and the phalaenopsis will be grateful.
Phalaenopsis orchid, which cannot be cared for at home special labor even for novice gardeners, it is an epiphytic plant from the rainforests of Australia and Southeast Asia. The flower owes its name to its resemblance to a butterfly, which was noted by the head of the German botanical garden Carl Bloom.
Phalaenopsis orchid: growing features
Certain features of its cultivation at home are associated with the natural growing environment of the butterfly orchid:
- A pot and soil for phalaenopsis orchids are required as support.
- Finding roots in the air and under good lighting, which promotes photosynthesis, is ensured by selecting the right location and light substrate;
- Availability aerial roots requires the gardener to constantly monitor the plant in order to exclude the possibility of them feeding from pots with other indoor crops.
- Possibility of plant flowering three times throughout the year due to the absence of a clearly defined resting phase.
Home care
To be the happy owner of a frequently blooming and healthy plant, must be adhered to certain rules on caring for an orchid that resembles a moth.
Location and lighting
The flower needs large quantities soft light that the plant can receive from windows in western and eastern directions. If the window faces south side, then during the peak of solar activity, slight shading is created using a loose curtain to prevent spots indicating burns from appearing on the shoots. To ensure that the plant maintains symmetry and does not tilt to one side, the orchid pot is rotated around its own axis twice a month.
Important! During the budding period, the flower should not be disturbed.
What soil is suitable for phalaenopsis orchids?
The substrate for flower cultivation can be purchased at flower shop, both in finished form and as separate components, the main one of which is moss.
When preparing the mixture yourself:
- Two days before planting the orchid, pine bark is soaked in clean water for swelling.
- A drainage layer of expanded clay or small pieces polystyrene foam
- Large-fraction parts of the bark are placed on top.
- The last layer is prepared from fine bark mixed with crushed moss.