Orchids, according to experienced flower growers, are demanding for the care and growing conditions of the plant. WITH
leaving the soil, lighting, method of watering - you need to take into account many nuances, deciding to plant this beautiful flower at home.
Not every orchid variety is suitable for growing at home, as many of them are wild-growing or “used” to special climatic conditions.
Orchids have no pollen that would attract pollinating insects. Not every species even has nectar. Their main advantage is a beautiful appearance and flavor.
What kind of orchids can be grown at home?
Orchids are diverse in size, shades and petal shapes. In total there are more than 20,000 of their species. In our climatic zone, it is quite realistic to breed dozens of varieties, but many of them require special conditions of detention, which are practically impossible to create in home conditions, except in greenhouses.
The best kind of orchids suitable for home cultivation - Phalaenopsis. The plant blooms long and beautifully, there are different shades. A window seat will be a great place for him to stay. Seed material is easy to get - you will find in any gardening market.
Phalaenopsis
Already not new to this business and successfully growing Phalaenopsis orchid? Then you can try to plant another kind of flower - more "difficult". For example:
• Orchid Dendrobium. For the active growth of beauty requires cool. It blooms no more than a month.
• Orchid Cattleya. The plant likes a warm, but not hot climate. Flowers can reach 20 cm in diameter.
• Orchid Vanda. A heat-loving look with a powerful root system. Flowers - large, as they grow brighter.
• Orchid Zigopetalum. Plant with beautiful fragrant inflorescences. Petals are two- or three-colored. Representatives of this species do not like the scorching rays of the sun.
Growing orchids at home is much easier rooting cuttings. The seeds of the plants are so small that they look like light dust. Orchid seed propagation is a complex technology that requires special skills and experience. This method of cultivation is suitable for breeding new hybrids and cultivation in greenhouse conditions. Therefore, We give preference to quality cuttings, bought from local flower growers and in specialized nurseries.
Preparation of soil and orchid growing tanks
The main task of the container for planting orchids and used soil mixture is to support the flower in an upright position, ensuring access of oxygen to the roots and removal of moisture from them. If there is a wet substrate in the tank, the roots of the plant will die.
There should be a lot of voids in the ground, which garden soil cannot provide - it is too dense. Therefore, the substrate for growing orchids either does not contain land at all, or contains it in small quantities. Novice flower growers are advised to buy in the store an already prepared mixture for rooting cuttings. Want to do everything yourself? Then stock up on time and patience. there is several options for the preparation of the substrate for growing orchids:
• Pine bark (for small flowers - a fraction of 3-6 mm; for large flowers - a fraction of the bark of 6-10 mm).
• Fern + peat + leaf earth + pine bark + charcoal (3: 3: 2: 1: 1).
• Pine bark + coal (10: 1).
Before preparing the soil, the pine bark is dried, otherwise - mold quickly forms in the substrate. Additionally, moss is used, but it is not added to the mixture itself, and the upper roots are carpeted with it.
As containers for growing orchids fit plastic pots, nets, wire pots. Experienced growers use special purchasing blocks, which may consist of bark, cork, and snags.
Planting orchids: blocks, pots, baskets
When the container and the substrate have been prepared, a high-quality cutting has been purchased - we are starting to plant the orchid. The key to success - quality planting material. The stalk must be without signs of disease, not shrunken. Before planting sterilize slices with fungicides, garden pitch or charcoal.
Landing rules based on the selected capacity:
• Pot. Cover 1/3 capacity with drainage (broken shards or bricks, expanded clay, polystyrene foam). Place an orchid on the drain, the roots of which need to be attached to the wire base with a nylon thread or soft wire. Cover the plant with the prepared substrate so that the horizontal part of the stem remains on the ground surface.
• Basket. In this case, the drainage layer is not needed - oxygen will flow to the roots without any obstacles. Attach a wire mesh at the bottom of the tank (often replaced with a layer of bark or moss). Place the roots on the grid. Pour the substrate on top. To increase the soil moisture capacity, the cracks of the basket can be closed with moss.
• Block. At the top of the block should be a hook for fastening it to the wall. If that in the purchased material is not provided, make your own fastener. When growing orchids in normal humidity conditions under the stalk will need a substrate of moss. Attach the plant to the block (carefully, do not break the roots!), Cover them with moss on top. Secure the orchid with a fishing line, wire or nylon thread on the block.
Planted orchids do not water for several days. Further, flower cultivation will consist in proper care for it - watering, creating good lighting and ventilation, and maintaining a normal level of humidity.
We create suitable conditions for growing orchids
Carefully consider creating suitable conditions for your orchid, otherwise - the plant will not take root. Conditions for growing and caring for a flower:
• Lighting. Potted orchids need partial shade. If the plant pot is on the windowsill, remove it from there by noon. The orchid is getting acclimatized well and with artificial lighting - lamps that give white light are used. In autumn flowering, provide additional lighting to it, so that the buds do not dry out and manage to blossom. In winter, the flower should be lit at least 12 hours.
• Temperature. A flower tolerates elevated temperatures better than cold. The optimum temperature range for growing orchids is 28-30 ˚С. To stimulate flowering, it can be kept at a couple of weeks at 12-15 C.
• Humidity. The optimal level of humidity when caring for an orchid is 60-80%. At lower rates, provide for your beauty a special pan with a grate, at the bottom of which water is poured, and a drainage layer is poured on top. Place the tray under the plant so that the evaporating moisture feeds the plant.
• Ventilation. The constant movement of air is especially important for cold-loving orchids. But the plants will not tolerate drafts! If there is no good natural ventilation in the room, sometimes you can turn on the fan.
• Watering. Under normal conditions, an orchid can do without watering for 2 weeks. Water the plant when the substrate dries. Orchids love abundant watering. The quality of moisture can be judged by the appearance of the root system. If the roots are green - moisture in the soil is enough. But their brown color indicates excessive waterlogging. Water the orchid with settled tap water (22-24 С). Try not to let water fall on the leaves - you can infect it with rot. Although occasionally (especially in hot weather) you can spray orchid leaves from a spray bottle. In the period when you put the orchid in a cool room to stimulate flowering, watering should be reduced.
• Fertilizer. Feed plantings with liquid fertilizers specially designed for orchids every 3-4 weeks. Feeding can be done independently. The plant responds well to the introduction of nitrogenous fertilizers during the growing season.
Under good growing conditions and regular fertilizing, the orchid will bloom and grow vigorously. Gradually, the root system of the flower grows strongly, displacing the substrate from the pot. Has come time to replant beautiful woman in another container. This is done like this:
• Remove the plant from the soil.
• Carefully free the roots from substrate residue. If they are not cleaned of small stones, put the root system in water with warm water for about 20-30 minutes - the stuck soil will be washed off. Dead roots can be cut so that they do not further inhibit the growth of orchids.
• Dry the orchid (minimum 6 hours).
• Prepare a new pot with a larger diameter than it was before.
• The planting pattern is the same as when rooting the cutting.
The main task during plant transplantation is not to injure the roots. If some roots were removed, the plant in the first months after the change of "place of residence" will require special care - additional support for the trunk, shelter with polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect.
orchid transplant
What pests and diseases to protect the orchid?
Along with the purchased seedling, it is possible to bring uninvited “guests” - pests that can eventually destroy an orchid. We list the insects most dangerous to the flower:
• Shchitovka. A small insect that feeds on plant sap. In the process of its activity, mucus is formed, which destroys the living tissue of the orchid. A sign of leaf damage by the shield is dark spots on the leaves. It is not easy to cure the plant - remove all pests from the orchid, spray it with a special agent, change the substrate, every five days for a month, wash the leaves with water.
orchid on orchid
• The scarlet. With the defeat of a small "fluffy" insects orchids begin to turn yellow and fall off the leaves. To detect a worm, a regular inspection of the plant is necessary. It is easier to prevent its spread - remove dried leaves in time, regularly wipe the leaves with water. Found pests on the orchid? We'll have to remove each of them with a stick, process the plant with a special compound.
red bug on orchid
• Whitefly. The larvae of this butterfly suck the juice from the orchid, which can lead to the death of the plant. The whitefly is clearly visible - you will immediately see it on the flower. If you find a pest, wash the flower with a solution of household soap (1: 6), treat the substrate and the plant with a special agent, regularly wipe the leaves with water.
Orchids, even if they live in indoor conditions, can also be affected by diseases.
The following "infections" are common:
• Anthracnose. Brown spots appear on orchid leaves, darkening with time. The cause of the lesion is increased humidity, abundant moistening of the substrate. To cure a plant, it is necessary to cut the affected areas, and place the cut cut wood ashes. If large areas are affected, treat the plant with special biological preparations.
anthracosis on orchid
• Mealy dew. The plant is covered with a whitish bloom, which leads to drying out of the affected part of the plant. The cause of the disease is excessive humidity, fever. For treatment, you can spray the orchid with a solution of colloidal sulfur. A couple of hours before the procedure, thoroughly pour the substrate.
It is not always the reason why orchids are withering as pests and diseases - the flower growers themselves, due to lack of experience in breeding these fanciful flowers, make mistakes.
If properly care for an orchid, it will delight you for many years.
