Orchid
The orchid attracts many flower growers with its beauty. However, this plant is very demanding to care for. If you do not follow certain rules, then the orchid may die without delighting its owner with beautiful flowers. Therefore, it is so important to choose the optimal soil for the plant, provide it with sufficient moisture and observe the watering regime.
Content:
- Adaptation of the orchid to the living conditions
- How to properly care for an orchid?
- Orchid propagation
- How to care for an orchid during and after the flowering phase?
- What if the orchid is not blooming?
Adaptation of the orchid to the living conditions
Any move is stress for the plant. In order for it to transfer it with minimal losses, it is necessary to follow the rules of caring for it from the first days of the appearance of a new "tenant" in the apartment.
How long does the quarantine last?
Immediately after moving, the plant must be quarantined for 14 days. The orchid should be placed separately from other flowers. For this purpose, a bedside table is quite suitable, provided that there is no place for a flower on the windowsill. In addition, a plant that has been in the store for a long time does not need direct sunlight. The orchid should be kept calm.
It is not necessary to apply any fertilizers in the first two weeks after the move. It is necessary that the flower independently adapt to the conditions surrounding it.
It is also worth giving up watering, but at the same time you need to carefully monitor the condition of the leaves and stem of the plant. This will allow timely identification of possible pests and prevent their reproduction.
After 2 weeks, you can put the orchid on the windowsill, but this should be done gradually, at first only in the morning and evening hours, so that it gets used to the sun. From this time you can start watering the flower.
Briefly about transplanting an orchid
As a rule, within two years the purchased orchid will not need a transplant. However, if the store used Sfagnum moss as soil for the plant, then the flower should be transplanted as soon as possible.
Once the plant has been introduced into new soil, there is no need to fertilize it. It is enough just to keep it dry, and it will get used to the new conditions on its own. If there are no insects and spots on the orchid, then you do not need to treat the plant with any preparations. Excess chemicals can harm even a perfectly healthy flower.
As practice shows, a newly purchased and transplanted plant needs nothing but complete rest. You shouldn't even water it. Thus, it maximizes its own strength and adapts to new conditions.
How to properly care for an orchid?
The orchid is rightfully considered a very capricious plant that requires careful and reverent attitude. It requires the creation of suitable conditions. However, do not be afraid to start a flower, you just need to know the basic rules for caring for a plant.
Correct lighting
The health of the plant and the frequency of the appearance of flowers depend on how correctly the lighting is selected. If the orchid has enough sunlight, then it will bloom regularly. The fact that the plant needs additional lighting will be indicated by pale leaves, which will subsequently stretch out and turn yellow.
In order for the orchid to feel as comfortable as possible, you should follow simple rules:
- Do not allow direct sunlight to hit the flower. The light must be diffused.
- In the summer months, it is best to use a matte window film to darken the plant's habitat a little. This will avoid burning the leaves.
- In the autumn, the sun is not so intense, so the film can be removed. Soft rays will not harm the plant, but will contribute to its comfortable transition to a dormant state. At this time, old shoots ripen, and new ones are set, which will become flowers in the future.
- A lack of light harms the orchid no less than an excess of it. For normal flower growth, daylight hours should last at least 12 hours. Therefore, in winter, it is necessary to provide the plant with artificial lighting. To do this, you can use a luminaire with fluorescent lamps.
Selection of the optimal temperature regime for the orchid
The temperature regime must be selected depending on the type of orchid:
- The lady's slipper orchid, as well as the flowers of the genus Dendrobium and Lelia, are cold-loving plants. They grow in countries with subtropical climates, as well as in the highlands. For such orchid varieties, the optimal summer temperature is 22 degrees, and the winter temperature is 12-15 ° C.
- Orchids of the genus Miltonia and Odontoglossum are plants that prefer medium temperature values. They grow in the mountainous regions of tropical countries. The optimal daytime temperature for such flowers in the summer months is 18-22 degrees, and in the winter -12-15 ° C.
- Orchids Cattleya, Phalaenopsis and some flowers from the genus Dendrobium are thermophilic plants. Their natural habitat is the forest strip of the coastal tropics and tropical plains. The optimal daily temperature range for these varieties is 15-32 degrees in summer, 15-18 ° C in winter. It is important that daily temperature fluctuations do not exceed the range of 3-5 ° C.
Thus, almost all orchids are able to withstand daytime temperatures of 18-27 ° C, and nighttime temperatures of 13-24 degrees.
Watering the orchid
An orchid is a plant that does not tolerate stagnant moisture, so watering should be moderate. However, the watering regime is different for different types of flowers. So, orchids of the genus Oncidium and Dendrobium require moisture only after the soil is completely dry. In turn, Phalaenopsis and Pafiopedilum orchids prefer moist soil.
In any case, all orchids tolerate drought much better than over-watering. During active growth, during the period of ejection of peduncles and during the flowering process, they require more moisture. Insufficient moisture intake is indicated by the appearance of wrinkles on the leaves and shrinking of the pseudobulb. An excess of water is characterized by yellowed and soggy leaves, as well as rotting roots.
In winter, at low temperatures and in low light, there is no need to water the plant at all. The moisture of the orchid should be very moderate in the period after flowering, as well as in the dormant stage.
The water used to water the flower must be soft. It is good if it is possible to water the plant with melted or settled rainwater. If this is not possible, then ordinary boiled water should be used for irrigation.
In the summer months, the dry surface of the soil will indicate the need to moisten the soil. As a rule, 2-3 waterings per week are enough for the orchid to feel comfortable. You should also pay attention to the pseudobulb. If it shrinks and shrinks in size, then the flower needs additional moisture.
It is equally important to water your orchid properly. To do this, put it directly in a pot in a bowl filled with warm water. The holding time is 10 minutes. You can use the shower by watering the plant from above. In the latter case, it is important to let the excess moisture drain off. To do this, the pot is placed on a grate so that the water goes out through the drainage holes. Only then can the flower be returned to the decorative pot.
Top dressing and fertilization
Fertilizers need to be applied no more than 1 time in 14-21 days. This should be done only when the orchid is in the active growth phase. You can use top dressing such as Bona Forte, Pocon, Greenworld. Do not add more fertilizer to the pot than indicated on the package.
Flowers do not tolerate mineral salts well, and their excessive concentration can lead to the death of the plant. Therefore, it is so important to rinse the soil with running water once a week. You can alternate fertilization with washing: 1 week - watering, 1 week - top dressing.
You should not use fertilizers that are intended for other plants to feed the orchid. There is no need to bring them in during the winter and during the rest period.
Most flower growers believe that frequent feeding of an orchid only harms the plant. This negatively affects the state of its natural immunity, as a result of which the flower begins to suffer from various diseases more often.
Fertilization can be abandoned altogether if the frequency of soil renewal is observed. In order for the plant to receive all the nutrients from it, the soil must be changed at least once every two years.
Orchid propagation
Breeding orchids is not difficult, but certain rules must be followed. Flower reproduction is possible in several ways.
Orchid propagation by stem offspring
Stem offspring or "babies" of an orchid are small new plants. Such shoots are formed in those flowers that have an increased level of nitrogen. If such lateral processes have appeared on the orchid, then you should begin to spray it more often and wait until the shoots take root. When this happens, you can separate the stem from the main flower, after which it must be treated with powdered charcoal and planted in a separate pot.
Orchid propagation by layering
Layers are found in those orchids that grow horizontally (sympodial plants). They often appear in those flowers whose shoots have an elongated or thickened cylinder shape.
In order for the layers to awaken, it will be necessary to form a small greenhouse over the part of the flower where the buds have formed. You can use a plastic cup to do this. To increase humidity, you need to spray the moss in the greenhouse, as well as the shoot itself.
After about a month of being in warmth and moisture, the buds will awaken and new plants will appear from them, having their own leaves and roots. All that remains is to carefully separate them from the main trunk, process and transplant them into a separate pot. To strengthen young shoots, they can be kept in a greenhouse for some time.
Vegetative breeding method
Any species and varieties of plants can reproduce with the help of vegetation. To do this, you will need to divide the orchid root into several parts. It is important that at least 2 pseudobulbs remain on each part. The rhizome of a young plant should not be divided; it must be mature and strong.
The flower will need to be carefully removed from the pot, shake off the soil from the roots and cut the root into several parts. It is convenient to use garden shears for this. Cut the slices with charcoal and plant each part of the plant in different pots. New orchids need to be watered and sprayed. When new leaves or shoots appear, you can stop spraying and intensive watering, as these formations indicate that the plant has taken up.
How to care for an orchid during and after the flowering phase?
If the plant has formed flowers, then the following care recommendations must be observed:
- Water the orchid intensively. This is best done with a shower. The water should be warm. The optimum temperature is 35 ° C. It is important that the water does not remain at the point of growth of the orchid, as this threatens the death of the plant.
- The temperature at night should not be too low. It should be increased by 5 ° C from the recommended value.
- It is forbidden to replant the plant during the flowering period.
- During the flowering phase, you can make top dressing, but you should observe the measure.
You should not often rearrange the orchid from one place to another, this will increase the flowering period.
Dormant orchid care
After the flower has become dry and blackened, you need to cut it off. The incision should be made at the very base. Feeding during the dormant period should be discarded, or reduced to a minimum. In winter, the orchid is watered once a month, but the plant can be sprayed more often.
If the orchid does not bloom at the right time, then this indicates that it needs a transplant. You can try moving the pot to a different location - this should help. It is also necessary to transfer the flower in the case when its leaves wrinkle and turn yellow, and the peduncle does not appear.
Taking proper care of a picky plant like an orchid will help you achieve regular and long-lasting flowering.
What if the orchid is not blooming?
Even the most careful maintenance is not a guarantee that the plant will give color. For it to form buds, you need to find out and eliminate the reasons for their absence.
The reasons. Most often, an orchid does not bloom due to excessive grooming. Such conditions are not typical for the natural habitat of the plant, so it grows leaves, but does not give buds.
Other interfering factors:
- Abundant watering.
- Nutrient Deficiency.
- Rotting or damage to the root system.
- Pot too small.
- Stress due to habitat change.
- Tobacco smoke.
- Finding a plant in a draft.
- Constant movement of the pot from place to place.
Young plants do not bloom. Buds appear only on specimens older than 1.5 years old, and they must have at least 5 leaves
Do not place an orchid next to a fruit vase. Ethylene, which is produced by fruits, inhibits flowering.
What if it doesn't bloom? The orchid should be in such conditions that the temperature difference during the day and night is 4-6 degrees. If the root system has grown a lot, a new pot is needed. When transplanting, all damaged roots are removed.
Helpful hints:
- Refuse watering for 2 weeks. Before this, the plant is abundantly moisturized for 3 days.
- Add succinic acid or Epin. The plant is fed for a week every day 3 times.
- Saturate with moisture from the outside. To do this, the pot is brought into the steam room and left for 15-20 minutes.
- Refuse to use nitrogen fertilizers, or reduce their application.
The likelihood of flowers appearing on an orchid increases when the following conditions are met:
- The plant receives light for at least 16 hours a day.
- The air is humidified all the time.
- The orchid is not threatened by parasites and diseases.
Regular grooming and creating conditions similar to those in which the orchid exists in its natural environment will help it adapt and give an abundant color.
The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist
Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).
