Orchids in a flask
A flask or a bottle (from the Latin flasco - "vessel for wine") is a small container that is used to store liquids and other substances. In the context of growing orchids, flask refers to glass or plastic bottles with seedlings and adolescents. This capacity is temporary and is only suitable for germinating seeds and growing seedlings.
Orchids in flasks.
The cost of a bottle of seedlings varies depending on the type of plants inside and their number. It can range from a few dollars and more, reaching tens and hundreds of dollars.
Advice! Orchid flask can be purchased online at specialized websites, in stores, or from breeders.
Advantages and disadvantages
The big plus of such a purchase is:
- relatively low cost of each individual plant;
- a large number of them;
- the ability to grow a plant that is fully adapted to the specific conditions of detention.
Also, sometimes it is only such an opportunity to purchase a copy of a particularly rare species. Purchasing a batch of orchid flasks is a good way to start your orchid resale business.
Among the disadvantages are the reverse sides of the advantages. In fact, making an order via the Internet, the florist plays the lottery and most often gets a "pig in a poke", because the seedling blooms only at 4-5 years of age.
That is, it is impossible to somehow be 100% sure of the honesty of each individual supplier, since he may simply send the wrong thing by mistake. And the florist learns about this only by the colors.
The exception is orchids, which have any specific distinctive features and features, but there are few of them.
Types of Wanda orchids (with photo)
Vanda Suarez, or tender (Vanda suaris) - stem 60-90 cm long bears dark green belt-like leaves. Flowering, which is usually abundant, begins in spring. The racemose inflorescence consists of 10-12 fragrant flowers 5-7 cm in diameter. The petals and sepals are wavy, white, with purple dots. The lip is three-lobed, bright pink.
One of the popular Wanda orchid species is var. tricolor is a large plant, up to a meter high or more. Peduncle with 5-10 fragrant star-shaped flowers, about 7 cm in diameter, white-cream, with red-brown spots and stripes.
Vanda cristata (Vanda cristata) is a species characterized by large, up to 5 cm in diameter, fragrant flowers of yellow or red color.
Vanda great (Vanda insignis) is a large evergreen plant with a thick stem and tough elongated leaves. Blooms in summer. The peduncle bears a racemose inflorescence, consisting of several brownish-yellow flowers, 4-5 cm in diameter. The lip is large, rounded, pink. At the end of the XX century. many new hybrids have been obtained on the basis of this species in Thailand.
At home, preference is given to hybrids with spectacular large flowers, the flowering period of which depends on the type and conditions of detention. This bright and exotic orchid is used to decorate warm flower gardens in greenhouses and conservatories.
Vanda Fuchs - a hybrid that became popular at the end of the 20th century, was officially registered in 1994, and has since been widely used in the process of further hybridization. It and its derivatives are characterized by a peculiar spotting of the petals and lips of flowers. The background color can vary from blue-violet to pink-red.
Vanda Gordon Dillon Orchid is a hybrid characterized by a varied color of rounded flowers, collected in a racemose inflorescence 15-25 cm long. Leaves are elongated, light green, 15-20 cm long.
The Vanda Kultana Orchid is a Vanda hybrid that blooms several times a year. The stem is straight, 45-60 cm high. The flowers are large, fragrant, purple with white stains, collected in racemose inflorescences of 20-25 pieces. The Vanda Kultana orchid blooms for several months. Plants require a warm and moist environment.
Vanda Roberts Delight is a light-loving hybrid with a racemose inflorescence containing 15 to 25 fragrant bright pink flowers.
Vanda Rothschildiana is a hybrid obtained by crossing two species - V. sonderiana and V. coerulea. Light blue flowers with a diameter of 4-5 cm are collected in multi-flowered inflorescences. Flowering begins at the end of September.
Vanda Sansai Blue is an unpretentious hybrid with blue flowers. The multi-flowered inflorescence remains fresh and aromatic for up to 2 months. During flowering, the plant requires abundant moisture and intense artificial lighting.
Vanda Monster - a hybrid obtained by crossing the species V. tassellata and the Vanda variety 'Pranerm Ornete'. A large plant a meter or more in height. A tall peduncle bearing more than a dozen flowers is recommended to be tied or attached to a support.
Vanda Reverend Masao Yamada is a brightly colored hybrid with a beautiful flower shape that inherits these characteristics from Vanda sanderiana.
Vanda Trikim, a synonym for Holcoglossum kirnballianum, is a cross between V. suavis and V. kimballiana. Homeland - the territory of Thailand and Burma, where the plant is known as Nued-Pram-Lum-Dum. In contrast to the parental species, the variety is characterized by slightly curled petals and a more distinct division of the distal part of the lip into two lobes.
How to create optimal conditions for growth and development
Growing and caring for a plant is not the easiest, as it is very demanding.
It is important for him to create the right microclimate and maintain it. If there is no time to provide proper conditions and care, it is better not to start this flower.
Since it will not grow normally and will die within a short period of time.
Air characteristics and irrigation regime
Plants are finicky, as they are of tropical origin and can develop normally only with the following parameters:
- The temperature is not lower than +25 degrees. Moreover, it should not change much during the day. Sudden changes will cause the death of the plant, or it will bloom very rarely.
- The optimum level of humidity is 70 to 90 percent. The main thing is not to allow a strong decrease in this indicator. It is best to use an automatic humidifier to always maintain the correct moisture level.
- You can irrigate with abundant spraying of the roots or baths with water, into which the root part is lowered and kept until bubbles stop appearing on the surface.
Watering should be done only in the morning, so that the plants get rid of excess moisture by the evening. If you do this in the evening, the orchid may stop developing. The likelihood of various diseases is sharply increased. Usually, in a warm period of time, watering is carried out every day, and in winter - once every 2-3 days, when the plant goes into a state of dormancy.
Soil and lighting
There are two more important aspects of home care that should not be overlooked. In our latitudes, it is difficult to provide optimal conditions for vanda flowers to appear 2-3 times a year. Several important recommendations must be followed:
- The duration of daylight hours should be at least 12 hours, otherwise the plant will fall asleep. Under natural conditions, the wanda does not have a dormant period. Therefore, additional lighting will ensure its flowering more often than once a year. In addition, the buds will last for 1-2 months.
- Use only special phytolamps that simulate sunlight. Choose the time based on the length of the day. It is best to place flowers on the south or west side, where there is most natural light.
- It is not necessary to use soil for growing.Orchids can be placed in wicker containers or special containers, in which it is desirable to make additional holes to improve ventilation.
- It is also allowed to use a special substrate that is used to fill the container. It needs to be changed periodically. This is usually done every 6 months.
FYI: Wanda can be placed entirely in a large glass vase and grown without soil. Watering is carried out as follows: pour water and after 10–20 minutes drain the rest.
When choosing containers, they are guided by the size of the plant. When the root part has grown a lot, it is better to change the container to a larger version. At the same time, pre-water the orchid, if it grows in the substrate - it is so easy to remove it and add a new one.
Top dressing and other important aspects
In order for a plant to develop and grow normally, it must be provided with the necessary nutrients. To do this, you can use both specialized formulations and folk remedies:
- Prepare a special composition for orchids as indicated in the instructions and use instead of standard watering. This should be done at least once a month.
- Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to a liter of standing water and use the fertilizing solution. This will protect the orchid from disease and stimulate flower formation. The optimal frequency is once every 3 months.
- Insist banana peel in water and use fertilizer solution about once a month.
For information! If you need to transplant, but the wanda blooms at this time, it is better to wait until the end of flowering.
To reduce the load on the plant, it is recommended to cut the peduncles that begin to dry out. You can also remove damaged leaves so that they do not cause disease.
Popular types and hybrids of Wanda's orchid photo and description
The hybrids obtained in breeding have the general name Vanda × hybrida and differ in a variety of varieties with large or numerous small flowers of white, green, yellow-brown, red, purple, cherry or lemon shades, monochromatic or with a spectacular pattern.
Vanda blue (V. coerulea) is one of the few botanical orchids that can produce varieties with blue flowers - a property that is highly valued in the production of interspecific and interspecific hybrids.
In 1999, the Vanda Pachara Delight hybrid was registered, created from V. Coerulea and Vanda Gordon Dillon and received an FCC / JOGA award (First Class Certificate from the Japan Orchid Growers Association).
A rare feature of this hybrid form is its deep indigo blue color, which is quite rare in the orchid world, even among hybrids.
Vanda Pachara Delight Hybrid
Vanda dearei from Borneo is one of the main sources of yellow in the hybrid forms of this genus. Her graceful hybrid Miss Joaquim is the national flower of Singapore.
Vanda Sandera (V. Sanderiana) and one of her amazing varieties "Alba", which is very popular with orchid growers for its unusual light green color.
V. Sanderiana cultivar Alba
Vanda tricolor (Vanda tricolor) with curved reed petals and often wavy edges. A characteristic feature is an interesting speckled pattern of different shades on a monochromatic background of petals. The flower stem of the epiphyte can reach a height of about one meter.
How to transplant Wanda?
Vanda orchid variety: photo
Before making a direct transplant, you need to make sure that the roots of the plant do not rot and they are not damaged. If there are still rotting parts, it is necessary to remove them as soon as possible. The main thing is to do this while the Wanda orchid species is dry. It is necessary to systematically transplant young plants, because they are constantly growing, however, those whose roots are already too long will take quite a long time to adapt to life in new conditions, so that they need an eye and an eye.
1) Too compacted substrate.Over time, they all become compacted after a sufficiently large number of waterings. This is fraught with the fact that the soil will cease to allow air to pass through and the plant will wither.
2) The substrate was initially of rather poor quality. This can be seen by how well it allows moisture to pass through. If the substrate does its job well and dries out quickly enough, then no transplants are needed. Otherwise, it, like the preparation of a more suitable substrate, is simply necessary.
3) Soil contamination. This also happens over time, no matter how good your substrate is. However, pollution can still be slowed down if the plant is handled very carefully.
4) The root system goes too deep into the ground. It also has the risk of not getting enough moisture and nutrients for the plant, which of course we don't want.
5) The appearance of rot on the roots
There are many reasons for its appearance, but we will not focus our attention on them now. The main thing is that when you see decay, whatever its reason, you urgently need to remove the affected areas of the rhizome and transplant
3 signs when a transplant cannot be postponed:
- the soil is caked, dries up for a long time and impedes the circulation of air masses;
- root rot;
- strong deepening of the roots into the substrate.
Popular types of wanda orchids with photos
In indoor floriculture, natural vanda species are extremely rare, mainly hybrids and varieties predominate in home collections, however, in order to better understand the conditions of their maintenance, it is important to know how their “progenitors” look and what requirements are imposed on their cultivation:
blue (coerulea) - with bluish-blue flowers, the petals of which are covered with a mesh of blue, and the lip of the same shade;
Blue Wanda (coerulea)
Sandera (sanderiana) - the national flower of the Philippines with pink petals adorned with cherry touches at the base, and a yellow-red lip, quite miniature against the background of patterned purple-terracotta sepals;
Wanda Sandera (sanderiana)
tricolor (tricolor) - with cream or white petals, strewn with rich cherry spots, and a lip with a guitar-shaped middle blade, painted in a purple-pink hue;
Wanda tricolor (tricolor)
luzonica - named after the island of Luzon. Flowers similar to Vanda tricolor, white petals, dotted with purple strokes and pink spots at the base;
Wanda luzonica
comb (cristata) - with yellow petals and a forked lip of white-purple or white-burgundy;
Wanda comb (cristata)
great (insignis) - with brownish-yellow petals and a lip painted in a pale pink hue;
Wanda the great (insignis)
Orchid Wanda: home care
Since this variety of orchids is mainly grown without using a substrate, watering must be done as follows: the entire root system is carefully placed in a container with water and kept there for about 20-30 minutes. After that they take it out, let it drain a little
It is very important not to wet the stems and leaves during watering.
You need to water the plant:
- in the summer, once every 4 days;
- in winter, no more than 1 time per week.
If a substrate is used when growing Wanda, then the frequency of watering should be reduced to 1 time per week in summer and 1 time in 14 days in winter. More frequent watering leads to rotting of the root system and the death of the plant.
For watering, the roots of the plant are completely immersed in water.
Important! To increase the humidity level, it is allowed to spray the orchid 1 time in 7 days in winter and 2 times a week in the summer. In this case, you need to ensure that water does not fall on the stems, leaves and flowers .. When using a glass container, watering is carried out as follows: carefully pour clean water into a vase in a small stream so that the roots are immersed in it
Let it stand for about half an hour, then carefully drain it
When using a glass container, watering is carried out as follows: carefully pour clean water into a vase in a small stream so that the roots are immersed in it. Let it stand for about half an hour, then carefully drain it.
This procedure is carried out twice a week in the summer and once in the winter. When using glass vases, watering must be done very carefully to prevent rotting of the root system (this can occur due to limited air access).
Complementary feeding is carried out during the period of vegetative growth of Wanda. Special fertilizers are used with the addition of potassium monophosphate. Take based on the proportion of 1 g of fertilizer per 1000 ml of water. Fertilized, as a rule, once a month
It is important to note that it is better to introduce complementary foods after the end of the flowering of Wanda.
As mentioned above, this orchid variety does not have a distinct growth and dormancy period. The abundance of flowering is observed in spring and summer (this is due to the greater natural illumination).
The flowering period can last up to 2-3 months. Provided that it is kept correctly, the Wanda orchid will delight its mistress with flowering for a whole year.
The flowers of the plant are simply unique, they have different shapes and colors. If flowering does not come for a long time, then you need to check whether the plant has enough color, whether there are temperature changes or perhaps it is simply overfed with fertilizers.
After the end of flowering, it is necessary to cut off dried flower stalks, reduce watering and spraying to a minimum.
Where does the blue come from?
Many orchid lovers are wondering where the vibrant and intense blue of orchids comes from. And is there a similar species in nature? Let's try to understand this issue.
Interested in whether the blue orchid is dyed or not, buyers are trying to find a clue, which, with the acquisition of such a plant, will soon find itself. The next time it blooms, it will return to its natural shade. The buds are likely to turn either dirty blue or white.
This phenomenon is justified by the fact that in nature, orchids are not as deeply blue as we see them on store shelves. Therefore, plants are often dyed with a special chemical dye. In many stores selling such flowers, small labels are attached to the bowls, where visitors are honestly warned about this. But still, more often they try not to disclose such information, so many buyers, after purchasing a blue orchid, the photo of which is in this article, are subsequently disappointed in their purchase.
For such painting, most often those types of orchids are chosen that are naturally either white or blue. But over time, the dye disappears, and the flower again returns to its natural shade.
Reproduction
Sometimes adult orchids develop from dormant buds not peduncles, but vegetative "babies". Such shoots are allowed to grow a root system on the mother plant, after which they are carefully separated with a sharp knife and planted in a suitable container.
Well-grown Wandas can be split up to make new plants. To do this, the mother bush is cut into two parts so that each of them has its own roots. The incision site is treated with charcoal or other antiseptic, after which the orchids are placed in containers chosen for them.
Newbie flower growers rarely try to propagate the Vanda orchid. They are alarmed by the stories of experienced colleagues about how hard it is to do it. Yes, there are difficulties, but they can be easily circumvented.
There are two main breeding methods.
- Children. Lateral shoots with roots are planted in another container. Moreover, they must have a height of at least 5 centimeters. The baby is carefully separated from the mother plant with a sharp knife and put under cover. At first, they contain it in conditions of high humidity - from 85% and above. The sections are sprinkled with charcoal powder. Daughter rosettes in an orchid are a rare occurrence when grown at home.
- Cuttings.Cut off the top of the stem with aerial roots. The part cut off from the flower is planted in a substrate of fine bark and sphagnum. The first 3 days the flower is well watered. Then the frequency of watering is reduced to once a month or two.
The caring maintenance of a room orchid sooner or later leads to the formation of children. Together with cuttings, this is the only way to get a new flower on your own.
There are several ways to propagate an orchid. Most often, the flower reproduces vegetatively.
Germinating seeds
Seed propagation is used exclusively in laboratory conditions. In order to grow an orchid in this way, you need to place the seeds in a nutrient medium obtained under sterile laboratory conditions.
Mini greenhouse for orchids
In this case, it will take a very long time to grow a plant. The seed germinates for about 9 months, and to grow a shoot, you need to wait about 3 years.
Note! When growing an orchid from seed, the first flowering can occur between 4 and 10 years. Orchids are often grown in laboratory conditions in special flasks or glass vases, but this method has a lot of nuances.
Orchids are often grown in laboratory conditions in special flasks or glass vases, but this method has a lot of nuances.
