We will tell you about the detailed care of orchids in a pot at home

Description

Orchid is a fabulous flower, a symbol of harmony and perfection. It has been blooming on the ground since the late Cretaceous era. It gained fame as an ornamental plant for its beauty. It is believed that this beauty is prone to whims, but with proper care, it feels great and blooms great. There are many varieties and types of orchids. The most popular are Cattleya, Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis.

The latter type is considered the most unpretentious, therefore, it is better for beginners to choose it.

Before buying, pay attention that the roots are green, silvery, visible in the pot, if it is transparent, not rotten. Leaves should be green and dense, without spots.

Varieties:

1. Brassia, also called the Spider Orchid, is the most unusual in appearance. Flowers about 10 cm in diameter, pale green in color, collected in inflorescences, its aroma is sweet or unpleasant, depending on the taste. Flowering begins at the end of spring, and after its end, the plant needs rest and, therefore, a reduction in watering. It is quite simple to grow it, the temperature is suitable for room temperature, the main thing is that it does not drop below 10 degrees in winter. Do not place it in the shade or in direct sunlight.
2. Cambria does not grow in the wild; it was artificially bred from three other species. Its flowers vary in shape and size and are very durable, and long stems require support. Best of all, these plants feel on the windowsill, but not in direct sunlight, in winter it needs artificial lighting. The temperature should not drop below 13 degrees, and the substrate should always be moist, even in winter, watering only decreases.
3. Cattleya is the largest cultivated orchid with a spectacular waxy flower adorned with a ruffled, colorful lip. These plants come in a variety of sizes and colors. It is better to choose a hybrid if you plan to grow it in an apartment, as there are fewer difficulties with it. Flowering begins in spring and ends in autumn, each flower lives for about 3 weeks. When flowering is over, a 6 week reduction in watering is required. The temperature in winter should not drop below 13 degrees; it is better to put the pot in a bright place at home.
4. Cymbidium is another large orchid, but has now been replaced by a miniature home-grown variety of various flowers. It is better to start growing orchids with miniature cymbidiums, as they are the most resistant type of all. Each erect peduncle is adorned with more than 20 flowers for about 8-12 weeks. It's time for their flowering - autumn and winter. After the end of flowering, a decrease in watering is required. In summer, the plant thrives best outdoors in partial shade, and in winter in the cool above 10 degrees.

Step-by-step instructions on how to care for a purchased plant in a pot

What to do next with the flower after purchasing it in the store? There are several steps, following which you will ensure a long life for a beautiful flower and a lot of positiveness for yourself from contemplating the miracle of nature.

To transplant or not? Many people believe that the orchid needs to be transplanted immediately after the store. This is not true. The substrate in which the beauty grows is designed for 2 years. A transplant is only necessary if the flower falls out of the pot, is planted in moss, or is purchased at a bargain price.
It is also necessary to transplant when a large number of excessively crawled roots can be seen from the container - a sign that the container has become small.

Where is it better to put? The orchid loves a lot of ambient light.In summer, it is advisable to shade it (film on the window, rearrangement on furniture or a special stand at a distance of 1 m from the window). It is believed that a window facing west or east will be ideal for a flower. The optimal duration of daylight hours for an orchid is 12 hours; it will be advisable in autumn and winter to illuminate the plant with lamps with fluorescent lamps.

Orchid keeping conditions. The orchid does not like dry air. It must be systematically sprayed with lukewarm water, especially in the heat or if the flower is located near a central heating battery. Some florists believe that the flower periodically needs a warm shower, which will remind of warm tropical showers. But this should not be done during active flowering.
Air circulation is important for a plant: a stuffy room that is not systematically ventilated is destructive for it. However, you should not arrange a draft either: a capricious person can throw off flowers. Experienced florists periodically turn on the fan at low speed in the room, not aimed at the flowers.
In terms of temperature, orchids prefer warmth. The optimal indicators are + 20C, + 25C. When the thermometer drops below + 18C, there is a risk of flowers dropping or plant death.

How often and correctly to water Orchids grow naturally in trees, far from moisture. Therefore, it is preferable for her to dry out than waterlogging. The plant should be vigorously watered during the period of ejection of peduncles.
You need to water with settled or melted water, simple boiled water will do. Watering frequency depends on the season: in summer 2-3 times, and in winter 1-2 times a week. Watering technology is simple: immerse the flower pot in a container of warm water for 10 minutes or pour water from the shower on top. After allowing the water to drain on the grate, and after that place the plant in a decorative pot.

Orchid feeding

Important! You cannot feed the orchid immediately after purchase! It is necessary to give the flower time to acclimatize in the new conditions, otherwise it will shed all its flowers.
As with water, it is better to underfeed an orchid than to overfeed. Experts believe that frequent fertilization helps to reduce the immunity of the plant, and it becomes more susceptible to various kinds of diseases.

Naturally, special fertilizers sold in flower shops should be used for feeding.
As many florists recommend, you should start feeding with half the dose indicated on the fertilizer label. If feeding is made with a universal fertilizer for decorative flowering flowers, then a single dose should be 3-4 times lower than that indicated by the manufacturer.
Fertilizing the orchid should begin during the growing period, when it throws out a new leaf from the growing point. If leaf growth has stopped, then feeding should be suspended or reduced to 1 time per month.
The active growth of the plant stops most often in the autumn-winter period and in summer when the air temperature is high. In the spring, during the period of active growth, the flower should be fertilized with every second watering.
Before fertilizing, the orchid must be watered with clean water in the way the plant is accustomed to. This is done to avoid burning the root system of the flower.
You should not feed the plant during flowering: if the orchid has released a peduncle, feeding should be stopped. Otherwise, a complete reset of the colors is possible. A diseased plant does not need fertilizers, there is a risk of its death.

What does the brassia orchid look like?

A sympodial plant of medium size (from 30-60 to 80-100 cm) with flattened spherical-ovate pseudobulbs, furrowed, one-three-leafed, densely sitting on the rhizome, and longitudinal-lanceolate leaves.

Some species have flowers of various sizes - there are plants with both small corollas and rather large ones, collected in axillary inflorescences up to 15 pieces, bloom in December or January and bloom for several months. Sepals are elongated and slender, drooping freely, can reach a length of about 15–20 cm, petals follow their contour, but slightly shorter.

The lip is large, widened towards the apex, sessile, fewer sepals and petals, the column is thickened and short. Corollas are painted in yellow-green-brownish shades, and the colors of the spots and the main background of the petals and sepals often change places - on a light brown background, a yellowish-lime pattern, and vice versa, on a greenish-yellow sepals and petals, stains, strokes and specks of chocolate cherry blossom.

Planting and leaving

A flower grower who has decided to decorate his home with orchids must understand that this is a very delicate plant that requires special care rules.

• The orchid loves the sun, so it should be placed on the south side. The sun's rays have a beneficial effect on the flowering and beauty of the buds that appear.
• Do not overdo it to ensure sufficient watering. Twice a week is sufficient for the summer months; in winter, watering should be reduced to once a week.
• The flower also needs moisture, so regular summer spraying will benefit it, but in winter the orchid does not need them.
• The orchid will be more comfortable in a transparent plastic pot; such conditions are most favorable for the roots. They need the sun's rays for the plant to develop properly.
• The preferred temperature during the day is from 22 to 25 degrees, at night - from 18 to 20 degrees. To create a cooler atmosphere at night, you can ventilate the room or turn on the air conditioner. In this case, a strong increase or decrease in temperature can have a detrimental effect on the flower. Thirty degrees heat is contraindicated for a plant, as is cold air (at 15 degrees Celsius and below).
• Especially carefully you need to approach the choice of soil. There are two options - to purchase a special substrate in the store or prepare it yourself, collecting all the components. This requires moss, pine bark, fern roots, peat, sand, walnut shells, charcoal. Such a composition will be ideal for growing an orchid. Pine moss and bark can be harvested in springtime. Both are easy to find at the foot of the trees. Regular nutrient soil will never work. It is too heavy for an orchid. Oxygen will not penetrate in sufficient quantities to the roots, so the death of the plant is inevitable.
• When everything is ready, you can plant the sprout using the correct pot and soil. To do this, you need to make drainage holes, put a layer of drainage in the form of small pebbles, then pour a little earth, carefully place the roots, pour the soil on top again, and then water.
• To prolong flowering, you need to fertilize the orchid with potash and phosphorus fertilizers, but this must be done on time. For example, a transplanted orchid cannot be touched for a whole month. No amount of fertilizer will do her good. In addition, if the plant is weakened by disease or pests, the problem must be dealt with first. At this time, feeding is also useless. The peak of active flowering is also not intended for manipulation of top dressing. At other times, the plant needs to be fertilized. In this case, you should first water it well, and only then add useful elements.
• Another feature of the orchid is that it does not like movement in space. Therefore, you should not change its location unnecessarily and even just move it, for example, during cleaning. If you still had to move the pot, then you need to return it to its original place so that the plant is turned to the sun by the same side as before.
• If you do not pay due attention to the orchid and do not follow the correct conditions for its maintenance, it is possible that diseases and pests may appear, due to which the plant may face death. The pests that most often threaten the orchid are scale insects. Their appearance usually occurs due to excessively dry air. In order to get rid of them, you need to buy special chemicals that are sold in garden stores. You can treat the leaves with a soapy solution with the addition of alkali, if the lesions are not too severe. Aphids are also dangerous. They promote the growth of fungi. There are also special preparations for such cases. At home, you can spray the flower with water and milk, mixed in equal proportions.

Orchid flowering at home

Did you get an orchid as a gift and it faded quickly? Almost all of them do. Making an orchid bloom for a novice grower is not an easy task, as we already know the orchid is a demanding plant to care for.

Let's take a closer look at what factors determine the frequency of orchid flowering and how to achieve orchid flowering at home.

When purchasing an orchid in a flower shop, ask about its age, usually orchids begin to bloom at the age of 1.5 to 2.5 years.

• The first most influencing factor in orchid flowering is daylight hours. For each specimen, there is a certain length of daylight hours, which makes it possible to fully form peduncles. Compliance with this factor serves as a signal for the laying of flower buds in an orchid. A lot of time can pass between the process of laying the buds and the formation of a peduncle, you should be patient.
• The second factor is compliance with the difference between night and day temperatures. The difference should be between 5 and 7 degrees.

If after that the orchid has not bloomed? There are several more ways to make an orchid bloom at home.

• Lowering the temperature to +16 degrees for two weeks.
• Reducing watering (changing the usual regime).

When you achieve flowering, the orchid will delight you with its beautiful flowers from 2 to 8 months, depending on the type and number of flower buds. During the flowering of the orchid, watering is doubled. After the orchid has faded, collect the dry buds and begin the feeding cycle.

Reproduction of orchids at home

If you are engaged in the cultivation of orchids and have already become imbued with all its features, you can safely reproduce your favorite specimen. Reproduction of orchids at home is a task for an experienced florist. Reproduction of orchids is carried out: by dividing large plants, lateral shoots, apical cuttings, pseudobulbs, children, seeds.

Reproduction by "children" (stem offspring)

Babies are small new plants that can form new varieties of orchids. Such lateral shoots usually appear in those plants in which the nitrogen content is increased. If you see "kids", then try very often to spray the orchid and wait for them to grow up and release the roots. Now you can separate the new plant, treat it with charcoal powder and plant it separately.

Reproduction by layering

This method of reproduction of an orchid consists in using layers, such layers are found in sympodial orchids. Air suckers are very often formed in shoots with elongated or cylindrical thickened shoots.

In this case, you will need a small greenhouse over the bent part of the stem. It can be made from a small plastic container and cut a slot on the side. Now start moisturizing the moss and wait for the dormant buds to awaken.

The leafless shoot, which is in the greenhouse in a horizontal position, needs to be heated and regularly moistened. In about a month, the dormant buds will awaken, and young plants with leaves and roots will grow out of them.

After rooting, small orchids must be carefully separated from the mother shoot, then processed, you can also transplant the orchid into a small pot. Keep them in the greenhouse for a while.

Vegetative propagation

This method is convenient to propagate almost all varieties of orchids. The rhizome of flowers will simply need to be divided, while leaving two or three pseudobulbs on each plot. But this breeding method is only suitable if the orchid is large enough.

Diseases and pests

If the tiger orchid receives an insufficient amount of fertilizer, then it can begin to form growths, which will quickly complete their growth.

The most common orchid pests:

• Shield. May appear due to dry air and slow down plant growth. Get rid of the scabbard with the help of special chemicals.
• Pemfigi. Pemphigi are whitish insects. The reason for their appearance may be dry air in the room. They damage the leaves of the tiger orchid. Eliminate pemphigi using soapy water or special chemicals.
• Aphid. The insect is black with a greenish tint. They are the cause of the appearance of fungi or viruses on the plant. They appear due to a violation of the temperature regime in the room where the plant is located. Get rid of aphids with a milk-water mixture.