How to grow orchids at home: basic recommendations and requirements

Probably, there is no such person who has not seen or heard about orchids... This is an incredibly beautiful flower that amazes the imagination with its outlines, nobility and regal beauty. She is quite demanding in caring for herself, so you need to master some tricks, which we will talk about below.

Content:

• Orchids - features and best varieties
• Subtleties of care
• Reproduction methods
• How to choose the right soil and flower pot
• Pruning and replanting recommendations
• Diseases and pests: prevention and treatment

Orchids - features and best varieties

Orchid - a flower that has an infinite variety of colors and shapes. She simply attracts attention with her sophistication and exoticism. Despite the presence of a beautiful, scented flower bud, they do not have pollen to attract pollinators to reproduce.

Therefore, their main feature is the breeding methods that are carried out at home.

Since the orchid is used to living in a natural environment, settle down on the windowsill it is not so easy for her. But having provided proper care for the plant, it will delight you with the formed peduncle of the most unusual coloring.

The most popular types of orchids for growing at home are:

• Cattleya
• Dendrobium
• Wanda
• Vanilla
• Zygopetalum
• Phalaenopsis

Each type is unique and requires special attention on your part. Having acquired such a beauty on the windowsill, do not forget to take care of her and even talk to the flower - it has been proven that they have memory. Therefore, send him your positive urge, thanks to which he will be even more beautiful.

Subtleties of care

If you decide to grow an orchid at home, keep in mind the important fact that they are very demanding. Such a plant will become a real decoration. In order for it to please you every day, you need to carefully look after the flower - choose lighting, water it, maintain the temperature regime, ensure air circulation, humidity and fertilize it in time.

Lighting is the most important factor in the care of an orchid, on which future flowering depends.

With a lack of light illumination, the vegetation processes will proceed too slowly, and with an excess of it, the flower will burn out without having time to throw out the bud. Only diffused light is suitable for orchids.

In the summer, when the light radiation is maximum, it is advisable to place it in a darkened place, protecting the plant from direct sunlight. By doing this, you will prevent leaf burns and prepare it for winter. If you decide to leave orchid on the windowsill, it is better to darken the window with a matte film. In the autumn, the film can be removed, since the natural light is no longer so intense. Since the daylight hours are reduced, there is a need for piece lighting of a houseplant using fluorescent lamps.

Watering:

• It is a catalyst for growth and flowering, however, several factors must be taken into account when watering a home beauty.The soil of some orchid species (Cymodium, Odontoglossum) must always be moist. Other varieties (Cattleya, Dendrobium) need to be watered as the substrate dries.
• Since orchids are epiphytic plants, they can tolerate drying out of the soil quite well. There is a fine line between lack and excess of moisture - if you do not systematically water them, the leaves will begin to wrinkle and wither. And with an excess of water, it will start to fester root system and the leaf will turn yellow.
• Watering you need to carry out with soft water, settled in advance. In the summer, you need to water the plant 3 times a week, and in the winter - once. If it is planted in a pot, water should be poured from above with a weak stream, if in a basket, then it is immersed in water for several minutes.
• After the watering procedure, the orchid must be placed on a grate so that excess glass water does not lead to root decay.

Often a prerequisite for the constant "release" of the orchid peduncle is a change in the temperature amplitude during the day and night. It is recommended to keep the beauty in the daytime at temperatures from 18 to 27 degrees with a plus mark, and at night from 13 to 24.

To ensure normal conditions for the vegetative process, it is necessary to maintain air humidity within 60–80%.

If it is lower in your apartment, then use a special pallet with a grate, on the bottom of which you need to pour water, and put gravel or drainage stones on top. Make sure that the orchid pot does not come into contact with the tray or absorb its water. When it gets too hot in your house, spray it periodically with a spray bottle.

Fertilizer:

• If you want to enjoy the constant flowering of a home beauty, take care of her regular feeding.
• Fertilizer can be purchased at a flower shop (be sure to choose it according to the type of plant) and apply according to the instructions on the package.

Thus, its peduncle and longitude depend on the correct care of a beautiful orchid. flowering... Don't forget to take care of your indoor plant and it will delight the eye every day.

Reproduction methods

If you decide to propagate an orchid at home, then you can do this in several ways:

1. Division of the rhizome. This method is suitable for large plants. The formation of new roots serves as a signal of readiness. It is necessary to get the flower out of the pot and clean the rhizome from the soil by soaking it with warm water. Cut off the old fibers, and dip the cuts in crushed activated carbon. Divide the plants into the root false bulb area, leaving three bulbs per section. Transplant orchids in pots and place in a dark place.
2. Way cuttings tops. Suitable for those flowers that grow fast enough and form knots on the stems. With a disinfected knife, separate a couple of cuttings from the stem, and treat the cut area with activated carbon. Moisten the shoot constantly until the hairy root appears, and then plant it in the ground.
3. With the help of children. If you take proper care of your beauty, then she can release children on her shoots. After their root grows up to 3 centimeters, you can safely remove the "cubs" from the mother's flower by simply pulling slightly in your direction. Plant in a suitable pot and enjoy the new plant.

In this way, breeding orchids - the process is not at all complicated, and most importantly not laborious, if you know how to handle the flower correctly.

How to choose the right soil and flower pot

Since in the natural environment the orchid grows on other plants, it is necessary to plant it at home in a special substrate, which should be selected depending on the type of plant:

1. Disembarkation on the block. It can be tree bark, fern or driftwood. After choosing a flowerpot, cover its bottom with quality moss.The orchid root must be carefully tied to the block and placed inside the flowerpot. You need to regularly spray the flower with water so that it does not dry out and wither.
2. Planting in a substrate. You can buy a ready-made substrate in a specialized store, or you can make it yourself.

We bring to your attention several options for preparing the substrate:

• The first option - you need pine bark and moss. First you need to get rid of insects and bacteria on natural material. Boil the bark several times in water for 10 minutes. After the procedure, it should be finely chopped, mixed with moss and a flower can be safely planted in the finished substrate.
• The second option is to take in equal proportions the earth, fern, moss. You can add fallen oak leaves. We mix everything thoroughly and use it for transplants or disembarkation.
• The third option - you need pine bark and peat. Their ratio depends on the type of orchid. Stir the ingredients and the substrate is ready to use.

Plant pots must necessarily have special holes, due to which moisture accumulation and flowering of the earth will not occur. Don't forget about the perch too. With its help, you need to prop up the flower so that it does not fall and break.

It is best to plant it either in a pot or in a basket:

1. Planting in a pot. Drainage needs to be laid out on the bottom. The best option is tiles. We carefully plant the orchid in a pot and fill it with a substrate. It is not necessary to sprinkle the upper part of the stem - it will provide respiration to the plant root.
2. Disembarkation in a basket. This is the ideal flowerpot as it provides adequate ventilation for the root system. The substrate must be constantly moistened, and peat must be placed on the sides of the basket.

Thus, when choosing a substrate, it is important to take into account the species category of the flower, especially if you buy the soil in a store. The choice of a flowerpot depends on the height of the plant, its root system. It is important that it is not too tight and has special holes in the bottom.

Pruning and replanting recommendations

Trim the orchid is recommended after the end of the period flowering... It is enough just to cut the peduncle to the very base, or only where there were flowers.

It is also necessary to cut off sluggish and yellowed leaves so that they do not pull nutrients from the soil.

What serves as a signal for an orchid transplant:

• The old container has become small in volume for the plant
• Salted substrate
• The flowerpot is damaged
• Dead and living roots intertwined
• A film or plaque has begun to form on the surface of the substrate

In order to transplant flower, you need to carefully remove it from the old pot without damaging its root system. If it has grown too much, cut the flowerpot. Having thoroughly cleaned the roots from the substrate, it is necessary to cut off the dead and rotten rhizomes. Then rinse it well in clean water.

Then take a new pot and pour a small amount of the substrate on the bottom.

After placing the orchid in a new pot, top up the rest of the soil, paying special attention to filling the space between the roots.

Do not cover the top of the plant with a substrate. After sprinkling the soil with water, place the pot in a dark place for several days. Do not forget that when transplanting, you need to be especially careful with the root hairs, cutting off the old and rotten ones - do not damage the living ones, otherwise the flower will start to fade. In addition, the transplant procedure is best done at the end of spring or summer, when flowering is complete.

Diseases and pests

Indoor plant can get sick if not properly cared for. This is easy to fix, just give the flower a drop of attention and time. But if pests are introduced, this is much worse than it seems at first glance.

Most often, an orchid is struck by:

• Thrips. They are easily recognized by the presence of silvery and bluish blotches on the sheets.The reason for the appearance is too high a temperature in the place where the plant is kept. You can get rid of them with insecticides.
• Spider mite. A small cobweb begins to appear on the lower part of the leaf, and the upper part becomes covered with yellow spots. This indicates the presence of a spider mite, the cause of which is dry air. To get rid of it, you need to rinse the leaves with a soap-alkaline solution.
• Aphid. Perhaps the most famous pest, which is very easy to recognize by the small insects that have spread throughout the orchid. It appears when the plant lacks moisture. You can get rid of aphids by spraying with a milk-water solution.
• Shield. Forms growths on the sheets. The reason for the appearance is high air temperature. It is necessary to rinse the leaves with a soap-alkaline solution.

To avoid disease and the appearance of pests on a houseplant, it is necessary to water it in time and monitor the temperature regime. This is not such a difficult matter, it is much more difficult then to heal and restore the plant. Therefore, take care of the orchid and give it due attention.

Thus, an orchid is not only an exotic plant or a beautiful flower.

First of all, it is a full-fledged family member who also needs constant care and attention. When deciding to acquire one, do not forget to pay attention to it. After all, growing orchids is not an easy hobby, but a whole art that must be mastered to perfection.

More information can be found in the video.