Today, growing orchids at home is very popular . These plants are even more in demand than roses. They can be gifted, they decorate living quarters and offices. Orchids are quite interesting plants and with proper care can bloom for a long time.
The acquisition and cultivation of orchids
When choosing colors, you should pay attention to the following points. Firstly, for amateur cultivation, it is optimal to purchase hybrid phalaenopsis, since they differ in abundant flowering and strong growth. You need to buy only fresh, newly-sold flowers that did not have time to react to the humidity and temperature of the trading floor. Plants should have a rounded, well-formed flower and healthy, normal leaves.
Orchid cultivation
Orchids are thermophilic species and perfectly develop at a temperature of at least +18 degrees at night and no more than +25 degrees during the day. With abundant watering and high humidity, plants will endure 30-degree heat. Especially high humidity, about 100%, they will need for the speedy development of a young root system after transplantation.
Orchids do not like direct sunlight. At home, they need lighting for half a day. In hot weather, flowers should be shaded so that the foliage does not become too dark or yellowish green. In a healthy plant, the leaves are green with a grayish-silver tint.
Since orchids cannot store moisture in themselves, the substrate must always be in a moderately moist state. Orchids are usually grown in a special substrate, the bulk of which is made up of pieces of bark. Peat or moss can also be added to it. The substrate must be well ventilated, it must not be allowed to flood.
In order for the orchid to bloom profusely, it should be kept in partial shade during the summer period, to prevent overdrying, but not to over-moisten. In winter, the flower should be watered less often. Plants do not have special requirements for feeding. Of the pests, thrips and spider red mites are of particular danger to them.
Transplanting and growing orchids
In order to get used to a new place, the plant will need about two years. When transplanting it should be left in the same place. It’s even better not to transplant the flower for as long as possible and only do this when the pot becomes cramped or the substrate is completely used up. After transplanting, the plant will need to create conditions of 100% air humidity, which will allow new roots to appear faster.
Propagation and cultivation of orchids
It is better to increase the number of plants in a vegetative way. For this, in adult orchids with the longest stem and a large number of leaves, it is necessary to cut off the apical part along with the roots. It is necessary to ensure that the mother plant has at least three leaves and roots. The cut-off part should be planted in a new pot and set in a shaded place along with the mother flower; it is necessary to spray it periodically. After a few months, normally developed plants with fresh roots and foliage grow.
Reproduction is also carried out with the help of "children" developing from the sleeping lower buds of peduncles. Separating them from peduncles and waiting for their own roots to appear, future orchids are planted in pots.
The flowers of plants in inflorescence remain fresh for three months. If, by growing orchids at home, cut off after flowering the flower stalk at a distance of three centimeters above the lowest eye, a side flower panicle will appear from this bud. As a result, the flowering time of orchids doubles.