Indoor floriculture is a popular hobby. At home, plants from around the world coexist on one window. Successful cultivation of various representatives of the flora depends on proper care and the creation of special conditions for them. If in the past the most popular flowers were geranium and ficus, now more and more often unique, vibrant tropical flowers in a pot settle in city apartments. Orchid is a very beautiful plant that will require special care.
Description
The cultivation of any plant begins with a study of the characteristics of its growth. Orchids are epiphytes whose natural habitat is the moist tropical forests of Asia, Africa and Oceania.
They grow on trees, attaching their roots to the protrusions and bumps of the bark. The orchid family is numerous. This squad is constantly replenished with artificially bred hybrids. Representatives of this family differ in external data. Unites herbaceous perennials only the structure of the flower, which can vary in color and size. They delight long plentiful flowering.
Care
For normal growth, special pots for orchids will be required. What should be the capacity for a tropical unusual beauty? A feature of the plant is that it does not grow in the ground. Representatives of this species feed on other plants. And on how correctly the necessary conditions for growth are created, normal growth and abundant flowering depends. If you decide to grow tropical inhabitants, first pick up a pot for orchids. How to choose the appropriate containers, and with what substrate to fill it instead of earth?
Substrate
In their natural habitat, orchids live on trees. Therefore, instead of the earthen mixture, a special substrate is required. It can be purchased at specialized flower shops, but it is not difficult to cook it yourself.
This requires a
pine bark. Before being placed in a pot, preventive measures are taken. The bark is boiled. Then it is dried for several days. Then it is boiled again and crushed after drying. The prepared bark is mixed with Sphagnum moss and filled with a mixture of flower containers.
Pot selection
Under natural conditions, the root system of an orchid is constantly in the light. Also, flowers will require constant access to air. These conditions can provide transparent pots for orchids. At the same time, water should not stagnate in it. This is achieved by the special design of containers for this type of plant. The walls of the pot must have special openings through which air and moisture will flow. Its size should correspond to the volume of the root system. Large containers should not be used. Enough pots of medium size in which the root system fills the entire volume.
Plastic cache-pot
Today, picking up everything you need for growing indoor flowers is not difficult. Orchid pots are made of various materials. Plastic pots for orchids are ideal. They can be simple and inexpensive. At the same time, the orchid feels great in them. The price of such flower pots ranges from 11 to 200 rubles. For beginner gardeners who wish to grow orchids, it is best to purchase clear plastic pots. They are convenient in that the root system of the plant is clearly visible.
This will allow you to properly organize watering and timely detect signs of disease. In this case, the state of the root system is monitored. It should be green. If the roots are dry, this is a sign of insufficient moisture. In plastic pots, moisture evaporates more slowly. Salts are not deposited on the walls. When changing the pot, the root system is practically not injured. The top of the container should be wider than its bottom. Be sure to have drainage holes. They are located in the lower and lateral parts of the pots. If there are a small number of them, then additional holes are made on the side that will be necessary when watering the plant. The main condition is purity when growing. Mold and dirt are not allowed on containers in which flowers are placed.
Primary requirements
The most common are transparent plastic orchid pots. What conditions must be observed when planting plants in them? First of all, the planter should be made of quality material. A pot of the appropriate size is selected for the orchid. It should be slightly larger than the root system. This will ensure its growth. To ensure stability, a pair of granite pebbles are placed at the bottom of the pots. The shape of the pot is selected depending on the plant variety.
The bottom of the pot should have special perforated cones that are directed inward. Transparent plastic pots can be decorated by placing them in various hanging baskets or glass stands.
Glass Orchid Pots
Exotic plants will require special attention. Moreover, the pots are also unusual for them. They must be transparent. Orchids are plants whose photosynthesis occurs both in the leaves and in the roots. The orchid will receive sufficient illumination in a glass pot. The price of such flower pots ranges from 250 to 550 rubles. They differ in texture and color. You can choose various forms that will fit perfectly into the interior of an apartment or office. The volume of one or two liters has glass pots for orchids. What should be the conditions for keeping flowers in such flower pots?
Growing Features
Glass pots for orchids can have many holes that are located in the lower and lateral parts. In such pots, orchids are grown in a special substrate. It can be prepared on the same principle as for plastic pots. However, a decorative glass pot can be with one hole in the center of the bottom or without them at all.
Such flower pots can be used to grow only certain types of orchids. These may be plants recommended for growing on blocks with an open root system. These include orchids Wanda, Ascocene and Philenopsis. A feature of cultivation is the lack of substrate. Orchid in glass is easy to care for. Watering the plants is done once every three days. To do this, the pots are filled with water to the base of the flower. Dive time is 30 minutes. After that, the water is drained. If there is a hole in the pot, watering is done by immersing it in a container with liquid. In cool weather, moisturizing baths are less common. Their regularity is once every five days. It should be noted that after wetting, you can not leave water at the bottom of the pots. This can lead to decay of the root system. The use of various hydrogels in glass pots is also unacceptable. This beautiful technique is completely unsuitable for orchid cultivation.
Ceramic pots
The main condition for pots for orchids is aerobic properties. They must pass air and moisture well. Ceramic products should be with slots and drainage holes. Clay pots are more cooled than other types of containers under orchids. Therefore, in such pots you can grow individual varieties of flowers, the root system of which prefers moderate temperature conditions.
Ceramic pots are good in that they are more massive and stable. Such pots for orchids will not be turned over. What should be the growing conditions in ceramic flower pots?
Problematic issues
Clay pots, possessing good aerobic qualities, have a rough surface. This can lead to the growth of the roots of the flower to the walls of the container. If necessary, orchid transplants will be injured. Quite often, this can only be avoided by breaking the pot. Therefore, when choosing a ceramic container, glazed ceramic pots should be preferred.
In this case, it is preferable to choose light or white tones. Such pots in the summer will not overheat. Clay pots can be infected with various pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, before use, they are calcined at a temperature of two hundred degrees Celsius for two hours. Clay containers are kept for several hours in water containers immediately before being placed in orchid pots.
Orchid Baskets
This method is very decorative. The basket is made of various materials. For her, bamboo or wood, plastic or a stainless metal mesh will do. A basket can replace blocks and pots for orchids. What should be the rules for placing flowers in it?
First of all, the inner surface must be smooth. This will eliminate the growth of the root system of the orchid. The basket is filled with a substrate. The gaps in it are closed with moss sphagnum. When grown at home, daily hydration is required. To preserve moisture, the root system is covered with sphagnum moss from above. Coriantes, Dracula and Stangopei are grown in hanging baskets.