A love flower of a deep mystical shade, a purple orchid, will decorate any room and become an unforgettable gift for loved ones. It is simply impossible to be indifferent to such a flower. Confucius, the great thinker of Ancient China, treated him with great love, calling him “the queen of fragrant flowers.” He compared the delicate aroma, the pleasure of delightful contemplation and an interesting conversation with good noble people.
In the language of his people there are figurative expressions, where the word "orchid" meant an excellent attitude or an excellent quality of a person. This is truly a beautiful plant, tender and mysterious, very sensitive to people. There is a belief that being near a person who is plotting something unkind, the flower instantly fades, warning the owner of the danger.
Orchid Legends
Many ballads, songs, poems are devoted to this plant. In many museums in the world there are works of art - painting on precious porcelain, delicate embroidery, where the grace and charm of this delicate flower are sung . There are many legends about its origin. One of the most beautiful narrates that once upon a time a magnificent rainbow shone above the earth, the beauty of which attracted the gods and other magical creatures. Once she could not bear the weight of those who wanted to sit on it and crashed. Its colorful fragments after the fall turned into noble flowers, and those that fell on the trees became the most elegant.
According to other legends, the purple orchid and its sisters emerged from the shoe of the irresistible Venus, which became the progenitor of these beautiful flowers. This legend has so taken root that the flowers, seeds, leaves of the plant were used to make love potions and healing drinks from intimate ailments.
Where do orchids live?
The homeland of the “flower queen” is tropical forests and plains. Most often, they grow on trees and shrubs, firmly attached to their bark with their aerial roots and rising to the light. There are species of orchids that live on rocks, planting their roots between stones and into cracks. Sometimes an elegant plant can be found in the most unusual places and even underground, without sunlight. Some representatives of these delicate flowers even feed on insects.
All types of orchids prefer different temperature contents. The most heat-loving day requires up to 32 degrees, and they can not stand strong temperature extremes. Their homeland is the rainforest. The alpine species of the flower queen love coolness; heat above 25 degrees can kill them.
Black Orchid
According to one romantic version of this strange flower, a totem plant, one traveler stole from a Papuan tribe in Africa, but in reality it was bred by crossbreeding several species in California. Breeding such a moody plant is a very laborious and costly process. This hybrid Phalaenopsis is very rare, its purchase and maintenance are too expensive, but the gloomy beauty and the magnificent smell of vanilla will be the holder of a well-deserved award.
The most common orchid is dark purple or burgundy, species of which exist among the Vandas. It is precisely it that was mistakenly called black by many owners, believing that they have a unique curiosity in their collection.
Orchid Home Care
Blooming purple orchid in a pot is a worthy decoration of the interior, but the plant will require a lot of care and special conditions. The biggest content feature is the lack of need for soil. For stability, a special pot or glass container is filled with a substrate from the bark of trees. It is worth remembering that these plants are very fond of light, but the bright sun can leave burns on its leaves. It is also necessary to maintain high humidity.
For plant health and its successful flowering, a special temperature regime must be strictly observed - more heat is needed during the day than at night. When watering, care must be taken - excess moisture causes decay. The capricious queen, the purple orchid , care is laborious, but her beauty during the flowering period is definitely worth it.
Orchid Wanda. Conditions of detention
The plant reaches more than a meter in height. It has powerful drooping roots of a green-gray shade that absorb moisture even from the air. They are a hallmark of all Wands and take up a lot of space. From the sinuses of the lenticular leaves, up to four peduncles appear, containing up to fifteen buds. The flowers are large, fragrant every day after opening become larger.
Caring for a very fastidious plant Vanda purple orchid is a very difficult task. Growing it has its own unique characteristics. All Wands are thermophilic, the optimum temperature for them is 25 degrees. Constant humidity from 70 percent. Light is required 12 hours a day. Water for spraying and watering should be several degrees warmer than air.
Features of Wanda Care
Watering the plant and spraying should be in the morning. In the evening they breathe, and water can be very disturbing. In summer, it is good to place the orchid roots in the bath before they turn green. The uniqueness of the content of Wand is that they do not need any soil or substrate. The plant is either suspended on the wall, or kept in a wide vase, basket - around the roots certainly need enough air.
Purple orchid needs to be fed with special prepared fertilizer diluted in water once a week. When the buds appeared, potassium monophosphate was also added . After flowering, it is necessary to reduce watering, stop spraying and, if possible, take the plant to fresh air. At home, Wanda propagates only vegetatively, with lateral processes. They must be separated when the roots are strong.
Orchid Phalaenopsis
Such a name, which means "like a moth", translated into these plants for the similarity of a flower with the wings of a beautiful butterfly. In nature, they grow on a tree trunk, clinging tightly to the bark. The room requires a special microclimate, which will have to be artificially created. Like Wanda, the Phalaenopsis purple orchid has green roots involved in photosynthesis, which must be kept in the light and need good aeration. For stability, a substrate can be added to the container. Leaves are collected at the outlet at the bottom of the stem. Also, the plant has aerial roots.
Flowering is long, up to six months, very beautiful. Graceful clusters of bright "butterflies", on which, up to hundreds of flowers, it happens, are the pride of the owners of such a plant as a purple orchid. Photos, which in a huge number they upload on the Internet, simply amaze with their magnificence.
Care Features
This type of orchid loves partial shade and not very hot, but rather warm temperature. Adequate ventilation of the room and atmospheric humidity of about 40 percent are required. If less, the leaves of the plant become lethargic and the flowers fall. Spraying can cause rotting, as well as an excess of watering or moisture in the atmosphere. Purple orchid needs to be fed once a month. After flowering, the yellowed peduncle must be cut. If it remains green it can not be removed, but shortened to a viable kidney.
Watering is carried out after complete drying of the substrate or in the absence of moisture on the inner walls of the vase. The plant signals a lack of water by changing the color of the roots to a brighter one. Moisture should not fall on the plants themselves and, moreover, accumulate in the outlet of leaves in order to avoid decay. The easiest way to use the bottom watering. Once a month, the orchid must be placed under running water and thoroughly wiped dry.
Orchid Dendrobium
Such orchids are usually very compact, which is incredibly convenient for growing in an apartment. Some species of Dendrobium drop leaves once a year. Plant care is quite complicated. These orchids do not tolerate drafts, direct rays of the sun. Orchid purple Dendrobium requires additional fertilizing with nitrogen and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Each species requires a special combination of temperature, humidity, daylight hours. Some experienced flower growers are advised to contain Dendrobium along with a purebred (osmunda), since in nature these orchids often grow with ferns, which serve as a support for the roots.
The most beautiful is considered Dendrobium noble with large white-purple flowers. Its miniature copy, Moniliform, the most unpretentious species of this kind of orchids, is very suitable for beginners to get acquainted with the “queen of flowers”. Dendrobium parishii, with its flexible drooping stems and amethyst-purple flowers, will require more attention, but will please with its original beauty.
Why is the orchid not blooming?
If several months have passed since the last flowering, and the orchid has not yet given buds, the reason is improper care or conditions of detention. It is required to check the sufficiency and intensity of lighting, irrigation, top dressing. It is necessary to exclude nitrogen-containing fertilizers and give the plant a rest. To stimulate flowering, you can lower the temperature at night by several degrees and use special preparations.
It is no accident that the orchid is called the flower of love. She is not only a symbol of this wonderful feeling, a delicate plant also needs a lot of gentle care. If you relate to the "queen of plants", respectively, the purple orchid will bestow its magnificent charm and bring good luck in personal affairs.