The home phalaenopsis orchid, which is also often called a butterfly flower, is an amazing plant that can be grown quite simply at home. However, like any other culture, it needs proper care. If you do not take into account the needs of the orchid, then it will begin to hurt and will quickly fade.
Also, a variety of pests can attack the phalaenopsis orchid, which cause great harm to both the leaves and the root system of the flower. With any change in the appearance of the plant, it is worth thinking about its treatment. However, very often they appear in the house already sick. This is due to the dishonesty of sellers who go to great lengths to put the colorful bush in a favorable light. Therefore, caution should be exercised even at the stage of acquisition of the Phalaenopsis orchid. We’ll talk more about all this later.
How to choose the right
When buying a named tropical plant, there is a risk of acquiring an unhealthy bush, which will be very difficult to reanimate. Therefore, several rules should be observed:
- First of all, you need to look at the leaves of the phalaenopsis orchid. If yellow or brown spots are visible on them, then it is worth choosing another flower.
- It is also necessary to carefully take the orchid by the main part of the leaf outlet and twist it in different directions. If the roots of the Phalaenopsis orchid are healthy, then the flower will not hang in the ground. When this happens, the plant is not suitable for acquisition.
- If you find small mechanical damage on the foliage, do not worry much. This fact does not indicate a poor condition of the plant.
In some situations, sellers use large amounts of growth stimulants. Unfortunately, determining the fact of making such funds is very difficult.
Location and light
After buying this beautiful flower, it is worthwhile to prepare that the Phalaenopsis orchid will need proper care. To do this, take into account all the subtleties of growing this flower:
- First of all, it is worth considering that this flower loves to take sun baths. This is not surprising, because the orchid comes from the tropics. Accordingly, you need to install it on the windowsill, where it will receive large volumes of scattered light. The plant will feel especially good on the northeast side of the room.
- If you look at the photo of the phalaenopsis orchid, it becomes obvious that it has quite delicate flowers and petals. Therefore, avoid direct sunlight, as the foliage can get burned, and ugly spots will appear on it.
- In the summer, it is recommended to clean the plant a little further from the window or darken it (especially if the flower pot is on the south side). This is due to the fact that in the hot period the sun is much more aggressive and can greatly damage the delicate phalaenopsis orchid.
Room temperature
If we talk about the temperature regime, then for a full-fledged growth and flowering of an orchid it is necessary that it be kept within the range of +15 to +26 ° . True, if the room is hotter (more than 30 degrees Celsius), then the orchid will also feel great. But do not allow too long overheating. Otherwise, the phalaenopsis orchid in hot weather will begin to drop flowers.
Air humidity
This parameter should be maintained at the level of 30-40%. In this case, the plant will grow and develop perfectly. Despite the fact that the orchid is a tropical flower, you need to monitor its condition in the summer heat. During this period, it is best to move the plant along with the pot to a pan filled with wet pebbles. This will help to avoid falling leaves.
However, it is not recommended to overmoisten the land in which the Phalaenopsis orchid grows, and when performing the above procedures, it is necessary to organize good ventilation. Not every beginner grower can do this. If the earth is too wet for a long time, then the roots of the phalaenopsis orchid may begin to rot. This can lead to the death of the plant.
Watering
If you look at the photo of the Phalaenopsis orchid, it may seem that this delicate plant needs a lot of water procedures. This is actually not the case. It should be watered no more than once every 7 days. If the street is very hot, you can make water twice a week.
As a rule, watering can be done using a normal shower. However, make sure that the water is soft. From hard soil, salt can form which the orchid does not like much.
Soil preparation and top dressing
For proper care, Phalaenopsis orchid needs to prepare a light substrate. To do this, you can collect pine bark and dry it. After which the material is crushed to a size of 5-6 mm and boiled. Then, charcoal is added to the bark in a ratio of 10: 1.
Also, a good substrate will turn out if you mix 3 parts of peat, as many chopped fern roots, two parts of the earth and add a little pine bark and charcoal to the mixture.
If we talk about fertilizing, then fertilizers are recommended to be applied exclusively in the vegetative period. For this, it is best to use specialized formulations with a high nitrogen content.
Phalaenopsis orchid transplant at home
This procedure is carried out once every three years. This is due to the fact that after this period the substrate completely loses any properties that are beneficial to the orchid. At the same time, many note that the earth begins to emit an unpleasant odor with sourness.
Transplantation of Phalaenopsis orchids should be done only after flowering is completed. To simplify the procedure for removing the bush from the old pot, you can put it in the water for a while. After this, the plant can be easily pulled out. At the next stage, rhizome must be thoroughly washed. Dead or rotting parts must be carefully cut with a sharp knife.
For a new place of residence of the beauty, an ordinary pot of polypropylene (plastic) is suitable. It is very easy to make the necessary holes in it to remove excess water and provide ground ventilation.
Breeding
There are several ways to obtain several from one plant at once. To do this, you need to prepare a sharp clean knife and cut the flower stalk along its growth and across. In each of these areas should be a leaf and a spine.
Orchid can also be propagated by children. This is only possible if tiny sprouts with their roots are visible on the rhizome, stem or peduncle. In this case, you need to carefully separate them from the "mother" and put them for 10 days in clean warm water, in which a small amount of growth hormone is first diluted. After such manipulations, the children will take root in almost any soil without any problems.
Pests
The main pests for the tropical beauty are thrips. The size of these barely noticeable parasites is no more than 2.5 mm. Outwardly, they look like small sticks with dark wings. The main distinguishing feature of these parasites is the speed of their movement. To determine that insects have chosen an orchid, it is enough to carefully look at the foliage. It should have small spots and dots of light color. A faint silver film may also appear on the foliage. These parasites can be detected at night. To do this, it is enough to sharply turn on the light. As a rule, daytime thrips hide in the soil, and during the day they lay their eggs inside the foliage. Because of this, the leaves of the plant begin to fall over time.
Orchids also often suffer from nematodes - tiny worms no longer than 2 mm long. These parasites are very fond of drinking flower juice. To detect the presence of parasites, you need to check the roots of the plant. If necrotic spots are visible on them, then this indicates the activity of nematodes. Because of this, the leaves of the Phalaenopsis orchid turn yellow and gradually fall. Then the whole plant dries up.
In addition to the listed parasites, the mealybug can affect the orchid. This is another tiny insect that can kill a tropical beauty. The worm has a large number of antennae located throughout its body, covered with a whitish coating.
As a rule, a mealybug hides in places where leaves are attached to the stem. The parasite gnaws at the foliage and draws juice from it. After itself, the worm usually leaves a substance that looks like a cobweb. This component also has a destructive effect. Because of it, the orchid cannot grow fully. In addition, the mealybug loves to lay eggs on plants. As a rule, they resemble small white dots.
Another enemy of the orchid is the shell mite. It has a dark brown body. The dimensions of the mites usually reach only 0.9 mm. Females of these parasites lay brown eggs. Noticing the presence of ticks is not so simple. They move very quickly and try to avoid light. Despite the fact that insects crawl throughout the plant, they make clutches exclusively on fallen leaves or rotting roots.
Most often, these parasites start due to too wet soil. They feed only on fallen leaves, so they do not pose a serious threat to the health of orchids. Nevertheless, it is better to get rid of parasites.
Unlike his brother, the spider mite runs very slowly and does not suffer from light intolerance. The size of these tiny parasites rarely reaches 0.3 mm, and it is very difficult to make out. They usually sit on the lower parts of foliage. At the same time, spider mites usually form huge clusters.
You can determine their presence by a silver coating, which is very similar to a cobweb. At the same time, light or, conversely, dark spots will be visible on the leaves themselves. These insects pose a great danger to the plant, as they drink all the juice available in the leaf. From this, it begins to fade and dries out pretty quickly. After a while, the orchid stops blooming.
If we are talking about aphids, then it can be of any size, shades and dimensions. However, most often these parasites are distinguished by a translucent oval-shaped body, with a size of not more than 2 mm. As a rule, these insects also prefer to group on the bottom of the foliage. In the process of breeding, the aphid begins to actively drink juice from the leaves. As a result of this, numerous yellow spots appear on them. After some time, the foliage begins to fade and curl.
Also on the orchid may be a bulbous tick. It differs in white or cream color and up to 1.5 mm in size. He immediately has two pairs of legs. This parasite gets into the rhizome of the plant and begins to feed on its juice. If it is not calculated in a timely manner, then the roots of the flower will become thinner and ultimately turn into hollow threads. After the activity of the tick, the plant most often dies.
Also on the orchid may be a whitefly. Outwardly, this parasite looks like a small butterfly, the size of which is about 1.5 mm. Whiteflies lay larvae of a grayish or cream color, which lie motionless. However, these parasites grow up quite quickly and become a real disaster for the grower. The fact is that whiteflies actively eat the foliage of the flower, because of which ugly spots appear on it. After this, the foliage falls.
It is also worthwhile to timely identify the scale shield. This parasite in size is no more than half the head of a match. As a rule, scabies resemble tubercles on a plant. They actively drink plant juice, simultaneously secreting a special substance that provokes the formation of soot fungus. This foliage dries quickly. However, the scabbard is very easy to remove with a damp cloth or cotton pad.
Phalaenopsis orchid diseases, their treatment and photo
Like any other overseas flower, a tropical beauty is subject to a large number of ailments.
If the orchid suffers from bacterial spotting of the foliage, then in this case the leaves will begin to actively yellow. After some time, watery sores will develop on them. After this, the foliage darkens. To cure a fragile flower, it is necessary to get rid of all affected areas with a sharp knife. All wounds should be smeared with a weak iodine solution.
Speaking about the diseases of Phalaenopsis orchids and their treatment, it is worth noting that this flower is also susceptible to viral ailments. In this case, stripes, arrows and mosaic spotting appear on the leaves. In some cases, the defeat affects even the flower petals. Unfortunately, in this case it will be impossible to reanimate the plant. The only thing left to do is to throw out the whole bush along with the pot so that the virus does not spread to other flowers in the house.
Also among the diseases of the phalaenopsis orchid, anthracnose occurs. This ailment manifests itself in the form of clearly defined round spots on the foliage. Gradually, the lesions expand and join. The sheet is deformed and becomes black. In some cases, a pinkish coating appears on the foliage.
To get rid of this unpleasant ailment, you need to monitor the level of humidity in the room. It should always be in the range of 40-60%. Remember to remove excess water from the foliage.
Affected areas are carefully cut with a knife. Places where blackening has been removed must be treated with crushed activated carbon. If the lesions spread to large areas, then in this case, treatment with fungicide "Ridomil" may be required.
As can be seen in the photo of phalaenopsis orchids, the diseases of this plant can most often be determined by the presence of spots on the leaves.
And a common ailment, manifested in a similar way, is fungal rust. In this case, light spots will appear on the lower parts of the leaves. Over time, they become brown, and unpleasant reddish pads form on them. This indicates the development of fungal spores. To cure the plant, it is necessary to remove all affected leaves. In the place of the cut, you need to coat the flower with a 20 percent alcohol solution. After this, it is recommended to perform additional treatment with "Ridomil".
If the plant suffers from Fusarium rot, then this is expressed by the fact that its leaves begin to turn yellow and curl. After some time, all the foliage acquires a grayish tint, and the main shoot gradually dies. To prevent this, it is necessary for two weeks every day to lower the pot with an orchid in a 0.2 percent solution of Fundazole. Moreover, this procedure should be carried out three times a day.
Another common ailment is gray rot. With it, brownish spots are formed on the foliage of the orchid, characterized by a fluffy gray coating. In this case, you need to check the humidity in the room. Perhaps her performance is too high. It is also recommended to spray the plants with a fungicide solution. After treatment, you need to monitor the watering of the plant and try to use only soft water.
When root rot appears, the plant may die. To identify this ailment, it is necessary to probe the rhizome of the orchid. If it is too soft and smells unpleasant, then an urgent need to be treated with a 0.2% solution of Topsin-M fungicide. The procedure is performed once every two weeks.
Useful tips for growing orchids
We list again the basic rules for orchid care:
- First of all, it is necessary to monitor the lighting. Do not install the flower in a too dark place or, conversely, under direct sunlight.
- If we talk about the soil for a tropical beauty, it would be better if there is always a small amount of fertilizing in the substrate, which is used for orchids.
- In order to enjoy the flowering of an unusual plant longer and more often, you need to monitor the temperature. Before the appearance of flowers, it is better to adhere to a temperature regime in the range of 12-14 ° C.
- Some varieties of orchids renew foliage every year, this should not be scared.
- Transplanting the plant every year is also not recommended. The procedure is enough to be done every 3 years.
- In addition, you need to monitor the condition of the roots and check the substrate for the presence of salts. If they are present, hard water should be discarded.
- If the orchid begins to fade, cut the damaged leaves.
Following all these recommendations, you can enjoy the flowering overseas beauty. The main thing is not to water it too often, monitor the condition of the soil and check the lower part of the foliage for damage. If spots or other damage have formed on the leaves, then the plant may be sick.