Orchid is an amazing, unique and very beautiful flower, which is associated with a huge number of ancient legends. She is a real decoration of any room. There are many varieties of orchids, however, the Phalaenopsis variety is the most popular among gardeners around the world . This kind of flower has unique beauty, but it is also very moody, so if you are thinking about breeding it, then you simply must know how to grow the roots of orchids.
Phalaenopsis: general information and varieties
A species of Phalaenopsis orchid is represented by a huge number of subspecies of herbaceous plants that can grow both on a tree and on the ground. A distinctive feature of this variety from other types of orchids is a rather short stem and massive leaves with a leathery structure, which can reach a length of up to 30 centimeters and be decorated with various incredibly beautiful patterns.
Peduncles during flowering appear between the leaves and, with proper care, can grow up to 80 centimeters in length. The flowers are quite large, can have different colors from plain and pale to bright and variegated. The aroma of the flower depends on the particular variety and may either be completely absent or fill the air around with incredibly sweet notes. Aerial roots are formed on the stems between the leaves, so to breed Phalaenopsis at home, you need to know how to help the orchid grow roots for further development.
The subtleties of flower care
Most gardeners love the orchid not only for its incredible beauty, but also for their unpretentiousness and ease of care. However, this cannot be said about the form of Phalaenopsis, for which it is necessary to create certain conditions in the house, otherwise the flower may die. Different types of orchids do not like:
- Excessive amount of sunlight.
- Too high humidity.
- Drafts.
- Musty places in which stagnant air.
In order for the flower to feel comfortable and grow normally, it must be kept in a warm room, in which not too much sunlight penetrates. At the same time, the air temperature in this room should always be at the level of 23 degrees.
If you are seriously thinking about purchasing this wonderful flower, then when buying a seedling, you need to pay great attention to the root system. The thing is that very often it is not sufficiently developed for planting, so gardeners have to independently grow it. If this is not done, then the sprout of the orchid simply will not take root and die. Therefore, it is very important to have an idea of how to grow the roots of a baby orchid.
Why does the root system begin to rot?
Rotting the root system of an orchid is a very common and common problem that almost all beginner gardeners face. The reasons for this may be quite a lot, but the main ones are as follows:
- too frequent watering;
- lack of sunlight;
- hypothermia of the root system;
- change in soil properties and composition;
- various diseases;
- planting a flower in an inappropriate pot.
Each of the above reasons can lead to the fact that the roots of the plant begin to rot. If no measures are taken in time, then resuscitating the roots will be much more difficult or even impossible, which, in turn, can lead to the death of the flower. Therefore, if this problem is detected, you should begin to eliminate it as soon as possible.
Resuscitation of the root system
If there is practically nothing left of the root system of the flower, then it is necessary to resuscitate it. Most often, a similar problem is encountered by beginning flower growers, who, in the absence of the necessary experience, do not notice in time that the plant begins to hurt, and its root slowly rots.
There are several basic methods for how to grow the roots of orchids, however, no matter what you choose, the preparatory stage is always the same and looks like this:
- We take the knife and wash it thoroughly and wipe it with alcohol.
- We clean the root system from dirt and rot.
- To prevent further death of the root system, the places of the slices are carefully treated with any powder fungicides.
At this stage, the preparatory phase ends and you can talk directly about how to grow the roots of orchids.
The main methods of root growth
There are several methods for growing roots in the Phalaenopsis orchid. All of them are very simple, so even those far from floriculture can cope with them. However, to restore the root system went as it should, first you need to perform their stimulation.
Experienced flower growers recommend using soaking in a special solution, for the preparation of which you will need an Etamon ampoule, 2 drops of Ribav Extra, a drop of Radipharm and 4 drops of Zircon per liter of water. This is the most common way, answering the question of how to grow the roots of an orchid in the water. With the correct dosage, the root system regenerates quite quickly.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Many beginning flower growers, having heard from the foolish people of the wrong various tips and tricks, make the same mistakes, which very often lead to the death of the flower. Here are some common tips to watch out for:
- Processing slices and roots with brilliant green - leads to drying of the root system and death of the plant.
- Keeping the flower in a too dark room causes it to “fall asleep”.
- Too frequent watering - can lead to decay of the root system.
- Cutting dry leaves - very often leads to the death of the plant.
Avoiding these recommendations, the baby orchid, how to grow the roots of which you will learn later, will be able to settle down normally in a new place after planting and will delight you with its unique beauty.
Growing the orchid root system in water
Growing roots in water is one of the easiest ways that is best for beginner gardeners. It perfectly helps even if the root system is completely dead or it cannot be reanimated in other ways. So, how to grow the roots of an orchid above the water?
The first step is to completely amputate the dead part of the root system. In this case, you must be very careful not to accidentally touch the living cells of the flower. Next, the places of cuts must be treated with activated carbon crushed into powder, after which we place the orchid in a container in which a little water will be poured. In this case, the process of the orchid should be in the pot so that its roots do not come into contact with water.
A container with a flower is placed anywhere with enough light. In the morning, it is necessary to wipe the leaves of the orchid with a damp cloth to improve the gas exchange of the flower and increase its saturation with nutrients, as well as accelerate the process of resuscitation of the root system.
How to care for a flower during resuscitation of the root system?
Before sprouting the first root, you can not feed the orchid with anything, but after the appearance of the first root, you need to help the plant. For this, you can use a special bait. To prepare it, you need to dilute a teaspoon of honey in one liter of warm water and add “Kornevin” for orchids, it will be much easier to grow roots with which.
If there is no honey, then you can replace it with sugar, and as for "Kornevin", then it must be added strictly in a certain proportion specified by the manufacturer in the instructions. Orchid is placed in this solution by the root system for about an hour and a half. In addition, in the process of restoring the root system, vitamins of group B are vital for the flower, therefore it is very important to feed the flower with them.
A few words about proper lighting
Answering the question of how to grow the roots of the Phalaenopsis orchid, it is impossible to ignore the topic of proper lighting. For it to grow and develop normally, it needs a sufficient amount of daylight. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that the representative of each individual species of Phalaenopsis has individual preferences for lighting, so for each of them it is necessary to create individual conditions.
There is no ideal solution for creating comfortable lighting conditions for this flower, however, you can still highlight some general recommendations. The main criterion is choosing the right place for the flower. The ideal solution in the summer months will be windows located on the east and south-east side of the house. So the orchid will be able to receive the necessary amount of light and will not overheat in the sun. And for the cold season, the southwest will be the best side for the flower.
Transplanting orchids
So, you already know how to grow the roots of orchids, however, you should also have an idea about the correct transplantation of a flower. This must be done every two years. When transplanting, it is not recommended to water the orchid too often and abundantly, since this will lead to a change in the composition of the soil and leaching of macro elements from it, without which the plant will gradually weaken and as a result may even die. Transplanting is best after the emergence of new roots. It is strictly forbidden to transplant during the flowering period, as this will lead to the fall of peduncles.
Orchid is one of the most beloved flowers in women, which requires appropriate care. If you follow the flower as it should, then it will delight you for many years with its originality and beauty.