Phalaenopsis orchid care rules
Caring for the phalaenopsis orchid involves ensuring optimal conditions for keeping. In nature, culture grows in tropical rainforests on trees, so it is important to create a microclimate at home that is close to natural. Then the plant will delight you with a healthy look and wonderful flowering.
Phalaenopsis orchid care rules
General information
Phalaenopsis is one of the orchid varieties. It will be easy for novice growers to grow it. Hybrids are bred at home. Recently, small-flowered species with a bright color, dendrophalenopsis, have been especially popular. They are often bought by teenagers who need adaptation.
The plant is provided with quarantine, since a certain environment has been created for it in the store. Transporting and placing the orchid in other conditions is a great stress on the culture. Therefore, the flower is placed separately from other indoor plants for 2 weeks.
Phalaenopsis care during this period:
- watering is minimized;
- prevent direct sunlight from entering the orchid;
- inspect for the presence of pests in order to identify and neutralize them in time, then the orchid will not infect other crops.
Top dressing is not performed. After the end of the dormant period, she is gradually accustomed to the sun and watering is resumed.
Optimal microclimate
Caring for the phalaenopsis orchid at home is done according to certain rules.
Illumination
Diffused light is required for good flowering. In the summer, the plants are shaded to prevent sunburn. For this purpose, a matte film is glued to the window or the culture is fenced off from the glass with plastic. This view will do well on a north, west, or northwest window. A blooming orchid can be placed in the back of the room, but then it is returned to its place.
In the autumn-winter period, the culture is supplemented with phytolamps, since the duration of daylight hours for it should be 12-13 hours. The distance between the lamp and the plant is maintained at 20-30 cm to prevent thermal burns.
If Phalaenopsis lacks light, the leaves stretch out. They first brighten and then turn yellow. Every 2-3 weeks, the plant is turned 180 ° C, as it tilts to one side. Manipulation is not performed during the period of bud formation.
Temperature regime
Phalaenopsis is classified as a thermophilic variety. It blooms at 18-25˚С. If the culture is in the heat for a long time, it sheds flowers, the leaves lose their turgor. Low temperatures can be harmful when the soil is wet. The plant does not tolerate sudden changes - the difference between daytime and daytime indicators should not exceed 3-5С.
Humidity
The optimum humidity is 30-40%. There is no need to equip pallets for additional humidification. It is better to spray the plant with a spray bottle. Care must be taken that water does not accumulate in the rosette of leaves, otherwise this will lead to decay of the neck.
Watering
It is better to water the flower in the morning.
The secret to properly moisturizing the substrate lies in its complete drying. Water the crop when the flower pot becomes very light. The frequency of water application depends on the following factors:
- season of the year;
- room temperature;
- type of substrate.
The procedure is performed in this way:
- take settled or filtered water at room temperature;
- pour it into a bowl;
- a pot with a flower is placed in it for 20-30 minutes;
- allow excess fluid to drain;
- return the plant to its place.
Watering is best done in the morning so that the orchid dries out throughout the day. At night, the temperature drops and a too wet substrate becomes the cause of the development of root rot or growth points, yellowing of leaves and their swelling. Once a month, the plant is washed under a tap or shower, periodically wiped with a wet sponge.
The plant should not be allowed to be in dry soil for a long time. This threatens shrinkage of pseudobulbs and leaves. An indicator that it needs water is a change in the color of the roots from bright green to light green. And also in a transparent pot there is no moisture on the walls. Watering is reduced after flowering, during the dormant period.
Top dressing
Phalaenopsis care rules include the introduction of fertilizers. They are added during watering during active growth of leaves, peduncles and bud formation. During the rest period, feeding is stopped.
The complex preparation Kemira-Lux (1 g per 1 l of water) is excellent for fertilization. Apply it 2 times a month. When used every week, reduce its concentration. Too frequent fertilization lowers the plant's immunity, it is more often affected by diseases. The substrate must already be wet before applying the fertilizing agents. Other preparations are also used, which have the mark "for orchids".
Transfer
The manipulation is performed every 2-3 years in the spring. Better not to disturb the culture from October to February. But there are times when you need to transplant the plant faster:
- strong branching of roots, their germination through drainage holes;
- decay of the root system;
- the flower is planted in sphagnum moss;
- the substrate has decomposed;
- pests are found.
First, drainage from heavy granite stones is laid in a pot with drilled holes at 1/3 of its height. It is better that it be transparent, since the roots of phalaenopsis are involved in the process of photosynthesis. If the planting container is used the same one, it should be treated with 70% alcohol. Then the substrate is prepared. Pure pine bark is taken as its quality. The plant should be dried within a few hours.
The roots must be separated from the substrate
Transplant process:
- take the flower out of the pot;
- separate the roots from the substrate;
- inspect it for the presence of pests, if insects are found, the root system is soaked in a medicinal product;
- rotten, dry and damaged roots are removed using disinfected scissors;
- the places of the cuts are treated with crushed activated carbon;
- the plant is immersed in a container and covered with a substrate.
Some growers put foam under the neck of the orchid. This will prevent excess moisture from underneath. Do not deepen the rhizome much. After transplanting, the plant is not watered for up to 5 days.
If the procedure is performed after purchasing a young orchid, it is important to handle the roots carefully. They are brittle in adult culture, and especially in adolescents.
Pruning
Growing phalaenopsis at home also involves removing the peduncle after the orchid has faded. Cut it off when the arrow has dried completely. If it remains green, the plant can bloom again, so the grower decides for himself whether to remove the organ.
Pruning is done with extreme care so as not to damage the leaves. A garden pruner treated with a disinfectant is used for this. The peduncle is removed at the base, leaving a process of 2.5-3 cm.The cut site is treated with brilliant green, cinnamon, activated carbon.
Flowering stimulation
The culture blooms for a long time and is most suitable for growing at home. When an orchid fades, a stressful situation is created for it. At night, they are placed in a cooler place (18˚C), and in the morning they are transferred to a warm environment. The difference between the temperature indicators is at least 6-8˚С. For this purpose, watering is also reduced. Spray only the substrate. Stimulation is also carried out with the help of the preparations Ovary, Bud, Pollen. Use them according to the instructions.
If the orchid does not bloom for more than 3 months, it is worth adjusting the conditions of detention. The reasons may be:
- insufficient lighting;
- excess nitrogen-containing substances.
Reproduction
Phalaenopsis is not propagated by dividing the rhizome. It is difficult to manipulate using seeds at home. There is another method for reproduction - vegetative. When lateral shoots grow on the peduncle or near the leaf outlet, they are separated. They do this 2 months after flowering: the shoots should have 2 leaves and 5 cm long aerial roots.It is good if the children have not outgrown, otherwise it will have a bad effect on the leaf outlet. Before planting, they are dried for 24 hours. A greenhouse is built over the plant, where the temperature should be at 22-25˚С.
Phalaenopsis babies rarely appear. More often this happens with improper care. For the reproduction of orchids, their formation is stimulated in this way:
- a sleeping bud is found on an old peduncle;
- remove scales from it with a sharp knife;
- lubricated with a growth regulator or fresh birch sap.
After 1-2 months, leaves will appear at the incision site, after 3 months - roots. The process is accelerated with a plastic bag that is placed over the plant. It helps kids grow up faster.
Conclusion
It is not difficult to care for the Phalaenopsis orchid, so even novice growers can grow it. But the process has its own rules. In order for the plant to grow and develop well, they should be strictly observed. Otherwise, the culture will start to hurt, then you will have to take measures for treatment. Proper care is the prevention of many diseases.