Growing baby orchids on a peduncle
The shoots that form after flowering on the stems or peduncles of some orchid specimens are called babies. They are a complete plant with their own root system. Growing orchid babies on a peduncle is a painstaking job. The gardener will definitely take the opportunity to grow an orchid from a baby at home.
Growing baby orchids on a peduncle
How to separate the baby
Young shoots usually appear at the end or in the middle of the peduncle. The baby is planted in order to propagate its flower and get a new plant identical to the first. If this is not done, then the buds will bloom throughout Phalaenopsis, transforming it. Sometimes they fall away on their own.
Separation from the mother flower occurs when the cub grows up properly. This is evidenced by the appearance of 2-3 leaves and a formed root system, 4-4.5 cm long. The latter usually takes 4 to 6 months. Keika (baby) with insufficiently regrown roots will not survive. Overexposing the sprout is also not worth it, because the overgrown roots may not fit into the pot.
With the help of boiled and sterile processed scissors, the peduncle is cut off by 5 cm on both sides of the shoots. The skin around the cut area should dry out, and then sprinkle with crushed activated charcoal or cinnamon to disinfect it. From this moment, the cake is considered an independent plant. Some experts do not approve of the separation of the cut process from part of the peduncle - this increases the chances of damaging it.
Some types of Phalaenopsis may not take root at all, so the baby is cut off when 5-6 leaves appear and rooted by hand.
Growing tips
Before growing children of an orchid, it should be rooted. There are several ways to do this at home:
- Soak the cut material in HGH water for 15-20 minutes: to accelerate root development and soften them before planting in the soil.
- Place the baby with the base in the foam hole. Then the whole structure is immersed in a deep glass dish, but the plant should not touch the water.
- Aging in a greenhouse (such as a plastic bag) to moisturize, protecting it from direct sunlight.
- Transplanting into a transparent slatted (to avoid root rotting) small container (so that the roots of the seedling are freely placed in it) into a special substrate or moistened bark of coniferous trees mixed with peat. Moss is laid out below. From above, the container is covered with a glass.
Take good care of the young plant
Plant in the center. Smooth the roots of the seedling over the surface. You cannot cover with moss - it retains moisture and the rhizome begins to rot. In a greenhouse, a pot with young growth is kept until 4 leaves are broken through and the roots grow to the bottom of the container, you can add mineral fertilizers. After transplantation, care is the same as for an adult. If a peduncle forms on the keika, it should be cut off. A young plant should not waste extra energy.
To grow an orchid baby in a full-fledged way, it is necessary to provide it with proper care, sufficient light, daily watering and feeding. A beneficial temperature for development will be between - 15 and 30 °. A pot made of natural material will do. Small pebbles, well boiled, are used as drainage. 1/3 of the pot is filled with it. Add bark, moss, peat, coal. A new orchid grows in about 3 years.
Development stimulation
To promote the development of the kidney, you must:
- cut off 2 cm at the peduncle after flowering;
- observe high temperatures and drops;
- stop watering abruptly for 15-20 days;
- use fertilizers with a lot of nitrogen;
- purchase meristems in specialized stores - substances for the formation of shoots in a plant;
- stimulate the growth of shoots with hormones, for example, cytokinin paste.
If you use hormonal agents for the formation of a cake, you first need to open the dormant kidneys and clean them of scales. The paste is applied with gentle movements. The ideal period is the beginning of spring, when the plant wakes up and begins to develop.
The desired result is achieved after 3-5 applications. Phalaenopsis is placed in a greenhouse or room with a temperature of 30 ° C. The gardener does not always manage to achieve the germination of full-fledged children. Sometimes they appear after a couple of months, and sometimes lateral branches, flowers, leaves just grow.
Conclusion
The decision to raise a baby in an orchid at home should be accompanied by a conscious approach, since this process is a great burden for the mother plant. Provide him with more reverent than usual care during this period. Growing will not require much effort from you.