Pafiopedilum Orchid Care
Orchid Papiopedilum (Venus Slipper), like most other varieties, is considered a whimsical crop. For the correct development of a flower, a gardener must provide him with full and high-quality care, which consists of a number of points. According to the description, all types need the same grooming procedures.
Orchid Lady's slipper
Soil selection
Phalaenopsis paphiopedilum flowers require a quality substrate. You can prepare it yourself:
- prepare 5 kg of coniferous bark;
- add 1 kg of wood ash;
- 500 g perlite;
- 1 kg of peat.
The Venus Slipper Orchid feels great in acid-base substrates with a high concentration of calcium. For this reason, crushed chalk or lime is added to the soil at the rate of 200 g per 1 kg of the mixture. The bottom of the pot is equipped with a drainage system that allows moisture to pass through and reduces pressure on the roots. Plastic bottles or containers are used as a container for planting.
Lighting and temperature
The Papiopedilum orchid is considered a heat-loving culture, so it is important to correctly determine the ambient temperature, depending on the time of day. During the day, they adhere to temperatures of 24-26 ° C. The maximum indicator is 29 ° C. At night, the temperature is lowered to 16-18 ° C. If you follow these indicators, the Venus Slipper Orchid will bloom more often, and the flowering period will increase.
Caring for the Venus Slipper orchid also means proper lighting. Despite the fact that the plant is capable of growing in the shade, it prefers to receive full-fledged sunlight, they must be scattered, otherwise burns occur on the leaves. Daylight should hit the plant for 13 hours a day. The rest of the time, Paphiopedilum orchids should be in the shade.
Watering and humidity
When caring for the Pafiopedilum orchid at home, one should not forget about the quality of watering. Drying out the soil in the pot is fraught with the death of the garden culture. When the varieties of the lady's slipper are gaining growth, watering is increased and carried out at intervals of 2-3 days. After flowering, the interval is increased to 4-6 days.
The culture is watered with warm, settled water. To do this, it is boiled, defended and only then watered. The optimum water temperature is 25-35 ° C. Fulfillment of this condition improves the adhesion of the root system to the soil. During watering, the leaves and rosettes of flowers should be protected from water.
The procedure for watering the Paphiopedilum orchid is carried out so that the entire pot is placed in a container with water. It is forbidden to pour water directly into the substrate, otherwise it will lead to root rot. After the procedure, the pot is set aside and the water is allowed to drain. Watering time depends on the composition of the substrate. If there is a large bark in it, the procedure lasts 40-50 minutes. In the presence of small particles, the time interval is reduced to 15 minutes.
The humidity of the room containing the culture should be 70-90%.This is due to the fact that most of the varieties of this culture were bred in tropical conditions. Optimum humidity values are achieved by humidifying the room, and not spraying the leaves with water. The best solution is to put a room humidifier next to the pot.
Watering Pafiopedilum
Transplant and reproduction
Paphiopedilum orchid often dies after transplantation. For this reason, the plant is transplanted at intervals of 2 years. At this point, the substrate completely loses its useful properties and begins to decompose. The transplant is carried out in the spring, before flowering begins. The root system of the plant is formed in a horizontal plane, so the culture is planted in wide and low containers. Watering of the transplanted bush is started only after 5 days.
Paphiopedilum orchid propagates by dividing the seedling. During the division, special attention is paid to ensure that 3 sockets are formed on each part. The low number of outlets is fraught with the fact that the bush develops longer, and the flowering period is postponed for 2-3 months. The optimum temperature for transplanting divisions is 23 ° C.
Flowering culture
The flowering period of orchids Venus Slipper of different species does not occur at the same time. This culture blooms actively from autumn to spring for 3-4 weeks. Some bloom even less. There are varieties that are characterized by a single appearance of flowers. Phalaenopsis revolving bloom is possible within 6-7 weeks. According to the description, the culture blooms in bright colors: from yellow to deep red.
Dormant period
In the Venus slipper orchid, the rest period is poorly expressed. The plant needs proper watering throughout the year. They also pay attention to the fact that culture requires full-fledged lighting.
The varieties, which are characterized by colorful leaves, fall into a dormant period from April to October. During this time they are kept in the shade. After the inflorescence disappears, the entire flowering stick is pruned.
Diseases
Caring for the Venus Slipper orchid at home is considered poor quality if you do not protect the plant from diseases or fight them. The main diseases are leaf spot, botrytis and fusarium.
- They fight against leaf spot with the help of Kombi-Lux or Oksikhom chemicals (30 g per 10 liters of water). Watering is carried out with this solution at intervals of 10 days.
- An effective remedy against botrytis is considered to be watering with a solution of Bordeaux liquid (4 g per 5 l of water).
- You should get rid of fusarium with a manganese solution (2 g per 5 l of water).
Preventive actions
It is not difficult to take care of the Lady's slipper orchid, even despite its exactingness. Prevention of diseases consists in the fact that the substrate is treated before planting with disinfectants: manganese solution or artichoke (4 g per 5 l of water). It is important to follow all home care guidelines to reduce the likelihood of illness.
Conclusion
In caring for the Venus Slipper orchid, you must follow all the above instructions in order to grow a beautiful flowering plant that can decorate the house with bright flowers.