Orchid is a flower that has gained popularity around the world. Among its many varieties, the tiger orchid is especially popular. It is the highlight that will decorate any home greenhouse. Against the background of this variety, others are simply lost. It is the tiger orchid, described below, that can add style and brightness to everything that surrounds it.
Features
The plant is native to South America. From there it began to spread throughout the world. In its coloring, the tiger orchid is very original and includes more than three hundred subspecies. Such plants require special attention and care.
This flower has oblong foliage, which is covered with numerous brown speckles below. Flowering lasts about a month. Tiger orchids can be of very different colors: yellow, red, white with characteristic patches.
Flowering
In total, the plant blooms for about three months: 2-3 times a month. But for this, the orchid should be enoughadult. You can determine its age by looking at the shoots - there must be at least five of them.
Inflorescences are large with a pleasant aroma. The buds open gradually. This process takes about a day - and you can admire the beautiful flower.
Care
Tiger orchid is demanding on the conditions of maintenance and care. In order for the plant to please with long flowering, it is necessary:
- Water the flower regularly. Orchids are tropical plants and love moderate moisture.
- Enough sunlight.
- The right pot. Orchids are planted in transparent pots, which favorably affects the root system.
- Maintaining the right room temperature. The optimal conditions for keeping is to maintain a temperature of +20 degrees during the day, and +16 … + 18 at night.
- Orchids are demanding on nutrition and need to be fed. This ensures long and abundant flowering.
If it doesn't bloom
In order for the tiger orchid flower to please with abundant flowering, you must follow a few simple rules. To begin with, it is worth remembering that this plant is sensitive to movements. Therefore, the pot with it is not touched unnecessarily. Orchids are delicate, whimsical flowers. Moving the pot from one edge of the window sill to the other has a painful effect on the plant. If you need to move the pot, then you should remember which side the light fell on. This side should put the orchid to the light in a new place.
These bloomspecimens of flora at the age of one and a half years. Therefore, if a flower is not a year old, then you should not expect flowering from it.
When growing, pay attention to the root system. In order for the Phalaenopsis tiger orchid to develop properly, you need to carefully monitor the root system.
Sometimes a plant refuses to release a flower branch. To stimulate it, it is necessary to stress the plant by moving it to a cool place and stopping watering. After that, the plant releases a flower arrow and blooms.
Place and soil
From the first days of the appearance of this beauty in the house, it is necessary to find a suitable place for her. To make it happy with regular flowering, it is recommended to put it on the southern and eastern windows.
The key to the successful growth of an orchid is a properly composed soil. It should consist of:
- Pine bark. This component can be found at any time of the year, but it must be collected correctly. The bark is taken from fallen trees at their base. Do not take pieces spoiled by bark beetle. The thickness of the bark should be 1-2 cm. You can buy bark at a garden store.
- Moss. It is harvested in the spring.
- Fern roots. They contain many useful substances necessary for growing orchids.
All components are mixed. You can add a little peat to the composition. You can buy ready-made soil for orchids. It contains everything necessary for the proper growth and development of the plant.
Temperature
Flowers are demandingtemperature regime. The room where orchids are grown should not be too hot. A prolonged increase in temperature to +30 degrees affects them negatively. Does not tolerate the plant and a strong drop in temperature.
Humidity, lighting
Tiger Orchid loves moist air. In the hot season, the flowers are sprayed. In cold weather, this is not done, since such an action can cause dark spots on the leaves or cause decay.
The plant needs sunlight. How abundantly and often flowers will bloom on the plant depends on its quantity.
Irrigation features
The speckled orchid does better in drought than in excessive moisture. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid excessive watering. Because of this, it is best to water the plant twice a week in summer and once a week in winter.
Feeding
There are a number of conditions under which the plant is not fed. Do not fertilize in the first month after transplantation. Do not give additional nutrition to weakened flowers; it is forbidden to fertilize them during the period of active growth.
You can feed the flower with the root and leaf method. With the root method, it is necessary to dilute the fertilizer according to the instructions.
Before fertilizing, it is necessary to soak the substrate until the root is completely wetted, and only after that the plant is fed. To do this, use special fertilizers for orchids.
Transfer
And how to transplant an orchid at home, at what point? Sooner or later there comes a time when you need to do this. There are many reasons for this, such as the age of the plant or a cracked pot.
Transplantation is carried out carefully, according to all the rules. Only non-flowering plants are transplanted. This process is taken seriously. With the slightest wrong action, the flower may die.
This variety must be soaked in water before transplanting to make it easier to remove from the container. This method causes less damage to the roots. The plant is carefully removed from the pot. All damaged roots are removed, the old substrate is completely removed. The roots are washed with warm water.
The plant is allowed to dry for about twenty minutes. Root sections are sprinkled with activated charcoal to prevent infection. Placed in a new pot and only after that the container is filled with substrate.
The transplanted flower is fixed in a pot so that it does not fall. After transplanting, the plant is watered.
Reproduction
Seeing what colors orchids come in, I want to collect a huge collection. In order not to lose varieties, they are propagated. This procedure is carried out by different methods, such as:
- Department of root babies. From it you can grow a new instance of the plant.
- Department of the baby on the peduncle. Sprouting dormant buds allows you to grow a new plant.
- Growing a new plant from a dead one. It happens that the orchid dies. Such plants should not be thrown away, because fromthey can always be raised by kids.
Diseases and pests
With improper care, the orchid starts to hurt, it can be attacked by pests. If you do not start treating the flower in a timely manner, then it may die. In case of malnutrition, growths are formed on the plant, which quickly complete growth.
Bacteria, fungi, viruses lead to various infections. If the plant is not provided with proper care and treatment, the orchid will die.
The most common pests are:
- Shields. Their appearance is indicated by a slowdown in growth. The pest appears due to dry air. To get rid of it, it is necessary to treat the plant with special preparations that are sold in garden stores.
- Pemfigi. These are white insects that damage the leaves of tiger varieties of orchids. They also appear due to dry air. Eliminated with a soap-alkaline solution. In case of severe damage, chemicals are used.
- Aphids. Green, black aphids are found on orchids. It is the cause of infection of the plant with a fungal or viral infection. Aphids appear when thermoregulation is disturbed. You can get rid of it with special preparations or treatment with a milk-water mixture.
Tiger view is one of the most beautiful. Seeing what color orchids are, it is impossible to resist this beauty, blotches and intricate patterns. To grow a beautiful flower, you need to make a lot of effort, but the plant will thank for the labors with abundant, lush flowering.
