The phalaenopsis home orchid, also often referred to as the butterfly flower, is an amazing plant that can be grown quite easily at home. However, like any other culture, it needs proper care. If you do not take into account the needs of the orchid, then it will start to hurt and fade pretty quickly.
Also, the phalaenopsis orchid can be attacked by a wide variety of pests that cause great harm to both the leaves and the root system of the flower. With any change in the appearance of the plant, it is worth thinking about its treatment. However, very often they appear in the house already sick. This is due to the dishonesty of the sellers, who go to great lengths to put the colorful bush in a favorable light. Therefore, you should be careful even at the stage of acquiring a Phalaenopsis orchid. We will talk more about all this later.
How to choose the right one
When buying a named tropical plant, there is a risk of acquiring an unhe althy bush, which will be very difficult to reanimate. Therefore, you should follow a few rules:
- First of all, you need to look at the leaves of the Phalaenopsis orchid. If yellow or brown spots are visible on them, then you should choose anotherflower.
- It is also necessary to carefully take the orchid by the main part of the leaf rosette and twist it in different directions. If the roots of the phalaenopsis orchid are he althy, then the flower will not hang out in the ground. When this happens, the plant is not suitable for purchase.
- If you find small mechanical damage on the foliage, do not worry too much. This fact does not indicate the poor condition of the plant.
In some situations, sellers use growth stimulants in large quantities. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine the fact of depositing such funds.
Location and light
After buying this beautiful flower, you should get ready that the Phalaenopsis orchid will need the right care. To do this, you need to take into account all the subtleties of growing this flower:
- First of all, it is worth considering that this flower is very fond of sunbathing. This is not surprising, because the orchid comes from the tropics. Accordingly, you need to install it on the windowsill, where it will receive large amounts of diffused light. The plant will do best on the northeast side of the room.
- If you look at the photo of the Phalaenopsis orchid, it becomes obvious that it has rather delicate flowers and petals. Therefore, you should avoid direct sunlight on them, as the foliage can get burned, and ugly spots will appear on it.
- In the summer, it is recommended to remove the plant a little further from the window or darken it (especially if the flower pot is on the south side). This isdue to the fact that during the hot period the sun is much more aggressive and can severely damage the delicate Phalaenopsis orchid.
Indoor temperature
If we talk about the temperature regime, then for the full growth and flowering of an orchid, it is necessary that it be kept within the range of +15 to +26 ° С. True, if the room is hotter (more than 30 degrees Celsius), then the orchid will also feel great. But do not allow too prolonged overheating. Otherwise, the Phalaenopsis orchid will start dropping flowers in extreme heat.
Humidity
This parameter should be maintained at 30-40%. In this case, the plant will grow and develop perfectly. Despite the fact that the orchid is a tropical flower, you need to monitor its condition in the summer heat. During this period, it is best to move the plant along with the pot to a tray filled with wet pebbles. This will help prevent leaf fall.
However, it is not recommended to overmoisten the ground in which the Phalaenopsis orchid grows, and when performing the above procedures, it is necessary to organize high-quality ventilation. Not every novice grower can do this. If the ground is too wet for a long time, then the roots of the Phalaenopsis orchid may begin to rot. This may lead to the death of the plant.
Irrigation
If you look at the photo of the Phalaenopsis orchid, it may seem that this delicate plant needs a lot of water treatments. Actually it's notso. It should be watered no more than once every 7 days. If it is very hot outside, you can add water twice a week.
As a rule, watering can be done with a regular shower. However, it is worth making sure that the water is soft. From hard soil, s alt can form, which the orchid strongly dislikes.
Soil preparation and top dressing
For proper care of the Phalaenopsis orchid, it is necessary to prepare a light substrate. To do this, you can collect pine bark and dry it. After that, the material is crushed to a size of 5-6 mm and boiled. Charcoal is then added to the bark in a ratio of 10:1.
Also a good substrate is obtained if you mix 3 parts of peat, the same amount of chopped fern roots, two parts of the earth and add a little pine bark and charcoal to the mixture.
If we talk about top dressing, then fertilizers are recommended to be applied exclusively during the vegetative period. For this, it is best to use specialized formulations with a high nitrogen content.
Phalaenopsis orchid transplant at home
This procedure is carried out once every three years. This is due to the fact that after this period the substrate completely loses any properties useful to the orchid. At the same time, many note that the earth begins to emit an unpleasant smell with sourness.
Phalaenopsis orchids should be transplanted only after flowering is complete. To simplify the procedure for removing a bush from an old pot, you canput it in water for a while. After that, the plant can be easily pulled out. In the next step, be sure to thoroughly rinse the rhizome. Dead or rotting parts must be carefully cut off with a sharp knife.
For the new place of residence of the beauty, an ordinary pot made of polypropylene (plastic) is suitable. It is very easy to make the necessary holes in it to remove excess water and provide ventilation to the earth.
Reproduction
There are several ways to get several from one plant at once. To do this, you need to prepare a sharp clean knife and cut the stem of the flower with it along its growth and across. Each of these zones should contain a leaflet and a spine.
You can also propagate the orchid by children. This is possible only if tiny sprouts with their own roots are visible on the rhizome, stem or peduncle. In this case, you need to carefully separate them from the "mother" and put them in clean warm water for 10 days, in which a small amount of growth hormone is first diluted. After such manipulations, children will easily take root in almost any soil.
Pests
The main pests for the tropical beauty are thrips. The size of these barely noticeable parasites is no more than 2.5 mm. Outwardly, they look like small sticks with dark wings. The main distinguishing feature of these parasites is their speed of movement. To determine that insects have chosen an orchid, it is enough to look closely at the foliage. It should have small spots andlight dots. Also, a barely noticeable silvery film may appear on the foliage. These parasites can be detected at night. To do this, it is enough to turn on the light sharply. As a rule, thrips hide in the soil during the day, and during the day they lay their eggs inside the foliage. Because of this, the leaves of the plant begin to fall over time.
Also, orchids often suffer from nematodes - tiny worms no more than 2 mm long. These parasites are very fond of drinking flower juice. To identify the presence of parasites, you need to check the roots of the plant. If necrotic spots are visible on them, then this indicates the activity of nematodes. Because of this, the leaves of the Phalaenopsis orchid turn yellow and gradually fall off. Then the whole plant dries up.
In addition to the listed parasites, an orchid can be affected by a mealybug. This is another tiny insect that can kill a tropical beauty. The mealybug is distinguished by a large number of antennae located throughout its body, covered with a whitish coating.
As a rule, the mealybug hides in places where the leaves are attached to the stem. The parasite gnaws through the foliage and draws the juice out of it. After itself, the worm usually leaves a substance that looks like a cobweb. This component also has a destructive effect. Because of him, the orchid cannot fully grow. In addition, the mealybug loves to lay eggs on plants. As a rule, they resemble small white dots.
Another enemy of the orchid is the shell mite. It has a dark brown body. The dimensions of the ticks usually reach only up to0.9 mm. The females of these parasites lay brown eggs. Noticing the presence of ticks is not so easy. They move very quickly and try to avoid light. Despite the fact that insects crawl all over the plant, they make clutches exclusively on fallen leaves or rotting roots.
Most often these parasites start because of too wet soil. They feed only on fallen leaves, so they do not pose a serious threat to the he alth of the orchid. Nevertheless, it is better to get rid of parasites.
Unlike its counterpart, the spider mite runs very slowly and does not suffer from light intolerance. These tiny parasites are rarely less than 0.3 mm in size and are very difficult to see. As a rule, they sit on the lower parts of the foliage. At the same time, spider mites usually form huge clusters.
You can determine their presence by a silvery coating, which is very reminiscent of a cobweb. At the same time, light or, conversely, dark spots will be visible on the leaves themselves. These insects pose a great danger to the plant, as they drink all the juice present in the leaf. From this, it begins to fade and dries out rather quickly. After a while, the orchid stops blooming.
If we are talking about aphids, then it can be of any size, shade and size. However, most often these parasites are distinguished by a translucent oval body, with a size of not more than 2 mm. As a rule, these insects also prefer to cluster on the underside of the foliage. In the process of its reproduction, the aphid begins to actively drink the juice from the leaves. Due toAs a result, numerous yellow spots appear on them. After a while, the foliage begins to wither and curl.
Also, an onion mite can start on an orchid. It is white or cream in color and up to 1.5 mm in size. He has two pairs of legs. This parasite climbs into the rhizome of the plant and begins to feed on its juice. If it is not calculated in a timely manner, then the roots of the flower will become thinner and eventually turn into hollow threads. After the activity of the tick, the plant most often dies.
Also, a whitefly can start on an orchid. Outwardly, this parasite looks like a small butterfly, the size of which is about 1.5 mm. Whiteflies lay grayish or cream-colored larvae that lie motionless. However, these parasites mature quite quickly and become a real disaster for the grower. The fact is that whiteflies actively eat the foliage of the flower, which is why ugly spots appear on it. After that, the leaves fall off.
It is also worthwhile to identify the scale insect in a timely manner. This parasite is no larger than half the size of a match head. As a rule, scale insects resemble tubercles on a plant. They actively drink the juice of the plant, simultaneously releasing a special substance that provokes the formation of soot fungus. From this foliage dries quickly. However, the shield is very easy to remove with a damp cloth or cotton pad.
Diseases of Phalaenopsis orchids, their treatment and photos
Like any other overseas flower, the tropical beauty is prone to a large number of ailments.
If the orchid suffers from bacterial leaf spot, then the leaves will begin to actively turn yellow. After a while, watery sores will develop on them. After that, the foliage darkens. To cure a fragile flower, you need to get rid of all the affected areas with a sharp knife. All wounds should be smeared with a weak iodine solution.
Speaking about Phalaenopsis orchid diseases and their treatment, it is worth noting that this flower is also susceptible to viral diseases. In this case, stripes, arrows and mosaic spotting appear on the leaves. In some cases, even the flower petals are affected. Unfortunately, in this case, it will be impossible to reanimate the plant. The only thing left to do is to throw out the whole bush along with the pot so that the virus does not spread to other flowers in the house.
Also among the diseases of the Phalaenopsis orchid there is anthracnose. This ailment manifests itself in the form of clearly defined round spots on the foliage. Gradually, the damage expands and connects. The sheet is deformed and acquires a black tint. In some cases, a pinkish bloom appears on the foliage.
To get rid of this unpleasant disease, you need to monitor the level of humidity in the room. It should always be in the range of 40-60%. Don't forget to remove excess water from the foliage.
The affected areas are carefully cut off with a knife. Places from which blackening has been removed must be treated with crushed activated carbon. If the lesions have spread over large areas, then a fungicide treatment may be required."Ridomil".
As you can see in the photo of Phalaenopsis orchids, diseases of this plant can most often be identified by the presence of spots on the leaves.
And a common ailment that manifests itself in this way is fungal rust. In this case, light spots will appear on the lower parts of the leaves. Over time, they turn brown, and unpleasant reddish pads form on them. This indicates the development of fungal spores. To cure the plant, it is necessary to remove all affected leaves. In the place of the cut, you need to coat the flower with a 20% alcohol solution. After that, it is recommended to perform additional processing with "Ridomil".
If a plant suffers from Fusarium rot, it is expressed by the fact that its leaves begin to turn yellow and curl. After a while, all foliage acquires a grayish tint, and the main shoot gradually dies. To prevent this, it is necessary to lower the orchid pot into a 0.2% solution of "Fundazol" every day for two weeks. In this case, this procedure should be carried out three times a day.
Another common ailment is gray rot. With it, brownish spots are formed on the foliage of the orchid, which are distinguished by a fluffy gray bloom. In this case, you need to check the humidity in the room. Perhaps her scores are too high. It is also recommended to spray the plant with a fungicide solution. After treatment, you need to monitor wateringplants and try to use only soft water.
When root rot appears, the plant may die. To identify this ailment, you need to probe the rhizome of the orchid. If it is too soft and smells unpleasant, then it is urgent to process it with a 0.2% solution of the Topsin-M fungicide. The procedure is carried out once every two weeks.
Useful tips for growing orchids
Let's list again the basic rules for caring for an orchid:
- First of all, you need to monitor the lighting. Do not install the flower in a place that is too dark or, conversely, under direct sunlight.
- If we talk about the soil for a tropical beauty, it will be better if there is always a small amount of top dressing in the substrate, which is used for orchids.
- To enjoy the flowering of an unusual plant longer and more often, you need to monitor the temperature. Before the appearance of flowers, it is better to adhere to the temperature regime within 12-14 ° С.
- Some varieties of orchids renew foliage every year, this should not be scared.
- Repotting a plant every year is also not recommended. It is enough to perform the procedure every 3 years.
- In addition, you need to monitor the condition of the roots and check the substrate for the presence of s alts. If they are present, then hard water should be discarded.
- If the orchid begins to wilt, you need to cut off the damaged leaves.
Following all these recommendations, you can enjoy the flowering of overseas beauty. The main thing is not to water it too often,monitor the condition of the soil and check the lower part of the foliage for damage. If spots or other damage have formed on the leaves, then the plant may be sick.
