Phalaenopsis orchid flowers simply fascinate with their intricate, rare and unnaturally beautiful structure. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that after several minutes of carefully examining them in a flower shop, you are already heading home, happily clutching a pot with your first phalaenopsis to your chest. But the realization that you absolutely do not know how to care for this miracle of nature will come to you much later.
First impression
Usually, when buying, people look more at the Phalaenopsis orchid flower itself. In general, they begin to survey the plant only when they come home. And they are unpleasantly surprised that it does not look like an ordinary average houseplant, neither in its structure, nor even in the soil substrate, which looks more like some kind of pile of cone husks stuffed into a transparent plastic bucket.
The plant itself is a rosette ofseveral even leaves of a strongly elongated teardrop shape. The peduncle does not emerge from the center of the rosette, as is usually the case, but is a kind of lateral branch that bends upwards, giving rise to a kind of inflorescence of several exotic flowers.
But the roots that are visible through the transparent plastic of the container are the most amazing. They are green, dense and more like shoots of the above-ground vegetative part of the plant than fragments of the root system. In light of this, it becomes clear that after buying a phalaenopsis orchid, which is not particularly difficult to care for at home, meanwhile, it will require compliance with rules that are somewhat different from keeping ordinary plants. To have an idea of why care should be carried out in this way, and not otherwise, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the conditions in which the plant grows in the wild.
Growing in the wild
Phalaenopsis orchids come from the tropics of Southeast Asia. Being epiphytic plants, they do not grow in the ground at all, but on the trunks of various trees or shrubs, the bark of which contributes to the accumulation of moisture. Green orchid roots wrap around these trunks, taking all the nutrients they need to survive from the water that accumulates in the outer woody tissues.
That's why the pot is not the earth, but the substrate, most of all looking like crushed fragments of tree bark. And the pot should be transparent,firstly, because in the root tissues, as well as in the tissues of the vegetative part, photosynthesis processes take place, which would be impossible without sunlight, and secondly, because it is easier to control the moisture level of the phalaenopsis root system.
Phalaenopsis Orchid Care Rules
Don't worry in advance. Despite the fact that it will not work to take care of the phalaenopsis orchid like an ordinary indoor flower, this plant, in general, is considered one of the most unpretentious. It rarely gets sick, is not critical to bait, and with timely proper watering, changing the substrate (transplanting), it will faithfully bloom on the windowsill for many years. But a number of special rules still have to be observed. So, what does home care for a Phalaenopsis orchid mean after purchase?
Lighting
The tropical homeland of the plant implies the presence of at least 12-14-hour daylight hours. Therefore, in the northern regions of the temperate zone, it will be necessary to carry out mandatory additional illumination of the plant with special fluorescent lamps. Otherwise, it will develop very slowly and often get sick. With constant low and insufficient lighting, the plant may even die.
It is best to place the flower on a windowsill in the southeast or southwest of the building. In these cases, direct sunlight will fall on them at a time when the luminary has not yet entered the phase of its greatest activity, or when it has already gone to a minimum, that is, in the morning and evening. If, for some reason, the owner decides to growphalaenopsis in a room with south-facing windows, care should be taken to drape the windows with tulle, which would scatter direct sunlight. Otherwise, the plant may get burned.
The fact is that in the wild, phalaenopsis orchids rarely grow in open spaces. Most often, plants hide under the canopy of tree crowns, where moisture can remain longer, and sunlight, although it penetrates in abundance, is light and diffused. And if the owner wants his orchids to be comfortable on the windowsills of the premises, he will have to create similar conditions for them.
A sudden change of scenery can harm the plant. It is especially worth refraining from rearranging the plant from one window sill to another during the period of flowering and ovary buds. Flowers may begin to fade prematurely, and buds may even fall off without opening.
Temperature
Things are more or less smooth with the temperature, since our room conditions are the best suited to the natural wild environment of phalaenopsis. 22-27°C is the best temperature for a flower of any variety.
In winter, it is worth protecting plants from drafts and temperature changes. Orchids are very sensitive to cold, and while some can only drop their flowers, many can get sick and begin to wither.
Irrigation
Phalaenopsis can be watered only with warm water that has settled for 2-3 days. Often, water utility specialists show excessive zeal inwater disinfection with chlorine. And if people, having got used to it, may not feel its taste in their mouths, then the plants will definitely feel it with their roots. Often the answer to the age-old question - why does the phalaenopsis orchid turn yellow, lies precisely in the excess of the chemical. During settling, all the bleach from the liquid evaporates, as a result of which the water becomes suitable for irrigation.
The plant itself is watered subject to the following rules:
- While watering, in no case should it fall into the upper part of the leafy outlet. Stagnant water in it can provoke the processes of decay. If moisture gets into the leaf funnel, remove it with a cotton swab.
- Phalaenopsis watering is best done only through the pan. The pot with the substrate in which the phalaenopsis roots are placed is usually placed in a small container with an edge height of 2–3 cm. Water is simply poured into the lower stand through the pot with the substrate, and then the orchid roots themselves will figure out how much moisture they need to absorb through the holes at the bottom.
- If the roots do not reach the bottom of the pot, then the container with the plant is simply immersed in a large stand with water and taken out as soon as the root system of the plant with the substrate is wet.
- Water should be done at least 2-3 times a week.
Avoid waterlogged root! The next watering should not be carried out if it is visible through the edges of the plastic pot that there is still a sufficient amount of moisture on the roots and substrate.or there is still liquid in the sump! Otherwise, the roots of the orchid will start to rot.
Spraying plants is not recommended. It is better to practice wet wiping the leaves with a napkin. In the wild, phalaenopsis is sheltered from rain by tree crowns, therefore, in room conditions, abundant “rain” is also not recommended for them.
Feeding
The most important condition for caring for an orchid is its timely and proper bait. Anyone who is wondering how to make a phalaenopsis orchid bloom at home should know that it is the flower that the owner flavors with useful and missing substances in indoor growing conditions that is much more likely to bloom.
The plant is fed by root and foliar methods. Root means the application of fertilizers using root irrigation, when the necessary amount of mineral and other substances necessary for the plant is diluted in water. Foliar is produced by spraying the vegetative part with a solution of nutrients needed by the plant.
Before bait, you should read the following rules:
- you can not fertilize an orchid at a time when it is in a state of hibernation (as a rule, it comes after the end of abundant flowering);
- do not fertilize phalaenopsis even for a month after transplantation;
- also do not feed diseased plants;
- during the flowering period of the Phalaenopsis orchid, you should not feed it using the root method, because of this it can lose color;
- only spraying with flowering time stimulants is allowed.
In order not to wonder why the leaves of the Phalaenopsis orchid turn yellow, you should avoid getting root baits on the vegetative part of the plant! The same applies to foliar baits, which can also cause burns if they get on the roots of the plant.
Scheme for root bait:
- Before the procedure, the Phalaenopsis orchid must be watered without fail.
- For each period in the life of a plant, it is recommended to use its own fertilizers. For example, to activate growth after propagation by division or planting cuttings, it is recommended to use some complexes, to induce the plant to bloom - others, to increase the duration of flowering - still others. All this is known to employees of specialized stores, who, if anything, will always come to the rescue. Proportion instructions are included with each set.
- After preparing the nutrient solution, the pot with pre-watered phalaenopsis is immersed in it for 20 minutes. Then they take it out, let the nutrient fluid drain and then put it in the tray in its usual place.
Foliar bait is practiced in cases of damage to the root system of the orchid, in case of illness and weakening of the plant due to acute nutritional deficiency.
Scheme for foliar bait:
- To carry out such procedures, you must use exclusivelyfine spray.
- Foliar bait should not coincide with root bait. Best done after 1-2 weeks.
- Don't bait in sunny weather. The best time for her is morning or evening.
- Spray the leaves both above and below.
- It is forbidden to get the nutrient solution into the outlet funnel (growth point). This can disrupt the correct rhythm of plant development.
- As in the case of root complexes, foliar complexes also have their purpose (stimulation of the growth of the vegetative part, inducement to set buds, peck buds, etc.).
It is strictly forbidden to overestimate the concentration of nutrients in the prepared nutrient solutions. This will not lead to the rapid development of the plant, but it can cause its illness and death!
Transplantation and reproduction
The happy owners of these tropical plants should be interested not only in how to transplant a Phalaenopsis orchid, but also in when and in what cases it will be justified. And it will be justified if:
- The root of the plant has developed to such an extent that it has begun to bulge out of the pot.
- Root orchid showing signs of soreness.
- The owner decided to propagate the phalaenopsis by dividing the rosette.
Regular transfer
In the case of a simple transplant, you should purchase a larger pot and a special substrate, remove the plant from a small pot and, immersing the root plant in a larger one, evenlydistribute particles of fresh substrate throughout the capacity of the new pot. Then the plant is watered and the transplant ends with the plant planted in its place.
Outlet division
If the plant is already more than 3 years old, it has more than 6-7 leaves, and additional roots extend from the sides of the outlet, you can propagate it by dividing the outlet. To do this, take a sharp disinfected knife and cut off the upper part from the main outlet with most of the leaves with several roots. Then the cuts are allowed to dry, treated with an antiseptic and seated in their pots with a new substrate.
Reproduction by children (cuttings)
In order to propagate an orchid by cuttings, you should provoke the buds of the peduncle to release roots and leaves. To do this, use a special paste - a stimulant. The kidney is carefully released from the outer shell, lubricated with paste and, subsequently, this place is constantly sprayed with water. Soon roots and leaves hatch from the kidney. When the roots reach 5–6 cm, the stalk is carefully broken off from the peduncle (if it does not break off, it is cut off from above and below) and planted in a separate pot.
Seed propagation
This is a very labor intensive process involving pollination and seed collection. Most of the seed material turns out to be unusable, so this method of propagation is almost never used under normal conditions. In addition, in the case of seed breeding, phalaenopsis, as a rule, loses alldecorative features of the mother plant.
How to encourage Phalaenopsis to bloom?
Now a few words about how to make a Phalaenopsis orchid bloom after it has shed its previous color. To provoke her to a "feat", several methods are used:
- Temperature difference technique. Some time after the orchid has faded, put it for a couple of months in a room with a lower (+ 10–15 ° C) temperature. When you take the plant back to a room with a temperature of +25-27 ° C, it will definitely receive a stimulus to grow and release a new peduncle.
- The method of cutting off the top of a faded peduncle. With a disinfected knife, cut off the faded part of the peduncle at a distance of 2 cm from the next bud. After a while, one of the upper buds will hatch and release a side branch, on which buds will tie.
- Method of changing the illumination. The method works in the same way as with temperature, only in this case the light level changes. If, after a long standing in a darkened room, the plant is abruptly placed on the windowsill, this will also provoke it to bloom.
About diseases and pests of Phalaenopsis orchids
For example, Phalaenopsis orchid turns yellow, what should I do? To answer this question, the root cause of yellowing should be identified. In particular, leaf diseases of Phalaenopsis orchids, accompanied by yellowing, can be caused by:
- get root baits on them;
- thrips;
- mealybugs;
- aphids.
In the case of fertilizer, wash the burnt leaf with a wet cloth. If the yellowing has spread further, the damaged leaf will have to be removed.
In the case of pests, it will be enough to treat the vegetative part of the plant with special means and transplant it into a substrate clean from pests.
Conclusion
How to care for a Phalaenopsis orchid? In short, the answer will sound like this: if the flower is provided with sufficient illumination, it will not be constantly rearranged from place to place, it will be protected from drafts, colds and sudden temperature fluctuations, the plant will surely, and more than once, endow its caring owner with a colorful and unique flowering!
The video will help with this.
