Vanda Orchid is a truly royal plant that attracts attention with its stunning flowers. The charming and attractive appearance of this orchid leaves no one indifferent. If you have never grown these flowers at home, then you should carefully study all the details of this process. In this article, we will talk in detail about the process of planting and caring for a Vanda orchid at home. Caring for her is a rather troublesome business, but giving her enough attention, you will receive gratitude in the form of an incredibly beautiful and long flowering.
Description
The Vanda Orchid is one of fifty species belonging to the combined genus of beautifully flowering Indian and Australian plants. It was the Indians who gave the "Royal" name to this orchid. In 1795, William Jones, who studied Asian nature and people, assigned the Vanda orchid its current name. And since 1981 this floweris the national symbol of Singapore.
In general, the orchid of this species is a fairly tall epiphytic (not requiring soil) plant, reaching a height of almost a meter, with long belt-shaped leaves that grow up to 25 centimeters in length. Its peduncles, most often, give six small and dim flowers, which, as they grow, become large in size and bright in color. The main feature of this type of orchid is considered to be very powerful roots, which are highly branched and can reach two meters in length.
Orchid species
Today, more than fifty varieties of Vanda orchids are known. In this section, we offer to get acquainted with the most popular.
- Wanda chess. This species is especially popular in the countries of Southeast Asia. It is characterized by epiphytic branching roots and yellowish-golden flowers. The leaves are lamellar and cylindrical.
- Vanda lamellar. A flower that came to us from the Philippines, and also took root well in a rainforest with a humid climate. It has elongated leaves, located on half-meter shoots, with yellow-brown flowers of small diameter growing from the central shoot.
- Vanda tricolor. One of the tallest varieties of this orchid, growing up to one and a half meters in height. Belt-shaped leaves have a leathery structure. Inflorescences of small length are covered with ten large white or cream flowers interspersed with brown spots.
- Wanda rolled. Like the tricolor plant species, it has a fairly high trunk - about two meters, with strong branching and a tendency to crawl. The valkovaty species is named due to the long and narrow leaves of the same shape. The peduncle produces about six pink or purple flowers.
- Wanda blue. An orchid of this variety is characterized by an erect meter-high stem covered with two rows of belt-shaped leaves. During the flowering period, it is covered with large blue-blue flowers with a diameter of about 10 centimeters, in an amount of 6 to 12 pieces.
General features of care
Vanda orchids are quite capable of growing not only in specialized greenhouses, but simply at home. However, it should be understood that in order to obtain a he althy and beautiful plant, conditions should be maintained as close to tropical as possible (as in the homeland of this orchid). The main criteria for caring for Vanda orchids are: maintaining temperature and humidity, timely feeding and providing the necessary lighting. Only by observing all the requirements for caring for this rather capricious flower, you can achieve success in the form of large and colorful flowers. So, about everything in order and in more detail.
Creating optimal conditions
Growing and caring for Vanda orchids, first of all, means supporting the necessary climatic conditions. Oddly enough, but in order for the plant to bloom, it is important for it to provide a temperature drop. Moreover, each variety has its own optimal temperature.cultivation, which must be specified at the time of purchase.
For example, for an orchid whose homeland is dominated by flat terrain, temperatures above 35 degrees are not critical. But for plants from the highlands, more moderate temperatures are required, and without sudden changes. The most comfortable temperature is considered to be between 22 and 27 degrees during the period of growth and flowering. During the dormant period, the temperature should drop to 14 degrees. Active flowering can be achieved by creating fluctuations in air temperatures day and night. In addition, with hotter air, its humidity should also be increased to 75-80%.
Plant pattern
As mentioned above, the orchid is an epiphytic plant, that is, it does not require the use of soil for its cultivation. Based on this, there are three main ways to plant a Vanda orchid at home.
- With substrate. Pine bark in combination with sphagnum is suitable as a substrate for orchids. If it is not possible to prepare the substrate yourself, then finding it ready-made in the store is not difficult at all. Planting in this way requires a spacious pot with lots of holes to best ventilate the roots and give them free space.
- In glass vessels. To do this, use a stable vase of small height, in which only the roots of the plant are placed. Leaves and flowers should be left outdoors to provide adequate light and fresh air.
- In a suspension system withbare roots. The plant is placed in a wicker basket so that its roots are provided with maximum ventilation. The only drawback of this method is the frequent spraying of the plant due to the rapid evaporation of moisture.
Importance of lighting
Without proper access to sunlight, any, even the most thorough care of the plant will be practically meaningless. Orchid Wanda - the standard of light-loving. Receiving lighting less than ten hours a day, it stops active growth and does not begin to bloom. Glazed balconies or loggias are the best places for growing. In their absence, it is permissible to use the south window, and, in summer, at lunchtime, the window is slightly shaded (or the flower is transferred to another window sill) to avoid burns on delicate flower petals.
Lack of light can be recognized by a too dark shade of leaves (as well as a shorter top pair of leaves compared to the bottom) and stunting of roots, the end of which is covered with a white bloom.
Irrigation
Compliance with the watering regime of the Vanda orchid is one of the most important requirements for caring for it. If you are going to grow a plant in a substrate, then watering should be done only when it is completely dry, otherwise more frequent watering threatens to rot the roots. When grown in a glass vase or in a hanging system, weekly watering in winter and autumn is sufficient, and in spring and summer, the frequency of watering increases intwice.
The watering process is as follows: the plant is placed in a bath and poured well with warm water from the shower for 5-7 minutes. The water temperature should not be below 35 degrees. Or the roots of the plant are lowered into a vessel with water for 20-30 minutes. After such watering, the plant is given half an hour to ensure that excess moisture from the leaves and roots of the glass.
Feeding
Since most orchids grow without soil, it can be difficult to apply this or that fertilizer. But at the same time, the plant requires weekly top dressing. Therefore, the process of fertilizing is carried out by spraying the plant with a weak solution of the drug. More active top dressing should be carried out during the vegetative period, and at the dormant stage of the plant, their number can be significantly reduced.
Transfer
As such, there is no orchid transplant, due to the lack of soil. But, if you decide to grow it in a substrate, then it should be replaced every three years. Fresh substrate prevents root rot due to little sunlight.
The main sign of the readiness of the Vanda orchid for transplantation is the presence of new roots. When they appear, the plant should be transplanted immediately, without waiting for their growth. Such a rapid transplantation is due to the fragility of the longer young roots.
Reproduction
Those who have been growing orchids for more than a year know that this plant not only blooms, but also can reproduce. In adult plants in leaf axilssmall roots begin to appear, which are cut off along with the top of the flower. You can breed Vanda orchids only after the appearance of these roots. The cut point is immediately treated with ground cinnamon or pounded charcoal.
The cut off shoot must be planted in a container with a substrate, while carefully straightening the roots. To protect them from damage, make a small depression in the substrate. After planting, moderately water the stalk until its active growth begins - during this period it can be strengthened.
Diseases
The main diseases that the Vanda orchid is susceptible to are Fusarium and bacterial rot. In this section, we will tell you how to recognize and treat these diseases.
Fusariosis shows dark spots that appear at the base of the leaves. The cause of the occurrence and development of this disease is damage to the leaves or young roots. If the plant is affected by Fusarium, immediately treat (by spraying) it with "Fundazol", after cutting off the affected parts and sprinkling the places of cuts with activated charcoal. For prevention purposes, constantly remove old roots and yellowed leaves.
Bacterial rot develops due to too high air temperature combined with excessive watering. Orchid roots acquire a loose structure and gradually rot. In order to get rid of bacterial rot, treat the plant with a solution of "Fundazol" or "Topsin". Processing consists in immersing the plant in a solution of the drug.
Pests
Among the orchid pests, the mealybug can be noted. The adult individual of this insect has a size of no more than 4 millimeters, an oval shape and a pinkish color. A white coating on a mealybug means that it is ready to lay eggs. The main habitat of mealybug colonies is the underside of the leaves or the top of the shoot. The main harm caused by this insect is to suck out the juice from the stems of the plant and damage the flowers of the Vanda orchid, which take on the appearance of cotton wool due to lumps of cobwebs. To remove the worm eggs from the plant, the leaves must be wiped with a damp cloth dipped in soapy water or alcohol. With a stronger lesion, the plant is treated with insecticides.
Spider mites are another pest that doesn't mind ruining orchids. The size of these bright red insects is incredibly small - less than 0.5 millimeters. A particularly favorable environment for their development are warm rooms with dry air. Spider mite damage can be recognized by yellowed and dried leaves. Spider mites are especially insidious in that with the onset of not entirely favorable conditions for development, they burrow into the substrate and wait this time until suitable conditions occur. With a weak lesion, it is enough to treat the plant with soapy water or garlic tincture. For more severe infestations, insecticides and colloidal sulfur may be used.
If you find yellow dots on the stems and leaves, then this is a sure sign of infection with a scale insect. The leaves of the Vanda orchid affected by the scale insect fall in a dried and twisted form. In addition, the overall growth of the plant slows down, and in some situations it even dies. Removal of scale insects is carried out by wiping the leaves and stems with a damp sponge. It is also important to process the space around the flower pot.
In conclusion
In this article, we not only told you about the Vanda orchid, but also introduced you to its most popular varieties. Detailed tips for caring for this plant will allow you to grow this "queen" of orchids at home without any problems. Carefully monitor the level of humidity and air temperature, to which this plant is so sensitive, and you will definitely get stunningly beautiful flowers with a pleasant aroma.
