Everyone is used to the fact that indoor orchids have become a common plant in our apartments. But there special conditions are created for them, starting with the soil and ending with temperature. Is it possible to grow orchids in an ordinary garden, and even without shelter? It turns out that there are such flowers. Their name is garden orchid.
Description
Orchid is a tropical flower, unusual in shape, mysterious and delicate. Its flowers resemble colorful butterflies. This is a monocotyledonous plant that has 600 species alone, and several thousand varieties.
Flowers are usually collected in racemes or spikelets, sometimes solitary.
With aerial roots, it clings to the bark of nearby trees. There is humus, which the orchid feeds on. Such species are called epiphytes. They are placed on citrus, oaks, magnolias.
But there are those that grow in the ground. They are called lithophytes. Many of them have tubers or thick rhizomes buried a short distance into the ground.
Varieties of garden orchids
In the southern regions, you can land suchgarden orchid species such as Pollenhead and Lyubka. But they are very demanding on growing conditions. Therefore, it has not been widely adopted. It is even more difficult to care for Kremastra mutable. But the lady's slipper (see photo in this article) can grow in the gardens of the southern strip without requiring special care. But first, you need to work hard to create the right conditions for him.
Preparing the site
First create a "garden" in which the garden orchid will grow. They are looking for a site with poor, but loose soil, easily breathable. Moisture should not stagnate there. If there is no such site, you can prepare forest land, add expanded clay, sand, gravel there. Planted first "forest" - dwarf conifers. It can be pine, spruce, juniper, cypress. Then ferns are placed. Wait at least one year, better - a couple of years. The plot is ready for planting orchids.
If you do this earlier, then the garden orchid can take root, but will constantly get sick. A fungus will settle on the leaves, they will be spoiled with dark spots. This is due to the fact that the orchid does not form mycorrhiza with these plants, which helps to fight pathogenic fungi. If the culture is planted on time, then fungal diseases will not be terrible for her.
Reviews from some users say that their garden orchids grow well next to hostas, tree peonies. They also coexist with deciduous plants. And, although there are no conifers nearby, these garden orchids look good.
Types of slippers
The real slipper is a forest plant, rather capricious. Its petals are narrow, wrapped in a spiral. It grows well on nutrient-rich soils, but is constantly sick, therefore it is better to plant them on poor forest soils. They will grow worse, but look better.
Slipper large-flowered - with pink flowers, larger than the real one. Its petals are not curved, like a real slipper, smoother and slightly wider.
Various hybrids of real and large-flowered slippers are often found. They come from spontaneous pollination between these plants. Therefore, it is not always possible to determine exactly the type of garden orchid.
One of the hybrids of these species has its own name - swollen slipper. He received this name for a swollen lip. The color and shape of the petals of hybrid varieties depend on the acidity of the soil. The larger it is, the brighter the color. The yellow slipper and the queen's slipper were previously considered unsuitable for growing in our gardens due to low frost resistance. But in recent years, they are increasingly appearing in the flower beds.
Orchid Slipper spotted grows well in shaded flower beds. Its root system is located close to the surface of the earth, so it will not live long in a sunny place.
There are also garden hybrids that need to be covered for the winter from frost. But they have not received wide distribution due to difficulties with care.
Such varieties as Yatabe and Tibetan have not yet been studied and adapted to our conditions.
The garden orchid tricyrtis has an original form. This isa plant about 70 cm high with a flower diameter of 4 cm. It looks more like a lily. Tricitris colors vary. Petals are yellow, white, covered with dark dots. Tricitris short-haired and broad-leaved can be planted in open ground.
Planting the shoe
In nature, orchids grow in the forest. Therefore, they need to be planted in a shady place. Maybe even on the north side. The soil should be loose, easy to pass air. The slipper orchid does not like dry soil, but it does not tolerate moisture either. Acidity - 7 pH.
Ordinary earth will not fit a shoe. You need to take expanded clay, chopped tree bark, moss and charcoal (1 tsp each). They will serve as drainage for the flower. High-moor peat of neutral acidity is added to the soil (2 hours). They dig a hole 50 cm wide and 10 cm deep. A mound is poured to a third of the height. An orchid root is installed on its top. The rest of the place is covered with the remaining soil. Watered with warm water. From above, it is imperative to mulch the area with needles.
Features of growing tricitris
Tricitris is less picky about the soil. She must be fertile. Loose black soil is best. Grows well in partial shade. But the sun should illuminate it for half a day. And late flowering varieties should be in a lighted place.
In winter, cover with mulch or covering materials. It is harvested in early spring. In the middle lane, they are grown in tubs and hidden indoors for the winter.
Used for borders.
Epiphyte orchids are grown by tying a rope to a tree. But in our country they do not grow in open ground, so it is not worth talking about them. What care do garden orchids require?
Care
The lady's slipper orchid (photo - in our article) needs to be watered regularly. Constantly make sure that the soil does not dry out. She will not be waterlogged because she is well-drained.
From time to time you need to feed garden orchids with complex fertilizers that do not contain urea.
Weeds that have grown close to the orchid are removed very carefully. If they are large, then it is better to cut them off so as not to injure the roots of the plant.
The garden orchid loves rain, so it can be irrigated in the morning and evening.
In autumn, the orchid is cut off, leaving 2 cm above the ground. Mulch with fallen leaves.
Reproduction
You can propagate a garden orchid by dividing the bush. As soon as it grows and it has 3 false bulbs, and this happens quite quickly, you can separate the sprouts with one to three growth buds, sprinkle the cut points with wood ash and plant them in a prepared place. This is how the Cattleya garden orchid, Cymbidium, propagates.
Reviews from gardeners say that their garden orchids grow not only in the shade, but also in sunny or slightly shaded areas, while they feel great, and begin to bloom even earlier than those planted in the shade.
