Phalaenopsis Orchid Care
Orchids – orchid genus name comes from Greek. phalaina – moth, butterfly, opsis – similarity: the flowers on the Worm resemble a butterfly. About 70 species distributed in south and southeast Asia, on the islands of the Malay Archipelago, Philippines, New Guinea and northeast Of Australia. Phalaenopsis or “moth orchid”. This epiphytic plants of tropical forests of Australia and Southeast Asia Aostochnoy. Members of the genus Phalaenopsis – herbaceous perennial epiphytes with short stem. Leaves large, oblong-ovate, fleshy. Latin name: Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis).
Aerial roots Phalaenopsis are covered with a thick layer Velam. Peduncles long, often branched out from the axils of leaves. Flowers are large, the original form. Very beautiful flowers resemble Phalaenopsis flitting butterflies. In some species the brush contains 100-200 (300!) Flowers. The flowers are blooming gradually from the base of the hand, stretching the period of flowering for many months. Due to frequent and sumptuous blooms, gorgeous adapting to ambient conditions, this plant has become the most popular type of orchid grown indoors and even in Davos Hotel.
F. Lyuddemana – Ph. lueddemanniana Rchb. f.
Miniature plant native to the Philippines. Leaves 3-5, oblong, 10-20 cm long., 5-8 cm wide., Bright green. Stems with leaves of equal length or greater than, 7.5 is smaller flowers 4-5 cm in diameter. Flower atypical for the genus: calyx lobes are smaller, these and other colorful, with numerous broken amethyst-purple or brown stripes on a white background. Lip small, trilobed, with bright amethyst fleshy middle lobe.
F. Hybrid – Ph. hybridum hort.
Under this heading combined garden hybrids derived from interspecific crosses and varietal. They are distinguished by abundant long-colored and larger-flowered variety of interesting colors.
Schiller – Ph. schilleriana Rchb. f.
Epiphyte native to the Philippines. Leaves 3-4, silver-gray with dark green transverse stripes, formed by merging spots from the bottom red. Inflorescence – many-angled brush silnovetvistaya to 150 cm in length, containing up to 200 flowers. The flowers are 7-7.5 cm in diameter, wide-open, light pink with red dots at the base of the lateral sepals. Petals shirokorombovidnye, much wider than the sepals. Lip small, trilobed, with yakorevidnoy top. Flowering in January-May.
F. pleasant – Ph. amabilis Blume.
It lives on the islands of the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines, in the northeast Of Australia. Similar to the previous species. The flowers are pure white, larger, up to 10 cm in diameter, with a lip, ending two thin crimped tendrils on the truncated apex, and with solid dark green leaves.
When buying phalaenopsis note:
Carefully inspect the substrate and roots, they should have a green or silver surface, there should be no signs of decay. Give preference to plants in transparent containers, or ask the seller to get an orchid from the pot (this is done quite easily and will not bring any harm to the plant).
Leaves should be green and firm, without any spots, they may be minor external defects (scratches, small cracks).
The roots hanging over the edges of the pot – this is normal.
Location
Temperature: The total temperature range of 15 to 32S heat. Daily 22 +26 C at night, preferably not below 18 C. For flowering desirable to reduce the temperature for 2-4 weeks before the flower to +16 +18 C at night.
Illumination: bright place without direct sunlight, just feel good under fluorescent lights. Daylight hours in winter to 12 hours and 14 hours in the summer. In winter, in the middle lane on the windows of any useful orientation lights, which also requires the appearance of the flower.
Lighting
Glare
Watering
during the growth substrate should always be slightly vlazhnovatym as Phalaenopsis have no special storage organs to store water, but do not tolerate water stagnation. In the winter, as well as in cloudy weather reduce watering, and in the period from December to January, when there is a period of rest, light can be drying plant. Try to keep moisture from getting into the center outlet. Use warm soft water.
Air humidity
High
Humidity: For more information
prefer a moist atmosphere of 50-70%, but can grow at 40-50%, and preferably spraying.
Care
Phalaenopsis grow in the great indoors, light and undemanding to high humidity, it’s rewarding plant for beginners – it responds quickly to changes in care. Keep the plant away from direct sunlight and excessively wet, the substrate must not be eaten raw. For normal development of Phalaenopsis need to feed all year round. In the warmer months a weekly basis, the rest 1-2 times per month. The most affordable fertilizer for orchids is “azophoska” (1-1.5 g / l). For abundant bloom once a month make magnesium sulphate (2-3g / L). Foliar feeding is best to use – spray the leaves. (Journal of the “Flora” 4 – 2000). For Phalaenopsis as resting phase sufficiently clear distinction between day and night temperatures. To increase the splendor of flowering panicles to obrezt faded at an average height of the plant.
Reproduction
difficult to reproduce vegetatively – just “babies”, sometimes formed on a spike. Grown from seed to bloom much faster than most orchids (on 2-3rd year).
Transplantation
Plants do not tolerate transplanting, so the operation must be done as infrequently as possible.
The substrate. Orchids require special substrate, never do not put the plant in a normal land! Phalaenopsis is epiphytic plants in the wild they grow on tree trunks. Orchids need a lot of air. The larger the substrate, the closer to natural conditions. Ingredients: pieces of pine bark, pieces of 1-5cm. charcoal, fragments of 0.5-1cm. sand (or vermiculite and perlite mixture), sphagnum moss. Ratio 1:1:1:1 parts.
For the cultivation of orchids is better to use plastic pots, because you can increase the number of drainage holes, and the roots of orchids well ventilated underneath. If you are growing orchids in a pot, then the substrate should dry out between waterings. Close to natural conditions for growing orchids are in baskets. Keep the humidity of the substrate, as in baskets it dries faster.
Possible difficulties
Pests: schitovki, scale insects, aphids. Fungal infections – the result of improper care, such as high humidity and poor ventilation subtrata. Processing fungitsdnymi drugs. Do not use medsodezhaschih drugs. As a precaution, use fundazol oksihom or once a month. Especially dangerous are slugs and snails – to deal with them is difficult, treatment mezurolom.
