biologist, collector indoor plants, website editor (indoor plants section)
| Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis) is the most common in indoor growing orchid. About 60 are known natural species as part of this genus, among which the majority are epiphytic, growing on trees, although there are also lithophytic, growing on the ground. However, the most common now are numerous hybrid forms obtained by interspecific crossing. Despite the undemanding nature and ease of cultivation in room conditions, which have led to the incredible popularity of these orchids, we receive many questions regarding the intricacies of caring for phalaenopsis. We bring to your attention an overview of the most relevant of them. |
Question: When is it time to replant phalaenopsis?
Answer: The question is often asked: is it necessary to replant phalaenopsis immediately after purchase? To a healthy plant replanting will only be needed after two or three years, when the old substrate (bark) has collapsed. In this case, the transplant should be done with maximum replacement of the old bark with a new one.
It’s another matter if you purchased phalaenopsis at a discount. Then you need to carefully examine the roots. If there is cause for concern, then a transplant is necessary, replacing the substrate and removing diseased roots.
Question: What substrate is suitable for phalaenopsis?
Answer: Only bark, okay upper layer cover the roots with sphagnum. Phalaenopsis is an epiphytic plant. In nature, it lives on tree trunks, while its roots are not immersed in the substrate, but are in a free state. Only the roots are wetted precipitation, drying out regularly. Phalaenopsis receives nutrition through rainwater, in which nutrients (most often bird droppings) dissolve as they flow down the leaves. A substrate in the form of bark is needed only to give the phalaenopsis a vertical, stable position; the phalaenopsis will receive nutrients not from the substrate, but from the solution with which you will water the orchid. The bark allows air to flow freely to the roots and allows them to dry out regularly, which is very important.
Often companies that produce plant substrates add other components to the orchid substrate. But in the orchid family there are epiphytic species, semi-epiphytic species, and species living on the ground. And each of them will require its own substrate recipe.
Question: Which pot to choose for phalaenopsis?
Answer: A pot for phalaenopsis should be
- have drainage holes for easy drainage of water.
Root wetting leads to fatal consequences for phalaenopsis.
transparent.
Phalaenopsis roots, like leaves, participate in the process of photosynthesis, i.e. help the plant synthesize organic substances for growth.
match in size.
If you are replanting a healthy, overgrown plant, then you need to take a pot with a slightly larger diameter. If diseased roots were removed during replanting, then most likely a larger pot will not be needed. There is no point in planting phalaenopsis in a pot to grow; increasing the volume of the substrate will not have a positive effect on either the size of the flowers or the frequency of flowering.
Question: How to replant phalaenopsis?
Answer: When transplanting phalaenopsis, you must be extremely careful and try to damage the roots as little as possible. We need to make sure that the transplant is really necessary. Prepare boiled and cooled bark in advance, a pot, if you need a different one, scissors for trimming diseased roots, sulfur for dusting (if necessary). Before transplanting, healthy phalaenopsis should be watered, since raw roots are more flexible. However, if it becomes necessary to trim damaged roots, it is better to replant phalaenopsis with dry roots.
Carefully remove the phalaenopsis from the pot, shake the old substrate as much as possible (it is better to remove the old bark completely, it is more moisture-absorbing, and the substrate should dry evenly), if the roots are stuck to a piece of bark, leave it, do not tear it off. Inspect the roots, cut out the bad ones, sprinkle the cut areas with sulfur or crushed coal. Place some bark at the bottom of the pot. No drainage needed. The bark fraction should not be large, but not small, approximately 1.5x2 cm.
Place the roots of the phalaenopsis in the pot, begin to gradually add fresh substrate. Leave the roots that do not fit in the pot free, as they easily rot if injured. These protruding roots must be soaked when watering. The top of the pot can be covered with sphagnum, but the sphagnum should not be constantly wet. After transplanting, it is better to postpone watering for 7-10 days, during which time the injured roots will dry out.
Question: Phalaenopsis leaves wrinkle and wither, what is the problem?
Answer: If you notice that the leaves of the phalaenopsis have begun to wither and wrinkle, this means that there is a problem with the roots; they have ceased to fully supply water to the leaves. If this happened due to the substrate drying out for a long time, then you need to urgently wet the roots by immersing them in water for 10 minutes and spraying the leaves, this will help restore turgor faster. If watering does not help, this means that all the roots or most of them have died from systematic waterlogging or too long drying. Then you will need resuscitation:
Remove the plant from the pot, even though it is flowering, shake the bark and inspect the roots. All living roots after soaking should acquire green color, become full and hard. If the roots remain gray or brown, they are dead and need to be cut off. Take scissors or pruning shears, carefully cut off the diseased roots, powder the cut areas with sulfur or charcoal. If you had to cut off all the roots or most of them, then powder the bottom of the phalaenopsis (immediately under the leaves) with Kornevin, this substance will stimulate the phalaenopsis to quickly form new roots, wrap this place in damp sphagnum and place it in a pot, spray the leaves. After this, you need to place the plant in a greenhouse. Any container of suitable size that has a transparent, closing top can serve as a greenhouse. This could be an unused aquarium, closed at the top plastic film, cut-off 5-liter water bottle, basin, etc. A plant placed in a greenhouse will not lose moisture. The greenhouse must be ventilated every two days, and the leaves must be sprayed occasionally.
It will have a good effect foliar feeding once every 2 weeks. To do this, you need to dilute a specialized fertilizer for orchids in a concentration 10 times less than for root feeding, and spray the resulting solution. It is necessary to ensure that the sphagnum is constantly moist (not very damp). The greenhouse should stand in a warm, bright place, since the leaves must photosynthesize and feed the plant. New roots will appear in a month or two. When they grow, the phalaenopsis is transplanted into the bark and gradually accustomed to the conditions of the room - usually no earlier than six months. You will have to wait about a year for a full-fledged copy.
Question: Spots have appeared on the leaves of phalaenopsis, what should I do?
Answer: It should be immediately noted that some varieties of phalaenopsis are variegated. Such spots have no relief (convexity, concavity) and are more or less evenly distributed over the leaf and throughout the plant.
But if suddenly a spot that is not typical for the plant appears on the leaf, this means that a problem has arisen. A black-brown spot on a phalaenopsis leaf may occur due to direct burn sun rays. Such a spot is usually several centimeters in diameter; after moving the plant into the shade, it does not increase in size and dries quickly. Helpful measures - remove phalaenopsis from direct sun, then routine care. Over time, such a stain may fade a little, decrease in size, and, as a rule, does not need treatment. Sometimes a stain from sunburn It can be light and dry. Burns on the leaves may also appear after spraying the plant in the sun.
But there are spots of a different nature. They appear due to non-compliance temperature regime and mode of watering and spraying. In damp, cool conditions and with reduced ventilation fungal and bacterial rots develop. If the room temperature is below +18 degrees, then it is better to cancel spraying. When watering or bathing a plant, you should try to ensure that the leaves have time to dry before nightfall. Do not allow moisture to get to the growing point (in the middle top sheet), this can cause rot in the middle. Rotting spots usually gradually increase in diameter, are black in color, and become wet. Help - changing the conditions of maintenance and care, moving the plant to a brighter, warmer and ventilated room, removing the affected area of the leaf, treating with fungicides and bactericides (Sulfur, Fundazol, Fitosporin, Trichopolum). After processing a diseased plant, the tool must be disinfected; do not place the affected phalaenopsis close to other plants to avoid transmission of infection. Usually several treatments are required. The plant can again be considered healthy if the affected area does not enlarge and no new spots appear.
Like many other plants, phalaenopsis is susceptible to attack by various sucking insects, whose pricks turn into wounds. This is first of all , spider mite and scale insects, may also occur aphids, mealybugs, thrips. The bite sites first acquire a yellowish color, then may become dark. These spots are small in diameter, scattered unevenly across the leaves, and wounds can be seen at the bite sites. Thrips lay their eggs on the underside of the leaf, on top side brown dots and dashes appear, which over time acquire a whitish tint. Helpful measures - identify the pest and treat with an acaricide - a preparation against ticks (Neoron, Agravertin, Fitoverm) or an insecticide - against insects (Aktara, Aktellik, Fitoverm), this will require repeated treatments.
Question: How to make phalaenopsis bloom?
Answer: Phalaenopsis can grow in a north-facing window and under a fluorescent lamp, but it often refuses to bloom. The best stimulus for flowering will be the rays of the sun. It is optimal to place it on an eastern or western windowsill, allowing the plant to receive some sunlight. Phalaenopsis can be given a short period of rest in winter, when the length of daylight hours is reduced, moved to a room with a night temperature of +15...+18 degrees, and reduced watering. Typically, a daily temperature fluctuation of several degrees is sufficient for phalaenopsis. Phalaenopsis should be fed with special fertilizers for orchids. In the case of active growth of green mass and lack of flowering, it is necessary to temporarily abandon fertilizing.
Question: What to do with the peduncle after flowering, how to care for phalaenopsis after flowering?
Answer: There are no changes in care after flowering. It is not recommended to cut the flower arrow until it has dried. But even if you cut green arrow, the plant itself will not be harmed.
When the flower arrow begins to dry, it is cut off below the yellowing; re-blooming is possible from the remaining buds. But often the flower arrow is disposable; you should not expect 100% re-blooming on it. If the arrow has dried out, then it must be carefully cut out as close to the socket as possible; the length of the stump is not so important. The cut usually does not need to be treated with anything, but it can be treated with brilliant green, sprinkled with coal, and sulfur.
Question: How to propagate phalaenopsis?
Answer: Phalaenopsis reproduces vegetatively at home. But it should be noted that it is not as easy as other plants. The most painless method of reproduction is children's department, which sometimes, for certain reasons, is formed on a peduncle instead of a flower. But this doesn't happen often. You can separate it after the formation of your own roots. The baby is raised in moist sphagnum moss in a greenhouse. The baby will become a full-fledged specimen in about a year.
Sometimes phalaenopsis gives side babe. More often this occurs after damage or death of the growing point (rot, mechanical damage). The baby is separated and raised in the same way.
There is another way vegetative propagation - dividing the mother plant. A specimen with 6-10 leaves is cut crosswise so that the top also has at least a few roots. The cut is dried for several days, treated with sulfur and coal, the upper part is planted in a mixture of sphagnum and bark, and care is taken that the cut does not touch the substrate. The lower part should give off side children, which are separated as described above.
Seed propagation of phalaenopsis at home is almost impossible.
Question: Phalaenopsis leaves turn yellow, what's the problem?
Answer: If only the bottom leaf turns yellow, and the rest remain green and elastic, then this is the natural death of the old leaf. Often, as a new leaf grows, the phalaenopsis sheds the lowest old leaf. Maximum amount There can be 10-12 leaves on a phalaenopsis, the minimum should be at least 3 leaves. If the plant does not grow new leaves, there are few of them, and it sheds the bottom leaf - the phalaenopsis starves. During famine, the main thing for any plant is to preserve the growth point; in order to do this, some parts of the plant (lower leaves, individual shoots) die, releasing nutrients upward.
So why might your plant be starving? Firstly, from lack of light. Then the process of photosynthesis cannot proceed normally, the plant does not produce organic substances for its construction. Secondly, from a lack of macro- and microelements that come with fertilizers. If the plant is in a dark place, it is necessary to provide it with light. If phalaenopsis has not been fed for a long time, it is necessary to start feeding it.
If at the same time several leaves turn yellow, they begin to rot - the plant was overwatered. In this case, the yellowing is spread over almost the entire sheet, not in spots. It is necessary to reduce watering and inspect the roots for rot. If necessary, take resuscitation measures (see above - resuscitation).
Extensive yellowing of several leaves c can also be caused by excess light. Sometimes this is accompanied simultaneously by large brown spots on the leaves and rosette of phalaenopsis. This happens if the phalaenopsis is placed in direct sun without shade. It is necessary to move it to a less lit place.
A chemical burn can also cause massive yellowing of leaves if the phalaenopsis is watered with a very concentrated solution of salts. Even one such treatment can cause the death of the plant.
Question: What do healthy Phalaenopsis roots look like?
Answer: The phalaenopsis root is a thread the thickness of a horsehair, which is covered on top with a water-retaining braid. The total root thickness is approximately 0.5 cm. Roots filled with water are green with white streaks. If the roots dry out, the color becomes silver. Dead roots become gray-brown or brown, empty inside, and wrinkled. If after soaking for 10 minutes the roots do not turn green (with white streaks), then they are dead.
Question: How to water phalaenopsis correctly and with what water?
Answer: It is better to water Phalaenopsis using the immersion method. The pot with phalaenopsis is placed in a container, the container is filled with water to the level of the beginning of the leaves, left in this position for several minutes (no more than 10), the pot is taken out of the water, the remaining water is allowed to drain from the drainage holes, and placed on permanent place. Watering frequency depends on conditions environment(air humidity, temperature, etc.). Between watering, you need to let the roots dry, wait until the roots turn from green to silver.
Phalaenopsis can withstand slight drying, but is afraid of overwatering. When the roots become waterlogged, they are susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases. Eat Golden Rule: It’s better to underfill than overfill. Water for irrigation must be settled, room temperature or 2-3 degrees warmer, it is desirable that the water be soft, with low content calcium. If tap water contains a lot of calcium, then it is better to use boiled water for irrigation. The water must be boiled for several minutes, allowed to cool completely and carefully drained from the sediment that has formed at the bottom of the kettle. It is not recommended to use water passed through an ion exchange filter. You can use water passed through a carbon filter. Fertilizers are added to water for irrigation according to the instructions. When watering, do not allow water to get into the center of the rosette of leaves, as this can lead to rotting of the growing point and its death.
Question: How long does Phalaenopsis bloom?
Answer: The duration of phalaenopsis flowering depends on the characteristics of the variety and maintenance conditions. Phalaenopsis usually blooms for 2-3 months, sometimes flowering lasts up to six months. The frequency of flowering may be determined by the variety and growing conditions. If the conditions are met, phalaenopsis should be guaranteed to bloom at least once a year.
Question:How long does Phalaenopsis live?
Answer: Phalaenopsis - perennial. Its lifespan in room conditions at proper care may be 7-10 years.
Question: What determines the size of phalaenopsis, the size of flowers and the height of the peduncle?
Answer: The size of the leaves, rosettes, flowers, and the height of the peduncle in phalaenopsis are determined by the variety, with slight fluctuations depending on the conditions of detention. If you purchased a mini-alenopsis, it will never become a phalaenopsis grande. The number of leaves and the height of the plant itself may increase, but not by much; the flowers will remain the original size.
Question: Why do the buds and flowers of phalaenopsis fall off?
Answer: Phalaenopsis can lose buds and flowers due to a sudden change in conditions. This often happens after purchasing a plant or improper transportation. During flowering, do not allow the roots to dry out.
Question: Why do spots appear on phalaenopsis flowers?
Answer: There are varieties of phalaenopsis with spotted flowers. Spots of a different nature appear after moisture gets on the flowers. It is not recommended to spray these orchids flower by flower. Often spots appear during transportation, white varieties especially suffer from this. Such flowers cannot be restored.
Orchids were brought from tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This hardy plants, they are able to overcome prolonged droughts, starvation, attention deficit, and at the same time they can wither away from excessive care. For several months, the plant can steadfastly endure the expansion of human “stupid” attitudes towards itself.
But when he begins to show signs of ill health, prepare for a long rehabilitation period.
Phalaenopsis orchids are very popular among gardeners. They are very beautiful, among orchids they are considered the most unpretentious; even inexperienced gardeners can grow them. But if there are serious mistakes in care, they begin to wither, and newbie amateurs have a question about why the leaves of the phalaenopsis orchid turn yellow and how to prevent it
Yellowing can occur very quickly, so inspect the plants at least every three to four days.
It is very important to correctly determine the cause of the orchid’s painful condition, otherwise you will not have time to save the exotic beauty.
One of the symptoms of a painful condition of an orchid is considered to be. However, this is not always a sign of illness. Every plant begins to show its age over time. Yellowing is common lower leaves- this is just a sign of the natural aging of the orchid. Leaf renewal, although rare, is quite normal for this type of plant. In some orchids this happens once a year, in others - once every five years.
Natural non-dangerous causes
Naturally, the gradual loss of vitality in older leaves before they fall is manifested as yellowing. If the leaves of an orchid turn yellow at the base, do not remove them. They will dry out and separate on their own.
Stressful situations, such as transfers, reshuffling, moving, resulting in changes in living conditions, can also affect the condition and appearance plants.
There is another harmless reason for the yellowing of leaves in phalaenopsis orchids. Perhaps the pot has become too small for the plant and it needs replanting. A new pot is chosen 2 cm wider, but no more. Otherwise, the substrate may dry out worse, and excessive moisture leads to rotting of the root system.
In the case when not only the leaf of an orchid turns yellow, but also the stem, this indicates trouble. By the way, novice flower growers sometimes confuse the stem and peduncle and ask the question why the flower’s stem turns yellow from top to bottom. If the leaves and roots of the orchid are healthy, the death of the peduncle does not mean the death of the entire plant. The peduncle must be cut down to the green tissue, and through certain time a new one will begin to grow from the stump. If this does not happen, the peduncle dries out completely and is removed. New flowering can be expected in a few months.
Overwatering
This is the most common cause of yellowing leaves in orchids. The leaves become limp and flaccid, acquiring a yellow-brown color. Beginners tend to the plant too zealously, flooding it. A waterlogged substrate prevents air from reaching the roots, causing them to rot. In addition, a waterlogged environment contributes to the infection of orchids with bacterial and fungal diseases.
Inexperienced gardeners judge the need for watering by the dried outer pieces of bark on the substrate. But the bark can dry out in a day, while the soil inside the pot will remain wet for another week. The following signs indicate yellowing of leaves due to excessive watering:
- Most of the leaves and shoots begin to turn yellow, not just the lower ones.
- The leaves become moist and soft to the touch.
- Black spots form on the leaves and sometimes on the trunk.
- Spots also appear on the roots, they darken and are almost invisible through the walls of the transparent pot.
- The buds turn yellow, dry out, and then fall off.
- The orchid rotates in the pot and is easily removed from it.
If the leaves of an orchid turn yellow due to excess moisture, remove the orchid from the pot and inspect it root system. Uremove the affected areas of the roots and replant the plant in a new substrate.
Drying out the plant
If the lower leaves of an orchid have turned yellow, although the plant looks healthy, there are no wet dark spots on the leaves, and there are no signs of rotting on the roots, then the likely cause of the loss is aesthetically pleasing plants are lack of moisture.
Perhaps the overdrying of the orchid occurs due to improper watering from a watering can. Drainage removes water very quickly, and the roots do not have time to absorb it.
The plant lacks nutrients oh, and new leaves grow, taking them away from the old ones.
It's easy to fix the situation. It is enough to switch to watering by immersing it in water for half an hour. Within one to two weeks the plant will return to normal. It is very convenient to control the degree of moisture content of the substrate in transparent pots.
Watering with hard water
If you water flowers with hard water, then over time the soil becomes salty, which may cause the appearance of yellow leaves at the orchid. In this case, replacing the soil will help. Continue watering the plant tap water, half mixed with distilled.
Excessive lighting
Phalaenopsis orchids prefer moderate light levels. They do not like bright sun and can grow on a bedside table or table at the back of the room.
Direct sunlight has a detrimental effect on the condition of the plant. The stem and leaves turn yellow and appear dark spots and rough roughness, and sunburned areas of the leaves dry out.
There is no need to remove them; the healthy part of the leaf is quite viable and will continue to serve as food for the plant. Move the orchid to partial shade or shade it.
Incorrect feeding
For orchids, both excess and lack of fertilizers are dangerous. IN natural conditions They grow on trees, holding their roots to cracks in the bark. Plant debris accumulates in these same cracks.
They turn over time into compost, from which plants receive nutrients. Inexperienced gardeners go to two extremes. Some feed their wards a couple of times a year, believing that under natural conditions the plants are content with the same small amount of nutrients.
Others, being overly concerned about their pets, fertilize them weekly. In both cases, the result will be the same - the leaves of the orchids will turn yellow.
What needs to be done if the phalaenopsis leaves turn yellow due to improper feeding:
- If there is an excess of fertilizers, the plants are urgently transplanted into a new substrate. If it is not possible to do this immediately, then the root system will have to be washed running water. This must be done for 15 minutes under low pressure of water.
- In case of nutrient deficiency, plants are fed with special fertilizers for orchids. Initial doses of fertilizers should be two times less than recommended.
Fertilize once every two weeks, gradually increase the dose of fertilizer, bringing it to normal after three months.
Pests and fungal diseases
Damage to plants by pests and diseases leads to yellowing of buds, stems, leaves and their premature falling off. It can be:
If you follow all the subtleties of caring for your phalaenopsis orchid, it will not be difficult for you to grow a healthy and beautifully flowering plant.
Often our attention is attracted by the delightful phalaenopsis orchids with their flowers of bizarre shapes and varied colors. But when flowering has passed, only beautiful leaves. And even, it would seem, with proper care, problems with their growth may arise. This article will help you figure out why an orchid does not grow leaves and what needs to be done to make them grow quickly.
Leaves are very important for the normal development of the orchid. Being an epiphyte, it can feed not only through the root system, but also with the help of leaf blades. And even when problems arise with the roots, the plant can be revived through the leaves. Therefore, it is very important to understand the reasons for stopping their growth.
Air temperature
An orchid pleases its admirer only when comfortable conditions its content. The air temperature of the room where the plant is located should be about 21-26 degrees. In summer, it is better to move phalaenopsis from the windowsill deep into the room with diffused lighting away from direct light. sun rays. This will help avoid burns on the leaves, which appear as discolored spots with a brown edge and contribute to subsequent drying.
IN winter time For an orchid, a slight decrease in temperature to 16-20 degrees, but no less, is favorable. But it is also necessary to ensure that the flower located on the windowsill is not exposed to a temperature difference between day and night of more than 5-6 degrees, since a significant temperature difference can lead to its death. Small temperature fluctuations do not harm the plant, but promote the formation of flower buds.
Watering
Improper watering may be one of the reasons why an orchid has problems with leaf growth. During the heating season, when the air in the room is very dry, the plant quickly loses moisture. In this case, it is recommended to water at least twice a week, and if necessary, irrigate or spray every other day. It is good to use a humidifier for living spaces.
For a comfortable existence, plants of this species require balanced watering. With excess moisture, the roots rot, which contributes to the death of the flower, and insufficient water leads to drying out. Therefore, you should focus on the color of the roots and the condition of the leaves. Yellowing, softness and wateriness of the lower leaves indicate high humidity substrate, which led to rotting of the root system.
But it is also important to properly water at home. Use only soft or medium hard water at room temperature. It is good to combine watering methods. When watering from a watering can, water is poured until it begins to flow out through the drainage holes. Moisture should not flow into the center of the outlet, as if it gets inside, there is a risk of rotting. Excess water is drained from the pan. After a few minutes the flower is watered again and again excess moisture is deleted.
The shower watering method creates conditions closer to the natural habitat of phalaenopsis.
The ingress of warm water onto the substrate in small streams promotes uniform wetting. After the shower, the flower must be dried and all moisture thoroughly blotted off. For orchids growing in baskets with tree bark, the water immersion method is useful. In a special bowl with warm water Only the perforated pot is immersed for 40-80 minutes, the leaves should not be in the water.
Lighting
Lack of lighting can have a detrimental effect on the condition of orchid leaves. The photoperiod for this species should be 12-14 hours; in winter, it is necessary to provide illumination with a special phytolamp for plants or a fluorescent fluorescent lamp.
When growing an orchid on a south window during periods of pronounced solar activity, the plant is shaded with a special net, and when the flower is located on the north side, additional lighting is used. Finding phalaenopsis deep in the room has a beneficial effect on its condition, provided there is 12-14 hours of daylight. To avoid one-sidedness of the plant, it is necessary to periodically turn its other side towards the light.
Nutrition
One of the reasons why new leaves do not grow may be due to insufficient nutrition with potassium and phosphorus compounds. This manifests itself in the appearance of yellowish and brown spots on the leaves. To maintain the plant, it is worth foliar feeding.
The nutrient solution is prepared according to the instructions on the package, but at a weaker concentration than for root feeding. Then each phalaenopsis leaf is sprayed evenly. With this method, the solution does not burn or damage the roots, and nutrients are better absorbed through the leaves. But it should be remembered that excessive amounts of fertilizer cause serious harm.
Video “Errors in caring for orchids”
For real experience in caring for orchids with mistakes and the secrets of “reanimating” flowers, watch this video.
Achieving growth in one month
If you have figured out which reason prevents the orchid leaves from developing and growing, we begin to achieve their growth in one month.
Proper pruning and comfortable environment
The phalaenopsis orchid usually has two blooms throughout the year (in spring and autumn). A plant that is too young should not be allowed to bloom twice a year, especially if the repetition occurs in the spring-summer season. As a rule, phalaenopsis at this time has a short peduncle with crowded flowers, and if it is not removed in a timely manner, young plant, then the growth of new leaves will slow down for a long period.
After the orchid has faded, the peduncle is cut to the dormant point, and the yellowed part is removed. Then it is watered generously and transplanted into a pot. bigger size. Filling the new volume will promote the growth of more leaves.
If the plant has had artificial stimulation of flowering or dyeing (usually blue phalaenopsis), or after an illness, it needs a lot of time to restore its vitality. Therefore, during this period the plant freezes and leaf growth stops.
We create a comfortable environment for your indoor pet by correcting mistakes:
- In uncomfortable temperature conditions, pay attention to the location of the plant (window in the south or north), the seasonal period (temperature differences between day and night are no more than 5-6 o C) and eliminate the shortcomings of the conditions.
- If the watering regime is incorrect, inspect the root system and leaves. If a lack of moisture is detected, saturate with water using a watering can, shower and immersion in liquid. But remember that too much water can be harmful.
- In the absence of sufficient lighting, provide additional lighting using special lamps (phytolamps and fluorescent), avoid direct sunlight on the plants.
- If there is a lack of nutrients, apply abundant foliar feeding. They should be periodically and intermittently, but with a sense of proportion.
Care and feeding
It is recommended to replant phalaenopsis once every two years, since in a fresh substrate it receives the oxygen necessary for growth and development. Over time, the substrate becomes more dense, so air permeability deteriorates and the plant’s metabolism is disrupted, which can lead to leaf wilting and lack of flowering.
When planting an orchid, it is important to pay attention to preparing the substrate. Its main integral part is pine bark, which has good breathability and moisture absorption. pine bark crushed to a size of 1-2 cm, then sphagnum peat and charcoal are added. Carefully, without damaging the root system, the orchid is transplanted into a new substrate and then watered abundantly. In these new favorable conditions it grows better and prepares for the new flowering period.
The development of the root system and leaves of the orchid has a beneficial effect timely feeding and fertilization. Bark is used as the basis of the substrate for growing this type of flower. coniferous trees, therefore it is recommended to fertilize with substances high in nitrogen. Potassium is involved in all metabolic processes of the flower. With its deficiency, the leaves turn yellow. It must be remembered that during the period of increased flowering, the plant needs fertilizing with a high phosphorus content, which regulates the processes of cell division, bud formation and seed formation.
