How the dendrobium orchid blooms. Dendrobium care at home: tips, photos

You never cease to be surprised that in your homeland - somewhere on the islands of Indonesia, orchids grow like simple weeds. In Russia, they seem to be the standard of sophistication and require personal care, like capricious ladies. Somewhat stands out among other orchids is a flower called Dendrobium Nobile. Firstly, this plant is less whimsical than other orchids. Secondly, his flowers do not crown a long dry stem, but grow along it, which is very beautiful.

An orchid is not cheap, and it would be a pity to destroy a beautiful and expensive flower with improper care. So, we are learning to deal with the orchid according to all the rules.

Substrate: special soil for planting

Before you start transplanting Dendrobium nobile into another pot, you need to purchase a “light” soil mixture, that is, one that conducts air and water well. Perfectly suited as the basis of such a mixture, pine bark. You can add pieces of moss to it, and if available, coconut fiber. Remember that the orchid does not tolerate acidic soils. To prevent such a disaster, include some coal in the mixture.

For a plant such as an orchid, the composition of the soil is associated with light. If you place your Dendrobium nobile on the windowsill of a south window, then the soil (and, therefore, the roots of the orchid) will need to be protected from drying out. Therefore, more moss is put in the soil mixture.

If the orchid has to move to the north window, you will have to take preventive measures so that moisture does not stagnate in the soil. You can crumble up some foam and mix it into the potting mix.

Lighting and temperature conditions

Lighting is an important factor in itself, even outside of its effect on the soil. If the window where the orchid stands faces south, or southwest, or southeast, then on sunny days the orchid will need to be protected from direct rays. This can be done using matte paper, which you cover the window with, thin muslin, gauze.

The plant will also need fresh air, so the house will have to be ventilated. But at the same time, the flower pot should not be in a draft.

Special attention to the Dendrobium nobile should be shown when the plant is preparing to bloom. At this time, if you are going to rearrange the pot, you need to make sure that the angle of illumination does not change. Otherwise, a capricious orchid can simply drop its buds.

The orchid should be lit for at least 10 hours a day. In winter, when the days are short and cloudy, you can turn on a fluorescent lamp for your flower with the onset of evening.

It is desirable to maintain the temperature in the room at least 20 C in summer and 16 C in winter.

But the orchid simply loves moist air. In the cold season, when the air in the rooms becomes dry due to central heating batteries, you can keep a spray bottle ready and from time to time arrange a shower for the flower. A wet terry towel hung on the battery will also help to avoid dryness.

Watering and fertilizing Dendrobium nobile

Watering is what the plant needs regularly, throughout the year, so let's start with it. Recommendations depend on the air temperature in the apartment. The hotter and drier it is, the more often the flower will need to be watered. For this, it is preferable not to use the water that you just got from the tap. At a minimum, the water must be allowed to settle. It is even more preferable to pass it through a filter or boil it. In winter, if you live in an ecologically clean area, you can use water obtained after the snow melts and warmed to room temperature.

Unusual advice from experienced gardeners: Orchids love to take a pretty hot shower from time to time. The water temperature can reach 45 C. With such care, orchids will bloom especially generously. Just remember to blot the leaves with a clean cloth so that moisture does not stagnate in them.

In winter, during the dormant period, watering is reduced, and the soil is slightly loosened, all this is done so that the roots do not start to rot.

Now about fertilizers. Since your flower lives in a rather cramped pot, and the soil remains the same day after day, the plant needs to be fed. Now in specialized stores a lot of fertilizers are sold, designed specifically for orchids.

Feeding the Dendrobium nobile begins in the spring, when the orchid is just about to bloom. Fertilizers can be applied according to the system: after two waterings, on the third.

In preparation for flowering, it is best to use those fertilizers that contain not nitrogen, but phosphorus.

Reproduction and transplantation of orchids at home

You can propagate your orchid in several ways:

• separating the "kids" from the plant;
• dividing the bush itself into several parts;
• preparing cuttings for planting.

"Babies" are separated from the "mother" when their roots reach a few centimeters. As a rule, they take root safely in a new place, and after 2 years they begin to bloom.

If the orchid is already “adult” and has grown considerably, then once every 4 years or even less often, it can be divided into parts. In this case, all the "received" plants will soon bloom.

Cuttings from Dendrobium nobile are obtained from those peduncles that have already stopped flowering. The length of the cuttings should be approximately 9-10 cm. They are planted, having previously sprinkled the cut places with crushed chalk, in pots filled with wet moss. Actually, they don’t even plant them in the usual sense, but lay them on moss, and cover the pots with foil on top.

Warm and humid. If such an atmosphere is maintained under the film, then in 3 weeks the cuttings will take root. And after a couple of months, young orchids can be transplanted into the soil that is most suitable for adult Dendrobium nobile.

It is best to use special pots designed for orchids for breeding capricious beauties. Flower shops always have a selection of them.

When transplanting an orchid, try not to damage the roots. If any spine is still broken, then, in order to avoid rotting, sprinkle the damaged place with coal or chalk.

At the bottom of the pot, under the soil, there should be a small layer of drainage. When planting, they try not to deepen the orchid unnecessarily so that the pseudobulbs do not hide underground. If the flower is tall enough, provide a support for it in advance.

The transplanted plant is not kept in bright light for some time.

Possible Content Issues

Most of all, orchid owners are concerned about the situation when the plant refuses to bloom.

There can be many reasons for this:

• excessive amount of nitrogen fertilizers applied;
• shaded area;
• excessive moisture, due to which the roots begin to rot;
• low air temperature.

The “sissy” orchid will not want to bloom even if it is in the room of a heavy smoker.

Diseases and pests characteristic of Dendrobium nobile

It would seem, what pests can indoor flowers have? But orchids have both pests and diseases characteristic of these plants.

Leaf spotting. Dry spots appear on the leaves, dark in color. In this case, diseased leaves must be removed. Bordeaux liquid can be used for spraying.

Root rot. A common and very dangerous disease. Sometimes you can notice what's the matter only during a plant transplant. A characteristic sign is that an unpleasant smell begins to come from the pot. The orchid needs a transplant, during which the damaged parts of the roots will be carefully cut out, and the sections sprinkled with chalk or charcoal. Also, for disinfection, you can use an unsaturated solution of potassium permanganate.

Powdery mildew. A white coating appears on the leaves and even on the buds. First, it is recommended to spray the affected areas with soapy water, then Fitosporin can be used.

Aphid. What these insects look like - all gardeners and gardeners know. Aphids can be washed off with water. And then use onion or garlic tinctures to preserve the orchid.

Spider mite. Orchids are covered with silver threads. In this case, rubbing the leaves with an alcohol tincture will help. Do not forget only that in a quarter of an hour the orchid will have to "take a shower."

Features of care after flowering

In hot climates, plants may bloom several times a year. With proper care, this can be achieved from an orchid.

In the spring, up to 2 dozen flowers can appear on the Dendrobium Nobile. When the long flowering period ends, the orchid enters the growth phase, “babies” begin to develop.

At this time, it is desirable to fertilize, and phosphorus is replaced by nitrogen.

Winter can be called the "rest period" for the orchid. Even if you use fluorescent lights, the flower will "feel" that the light intensity has decreased compared to summer. The air temperature in the room at this time can be reduced to 16-17 C, watering should be very moderate.

The “resting phase” is an important time for a flower. On how much the necessary conditions will be provided to the orchid, its spring flowering depends.

In fact, growing Dendrobium nobile on your windowsill is not difficult. You just need to master the necessary skills to care for the plant. For this, it will thank you with abundant and long flowering.

Dendrobium noble (nobile) is a very beautiful representative of the family. During the flowering period, high pseudobulbs are completely covered with fragrant Orchid for a long time in culture, numerous interspecific hybrids and varieties have been created. By the way, it is precisely because of this diversity that two specimens of different colors can behave quite differently, it seemed in absolutely identical conditions of care. Many species of the genus took part in hybridization, primarily Dendrobium nobile, D. linawianum, D. heterocarpum, D. regium and others. Therefore, as in the case with, nobile is the name of the group, only in contrast to the first, deciduous or semi-deciduous dendrobiums. Orchid in care. In addition, pseudobulbs gradually lose their leaves, so the old plant has a rather “exotic” appearance. Sometimes the owners are not ready for this, because the old leafless bulbs cannot be removed.

Lighting.

Dendrobium nobile is very picky about a good bright and all year round. This is the main problem for the grower. In summer, an absolutely healthy bush calmly tolerates even the midday sun. Daylight hours are very important. It should be about 12 hours a day, both in summer and in winter. In our country, unlike the native habitat, natural lighting in winter is greatly reduced, and the day becomes much shorter. Part of the problem is removed by additional artificial light. They can also adjust the duration of the lighting.

Temperature.

In summer, the dendrobium feels quite comfortable at normal room temperatures. It is worth noting that the heat is not desirable. This factor can also become problematic for the grower, since in an average apartment it is either light and hot, or dark and cool. Air-conditioned rooms are preferred. In them, you can adjust the optimal ratio of the bright sun and the desired temperature (max + 25⁰C). In winter, a cool dormant period is needed. The optimum temperature at this time is +12 +15⁰C.

Rest period.

In addition to the cool winter period of dormancy, in which the orchid is rather forced to go, due to lack of lighting, rest is necessary at the end of pseudobulb ripening to lay flower buds. If you do not provide a dry dormant period at this time, the orchid may periodically release several flowers, or it may give out babies in completely unexpected places, for example, on the crown. It is necessary to start reducing watering without waiting for the full maturation of the pseudobulb, otherwise new growths may wake up, peace will be disturbed. After the bulb has rounded, watering must be completely stopped until the peduncles appear.

Watering.

In summer, it is necessary to water abundantly with warm and soft water. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the dendrobium is nobile - which means that its roots do not tolerate stagnant moisture. Before each watering, make sure that the bark in the pot is completely dry. Pay attention to the drying period, the substrate should not hold water for more than a week. During the winter dormant period, watering should be significantly reduced. At this time, you can get by with a rare spraying of the bark, instead of a full-fledged watering, but it is better to refuse this altogether. It often happens that Dendrobium nobile has been kept in wetter conditions than necessary, such as recently orchids. In this case, the dry dormant period leads to mass death of the root system. Therefore, before sending to rest, it is necessary to take into account this factor, gradually accustom the plant to variable bark moisture. Adaptation is very slow, it often happens that a new root system will form only the next year after the dendrobium.

Humidity.

Ideally, dendrobiums in the period of active growth need high humidity. In this case, it must be borne in mind that high humidity must be accompanied by good air circulation around the plant. Failure to comply with this rule inevitably leads to the development of all kinds of rot. Orchids adapt well to the usual humidity in the apartment. This makes it very easy to take care of them. Spraying will be required only during the summer heat. The rest of the time it is better to refuse them. In addition, it is necessary to spray only in the morning hours and only at a time when direct sunlight does not fall on the orchid. Like other orchids, nobile is good at fresh air, so we recommend airing the room more often. It should be borne in mind that drafts adversely affect the health of the orchid.

Top dressing.

During the period of active growth, fertilizing with fertilizer for orchids or cacti is necessary. They contain the optimal combination of macro- and microelements necessary for the plant. Fertilizers are applied every third watering. Feeding is not needed during flowering and dormancy.

Transfer.

Dendrobiums are transplanted as needed and due to the loss of their properties by the substrate. How to determine the need for a transplant? Pay attention to the drying time of the bark. This period should fluctuate within 4-6 days. Accordingly, if the substrate dries out for more than a week, it is necessary to completely replace the bark. The only exception is the time of non-working heating in autumn and spring. The substrate is selected exclusively for specific conditions. Can be planted in clean bark. If, after transplanting, the substrate dries out too quickly even in the depth of the pot (for example, in 2 days), you can add chopped sphagnum moss, coconut chips, or take a smaller fraction of the bark. These components increase the moisture content. If it is necessary to reduce it, then it is necessary to use coarse bark, charcoal or other non-wettable materials. We do not recommend using foam, as during heating (for example, in the summer heat) it releases toxic substances.

Reproduction.

The easiest way is to divide the overgrown bush into parts. Each new plant should have 2-3 formed bulbs or 2 bulbs and new growth. You can still separate the new growth with roots and plant it in a separate pot, but then development will be slow. In addition, Dendrobium Nobile can be cut from cuttings. To do this, the old pseudobulb is cut into pieces, the sections are dried and placed in a greenhouse in wet sphagnum moss. After some time, new plants form on the unflowered nodes. After they grow up and form their root system, they can be separated and planted in separate pots.

Pests and diseases.

With errors in care, the dendrobium nobile can be affected by various fungal diseases, rot or pests. Systemic fungicides, such as fundazol, vitaros, phytolavin and others, have proven themselves well against fungal diseases. We do not recommend the use of phytosporin, since this drug is effective only in conditions of soil plant maintenance. With minor damage, you can do without fungicides, just by providing the right care. You can keep the plant a little drier than necessary. After all, a humid environment is most comfortable for the development of organisms of this kind. Systemic insecticides, such as aktara, have proven themselves well against pests. To combat the tick, you can use fitoverm, actellik and others.

Author ALEKSANDR RATNIKOV Reading 7 min. Views 1.7k.

This popular and beautifully blooming orchid is native to Southeast Asia. It grows in humid tropical regions. This flower is an epiphyte, it grows on the bark of trees, its roots do not go into the ground. The dendrobium nobile flower is one of the most unpretentious indoor orchids.

In the article you will learn everything about the care of the orchid dendrobium nobile (dendrobium nobile) at home.

Varieties of dendrobium

The wild type of nobile is distinguished by small oval leaves and many peduncles, on which lilac or reddish flowers with a light middle are located.

But today, the original variety is almost never found on sale. Many hybrids of dendrobium nobile and other types of orchids have been obtained., which are compact and have larger and brighter flowers of various colors.

Most of the varieties are bred by the Japanese breeder Yamamoto, there are also varieties of Dutch origin.

Some popular dendrobium nobile hybrids are:

The flower does not like sudden temperature fluctuations. Tropical dendrobium in the summer is kept at a normal room temperature of 20-25 ° C. The plant tolerates strong heat with difficulty. In winter, the temperature can be slightly reduced, but you can not keep it below 16 ° C, as this can lead to impaired growth and even death of the flower.

Lighting for dendrobium nobile should be bright all year round. but without direct sunlight.

In winter, when the orchid lacks light, you need to keep it on the southern windowsills.

In spring and summer, the flower is kept on the western and eastern windows to protect from direct rays that can burn the leaves of the plant.

The orchid does not require high humidity and grows well in normal room conditions.

An exception for low air humidity is the period of summer heat and the winter heating season. At this time, it is better to humidify the air in the room by placing a flower pot in a tray with wet moss.

Features of plant development

In winter, the dendrobium nobile is located. This is facilitated by a decrease in illumination. At this time, the life processes of the plant slow down, it does not grow and does not consume water, so the dendrobium does not need watering in winter.

Determining whether an orchid is at rest is quite simple. The roots of the plant change their color from green to silver. If the tip of the orchid root remains green, then it is growing and the plant needs to be watered.. If the roots along the entire length become silvery, the orchid “fell asleep”. She is not disturbed until spring and the soil is kept slightly moist.

Watering and fertilizing

Bottom watering is preferable for Dendrobium. The flower pot is immersed in water for 2/3 for 10-15 minutes, then removed, and the water is drained. Watering the flower from above is not recommended, as the risk of rotting of the shoots increases. Before watering the dendrobium nobile, it is necessary to prepare the water. should be soft and have a temperature of 3 ° C above room temperature.

Before watering, the soil in the pot should be slightly dried. In this case, the color of the roots should change from green to silver, except for the tip of the root: it should remain green.

After high-quality watering, the entire root shell becomes green.

During the dormant period, watering by immersion is not carried out. The top layer of the earth is carefully moistened with a sprayer.

Top dressing of the dendrobium is carried out from the end of January to the end of August.. To do this, use special fertilizers for orchids, which can be bought in the distribution network. The procedure is carried out during every second watering.

The flower pot is immersed in a mixture of water and fertilizer for 10-15 minutes, and then the water is removed and drained. The concentration of fertilizers for dendrobium nobile should be 4 times less than according to the instructions on the package.

Transplantation and reproduction of dendrobium nobile

The plant is transplanted if the substrate is compacted and the roots do not have enough oxygen or the roots of the plant have grown too much and do not fit in a pot. Usually transplantation is carried out no more than 1 time in 2 years. For a proper transplant, you need to pick up the soil and a new pot for the plant.

Ordinary soil cannot be used as soil for orchids.. Here, a substrate is needed from pine bark of a fraction of 6-10 mm, sphagnum moss and charcoal. Sometimes dendrobium nobile is planted in clean pine bark.

For this orchid, it is convenient to use transparent so that you can monitor the condition of the roots of the plant.

But to maintain stability, the flower is usually planted in a heavy clay pot.

There is a wide range of special ceramic orchid pots with holes for the roots of the plant to breathe.

When transplanting, the flower is removed from the pot, all the old soil is removed. A little substrate is poured into the pot, the roots of the plant are placed on top of it. Then new soil is poured on top and carefully distributed with a stick between the roots.

The plant should not be deeply buried at. All points of its growth should remain on the surface. After transplantation, the orchid is not watered for 2 days and kept in partial shade for a month.

Reproduction of dendrobium nobile is possible by cuttings, dividing the bush and "kids". Bushes are divided no more than 1 time in 4 years. Each division should have 2-3 points of growth and several shoots.

Each part of the bush with roots is planted in a separate container. Delenki care is carried out in the usual manner.

"Babies" are formed on the tops of orchid shoots. You should not separate the "kids" if their roots do not exceed 5 cm in length. Well-developed "babies" with long roots are separated from the shoots and planted in separate pots with soil for orchids.

Cuttings 10 cm long are cut from shoots that have already faded, the cuts are rubbed with activated charcoal. Then the cuttings are placed in plastic bags in wet sphagnum moss, the bags are tied. At a temperature of 22-25 ° C, the cuttings take root in 2-3 weeks. After rooting, they are planted in separate pots in a moist substrate.

Dendrobium nobile needs a cool wintering. After all, the flowering of a plant directly depends on the conditions of its maintenance in winter. Keeping the orchid at room temperature during this period will result in poor summer blooms. And some specimens without a dormant period refuse to bloom at all.

The temperature of keeping an orchid in winter should not be too low. It is enough to reduce it to 16-18°C during the day, and to 10-13°C at night. But it should not fall below 10 ° C, since with prolonged exposure to low temperature, the plant begins to die.

In winter, you need to find the most illuminated place for the flower.. You can even put it in direct sunlight, at which time they will not harm. Fresh air is also important for the plant. But you can not leave it in a cold draft.

Watering the dendrobium in winter should be very moderate. It is better to refuse watering altogether, but only lightly spray the substrate with water at room temperature. Such wintering will allow the plant to have a good rest and bloom profusely during the growing season.

Diseases and pests of dendrobium nobile

Dendrobium nobile can be affected by a fungal infection if its watering regimen has been violated.

When water enters the axils of the leaves, the shoots of the dendrobium can begin to rot. In this case, dark spots appear on the leaves of the plant. This is why the orchid is never watered from above or sprayed to avoid rotting. If the disease is already developing, you need to remove all rotten parts of the plant, reduce air humidity and regularly ventilate the room.

Pests rarely settle on the dendrobium.

Sometimes it is attacked by aphids, thrips or spider mites. Most often this happens when keeping an orchid in the summer outdoors. Pests do not multiply on these flowers in large numbers, so you can try to remove it manually. But if the attempt was unsuccessful, you need to use insecticidal agents.

Orchid Dendrobium (Orchidea Dendrobium) belongs to the Orchid family and has more than 2000 varieties of epiphytic (grow on trees) and lithophytic (grow on rocks) perennial herbaceous plants. Breeders have bred many hybrid forms of dendrobiums for growing at home, which are very popular among our indoor plant lovers (). I would like to note right away that most of these homemade orchids with beautiful large flowers are quite capricious and require very careful care throughout the year and especially during the flowering period. The degree of difficulty in growing dendrobium at home can be compared with such popular houseplants as bushy or mini-tree azalea, fuchsia with bright flowers, jasmine gardenia with chic glossy leaves or moisture-loving home calathea.

But if you really want to grow this luxurious orchid at home, even if you have modest experience in caring for flowering houseplants, then we advise you to pay attention to the very beautiful and not too capricious Dendrobium nobile (lat. Dendrobium nobile, the second popular name is D. noble ). In popularity, this indoor orchid is second only to phalaenopsis, home care for which even a novice grower is quite capable of. Photos of different types and varieties of dendrobium nobile with flowers can be found at the end of the article. And useful care tips, video materials, pest and disease control instructions will help you grow this beautiful orchid at home on your own.

In the axils of the leaves of a lanceolate dendrobium, alternately located on a straight stem with pseudobulbs, graceful flowers grow from flower buds, reminiscent of handmade crafts, folded by needlewomen from satin ribbons in the form of kanzashi or molded from foamiran, polymer clay, cold porcelain. Depending on the variety, large fragrant flowers of dendrobium nobile can be painted in a variety of colors - from dazzling white to dark lilac and even with two- or three-color oval-shaped petals. The homemade dendrobium orchid will be interesting to look at in interior phytodesign against the background of plants in the form of miniature trees such as Benjamin's ficus, Marginata dracaena, palm-shaped yucca, zamiokulkas (Dollar tree) or crassula (Money tree).

Dendrobium nobile, even with proper home care, sometimes "misses" one flowering season. But next year in spring, this orchid will delight you with large flowers with a pleasant smell, blooming simultaneously on all shoots of different ages. No special measures are required to stimulate the flowering of the noble dendrobium, but be sure to follow the recommendations for home care for this plant, which you will find later in this article, throughout the year. Peduncles develop from the upper nodes of old pseudobulbs, which lack leaves. On short inflorescences, several waxy flowers with wide sepals and oval-shaped petals may appear. A velvety rounded lip with a dark purple neck is decorated with a white border around the edge. In a flower arrangement, dendrobium nobile is interestingly combined with European cyclamen, tuberous begonia, and pelargonium.

♦ WHAT IS IMPORTANT!

Location and lighting.

Dendrobium nobile is a photophilous indoor plant and will feel comfortable on a windowsill from the southwest or on a floor stand from the southeast. If possible, place the orchid on a balcony or loggia in the summer. In the autumn-winter period, when the day becomes shorter, it is advisable to arrange additional lighting with a phyto-lamp. Direct sunlight can cause leaf burns, the color of which begins to take on a light green color, and with a lack of sunlight, the leaves turn yellow. During the flowering period, you can not often rearrange or change the location of the pot, as the buds may begin to fall off immediately after laying.

Temperature regime.

In spring and summer, the optimum temperature for the dendrobium orchid is 19-25 ° C. Constant temperatures above 29°C can lead to stunted growth and normal development of the plant. In autumn, the allowable temperature is 14-20°C during the daytime, and at night it drops to 10°C. Such a difference in temperature conditions day and night contributes to the laying of flower buds (watering during the dormant period is not required, but the lighting should be long during the day).

Air humidity.

The plant will feel comfortable with a moderate level of humidity in the room (40-50%). Be sure to moisturize dry air during hot periods by spraying and placing an open container of water next to the orchid.

Watering.

For irrigation, use warm, well-settled water. During the active growing season, during the intensive growth of shoots, it is necessary to water the dendrobium abundantly. But do not allow stagnant water around the root system. The drainage of the substrate must be very good. You can even completely submerge the pot in water for a few minutes, and then remove any dripping water from the pan. Watering stops completely when young vertical leaves appear on the shoots that have stopped growing and resumes only during the laying of flower buds. Do not resume watering (and fertilizing) before this period, as instead of beautiful flowers, daughter shoots from vegetative buds will appear on the plant.

Earth mix and top dressing.

Since the dendrobium orchid is a plant growing in the wild on trees, the substrate for this house plant must be appropriate. Spruce bark crushed to an average fraction level (about 6-8 mm) with the addition of charcoal and sphagnum is quite suitable. Before planting an orchid, it is necessary to sterilize the substrate.

For top dressing, special fertilizers are used that are most suitable for this type of orchid. Dendrobium nobile begin to be fed during the growing season - starting from the moment the flower buds are laid (in half doses in the first weeks) and ending with the end of the growth of young shoots.

Transfer.

The dendrobium is transplanted only in case of emergency, when the substrate begins to crumble heavily and becomes rotten. This type of orchid is usually transplanted once every three years, into an opaque plastic pot with a diameter a few centimeters wider than the previous one, replacing the substrate with a new one.

Reproduction.

Sprouting babies. This method of reproduction can be used during transplantation, when old pseudobulbs are removed. These old shoots can be cut with a sharp knife so that cuttings with 2-3 internodes are obtained. These cuttings are placed on wet moss in a container covered with foil. Lighting should be diffused, temperatures - 22-26 ° C. After a couple of weeks, young shoots should appear in the nodes, which are transplanted into a pot with a substrate prepared from the bark.


The division of the bush. This method can be used no more than once every 4 years during an orchid transplant, if there are at least 6-8 pseudobulbs. To do this, the root must be carefully cleaned of the substrate and cut the bush into pieces with a sharp sterile knife so that, in addition to the root, a sprout and several pseudotubers remain on the division. Be sure to treat all sections of the divisions with garden pitch before planting in new pots.

♦ COMMON DISEASES AND PESTS:

In the Orchid family, one of the most beautiful is the dendrobium orchid with porcelain purple flowers. Their beauty will make anyone stop and freeze with delight. A variety of this orchid has become the ancestor of so many hybrids and varieties that the natural form is almost impossible to find on sale and home collections. To grow such magic at home, you will have to learn some very important tricks for caring for an exotic beauty.

In nature, the plant lives in tropical rainforests and mountainous regions of Indochina, Japan, India, South China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands. It grows as an epiphyte, attaching its roots to the bark of trees, justifying its name - dendrobium in ancient Greek "living on a tree", but there are also lithophytic species of dendrobium orchids that prefer to settle in rock crevices at an altitude of up to 2 thousand m.

The appearance of the Dendrobium orchid is incredibly beautiful. Fragrant, like wax, flowers with a circumference of 6–8 cm from light lilac to pink in color are located in 2–4-flowered inflorescences on short peduncles emerging from the axils of linear-lanceolate leaves, reaching a length of 7–10 cm. rounded, lateral outlines, like ruffles, wavy.

Under natural conditions, pseudobulbs-stems reach considerable sizes - up to 60–90 cm, but indoor varieties and hybrids are much more compact and, as a rule, do not exceed 30–50 cm. In young plants, pseudobulbs are erect, droop with age and need support. In older pseudobulbs, the color changes from bright green to yellowish and leaves fall off. Usually, at the age of 2–4 years, they die off, forming a bunch of “children” at the top.

A healthy, developing dendrobium orchid has white roots covered with a layer of velamen, with orange-red or green tips. If the plant stops growing, the staining of the ends of the roots disappears.

By carefully observing your exotic beauty, you can always notice changes in its development, the main thing is to understand the life cycle and, in accordance with it, ensure proper care for the dendrobium orchid.

Transplantation and placement in the house of the dendrobium orchid

Under natural conditions, the plant lives on trees, so the dendrobium is often grown at home on blocks, taking into account the observance of the necessary humidity and temperature regime. However, it is more customary to still see the plant in ordinary transparent flower containers for epiphyte orchids filled with:

• pine bark - fractions of various sizes from small to large;
• moss-sphagnum;
• foam chips.

The division of the bush is carried out simultaneously with the transplant after the flowering of the orchid. The plant is taken out of the old pot, freed from the used substrate. The rhizome is divided into parts so that each division consists of 2-3 mature pseudobulb stems and the same number of new shoots. In places where the roots are cut, the sections are powdered with crushed coal to prevent fungal infection. Delenki are seated in separate pots in compliance with the basic rules for planting epiphyte orchids.

Reproduction by children is the simplest and most common method used by flower growers. The babies are carefully cut off from the mother plant with a sterile knife and placed in wet moss to grow the sprout itself and its root system.

The dendrobium orchid is also propagated by cuttings. To do this, a healthy pseudobulb is cut into several cuttings and placed in a resealable plastic bag filled with damp but not wet moss. Keep in a warm place, regularly ventilate, make sure that the moss does not dry out completely. New shoots will soon appear. After the formation of their root system, they are transplanted into dendrobium for orchids. Plants grown by vegetative propagation usually bloom in 2-3 years.

Dendrobium orchid babies

Possible problems in development

Due to excessive moisture in the substrate, the plant is often subject to fungal infections that cause rotting of the root system and pseudobulbs. In such cases, they try to save the orchid by emergency transplanting into a fresh substrate, the affected areas are removed, and the remaining ones are treated with a fungicide.

As a result of errors associated with the care of the dendrobium orchid, the following phenomena are possible:

• pseudobulbs shrink - young shoots feed on them until they grow a root system sufficient for independent development;
• instead of flower stalks, children are formed - the rest period is not sufficiently observed;
• the lack of flowers is due to a lack of lighting or improper care during the rest of the orchid;
• falling of the lower leaves is a natural process for mature pagons during or after flowering, and the loss of the upper leaves is usually associated with some kind of disease;
• a yellowed or brownish pseudobulb indicates the presence of a disease or it dies;
• too thin young shoots, having reached a certain height, thicken and look familiar to orchids of this species.

Conclusion

Dendrobium is an incredibly beautiful orchid that has many varieties and hybrids that are not similar to each other due to the various colors of the corollas. Growing it at home to some extent seems difficult even for an experienced orchid grower - the need for constant monitoring of humidity levels, temperature and lighting affects. However, if you follow all the rules correctly