How to plant an orchid at home: what is better - in a pot or driftwood, tips for newcomers to care, as well as the nuances of reproduction onion and others

The extraordinary beauty of orchids is breathtaking. With each new beauty I want more and more.

But it is not necessary to buy a new plant every time in a store.

Is it possible to independently breed such an exotic flower at home?

It is enough to know the features of planting and growing orchids and you can easily get a new copy of this plant.

What are the landing methods?

To begin with, we will deal with landing methods and choose the optimal one for your conditions. There are two methods in total:

Landing on the block.
Planting in a pot (in the substrate).

As we said before the method depends on the conditions in which you will plant the plant. But there are times when the method is determined by the type of plant. We will also talk about planting an orchid and caring for it at home for beginners and what it costs to plant a wonderful orchid at home.

Per block

One common landing method is landing on a block. For this, a suitable material is used to which the plant is attached. Such a block can be a piece of pine bark, cork oak, tree fern.
The size of the material is selected based on the size of the plant and the characteristics of its growth. The main thing is to choose the right size of material for planting, so as not to injure the plant with an extra transplant. After all, this is stress for the flower.

What is this method good for? The fact that the roots of the plant quickly dry after watering. Also, the roots of a plant planted on a block receive more air, which prevents the roots from decaying.

Another plus in planting on the block - the plant looks more natural. Plants should be planted on the blocks, which will later be placed in a room greenhouse, where they will not have a lack of moisture at the roots, and during the dormant period they will not lose the necessary moisture.

Into the substrate

The pot for orchids is not so much a capacity as a support. The choice of pot depends on the needs of the plant and the conditions of its maintenance.

In addition to pots for growing orchids, special baskets are used. There are types of plants that naturally grow on stumps or bifurcations of trees. In such orchids, peduncles usually drooping and growing down. And in order not to lose the flower stalks, you should not plant them in pots, it is better to use baskets, then the flower stalks will naturally hang.

Attention! Moisture is stored longer in pots, and in baskets, on the contrary, the substrate dries faster.

What is it worth to plant?

What to plant our orchid in, what is it better to take root in?

Substrate

Naturally, a huge number of substrates can be found in stores. But unfortunately they are not always of high quality. Therefore, it is best to devote more time to this process and make the substrate yourself. Then you will definitely know that your beauty is safe.

The best and most affordable material is pine bark., crushed and heat-treated. I usually make particles of 1.5-2 cm in size. Such a substrate can be used both in pure form and with additives. The additive may be sphagnum moss, peat.

Also, in order to prevent excess moisture from accumulating, which leads to root decay, a drainage layer must be laid on the bottom of the pot before planting. How can this be used? In the form of drainage, you can use polystyrene, gravel, pebbles or expanded clay.

About the requirements for the ideal soil for indoor orchids, as well as how to properly prepare it yourself, read here.

Pot

How to plant at home and in which pot? For planting orchids, ceramic, glass, plastic pots are used.. In no case do clay pots be used, since they quickly evaporate moisture. The best is a plastic pot. The width of the pot should be slightly less than its height. There must be several holes at the bottom so that excess moisture does not accumulate in the pot, because this can cause the death of the plant.

The size of the holes should be approximately 6-7mm. Also, air will pass through these holes to ventilate the substrate. This will prevent the appearance of an unpleasant odor and decay of the roots.

Sometimes orchids are planted in a pot without holes. Read the pros and cons of this method, as well as the features of orchid cultivation in a closed system, in a separate article.

Blocks

We have already talked about landing on blocks. When planting on the substrate block is not used, the plant is simply attached with a fishing line or copper wire to the block. The size of the block must necessarily correspond to the size of the root system of the plant.

A block can be not only a piece of pine bark, but also driftwood, a stump of a vine, a rhizome of a forest fern, and a part of an apple tree. Planting is perfect for driftwood from the mangrove root, as this tree is not subject to decay.

We proceed to the next stage of planting an orchid.

Ways

From seed

This landing method is the most time consuming. Orchid seeds are very small and easy to mistaken for dust. When germinating, seeds can die even from the most insignificant external influences. Therefore, it is worth using super-green conditions.

It is necessary to carefully prepare for sowing seeds. For germination, glass flasks or jars with screw caps are needed. We make holes in the lid and cover them with cotton before sterilizing the jar (so that it does not explode). For the flask, we make a cork from a cotton swab along the diameter of the flask and wrap it with foil 2-3 times.

This is done in order to provide a breeding ground for seed germination. A special mixture is also needed. You can only cook it, I have good knowledge of chemistry and maybe you will not find all the necessary components. But there is an easier way. Mixtures for seed germination can be purchased at a special store.

Important! The process of seed germination should take place almost in the laboratory. If they are not observed, then harmful microorganisms can penetrate into the germination environment and destroy the seeds.

Therefore, all materials must be sterilized. Cans, lids and flasks can be sterilized in the oven for 10 minutes. When everything is ready, we proceed to sowing seeds.

The hot mixture is added to sterilized containers. Seeds should also be disinfected (soak for 10 minutes in a solution of bleach). Then we carry out the sowing of seeds and close the containers hermetically.

After a week with sowing, changes begin to occur: inflorescences, leaves will appear on them. After the appearance of two or three leaves, roots appear. Only a year later, crops can be transplanted into a pot. The substrate for growing should be extremely small.

We take the sprouts out of the can extremely carefully with forceps. We wash the sprouts with water and only then plant them in a substrate.

Here we talked about how orchid seeds look, where they are sold and how to grow a flower from them at home.

From the onion

The shape and size of the bulbs can be different (up to 15 cm and very tiny).

How to plant onions properly? Orchid bulbs can produce leaves and peduncles, therefore, they are used to obtain flowering plants. Choose a healthy onion. It should be sufficiently elastic even firm (resembling beets). Do not get soft, gelatinous to the touch and very wrinkled bulbs.

There are two ways to plant orchid bulbs.

The bulb is placed at room temperature in a bright place without soil and substrate. Organize additional lighting. Do not water and do not spray it. After 3-4 weeks, the first root-villi appear. Then the bulb can be placed on a substrate.
You can also use a single transparent cup of the right size. Holes are made at the bottom and side of the glass, fill the glass with moss and place the onion in it, cover with moss from above.
It is important at this moment not to plant the bulb in very dense soil (there will be no access to air) and to prevent excessive watering (the bulbs may rot).

Kids

Only then you can make plantings from the baby when the roots appeared on it and it can be slightly traumatic to separate from an adult plant. Prepare a small transparent container, as well as pine bark of small pieces, sphagnum moss and charcoal.

Carefully insert the roots of the detached baby into the container and fill the container with a mixture of bark, moss and charcoal. Planted sprout provide support.

Do not forget that you can separate the baby with a well-sharpened and completely clean tool.

Watch the video how to separate the baby from the peduncle and plant it.

Where to buy a flower?

It is not difficult for a travel enthusiast to purchase an orchid in countries of natural growth, for example:

China - There are orchid markets in Beijing, Hong Kong. Learn about growing orchids from seeds purchased in China here.
Vietnam - in natural parks, in flower shops in Vung Tao, Cho Dam market in Nha Trang. Read about how to plant an orchid from Vietnam and grow a flower at home.
Thailand - a flower market in Bangkok, on an orchid farm, on the Sanam Luang 2 orchid market. We talked about choosing a variety and the features of growing Thai orchids in a separate article.

But do not despair for those who do not have the opportunity to visit exotic countries and buy flowers there.

Easy now You can order a flower online or purchase in greenhouses and greenhouseswhere tropical beauties are artificially grown.

Difficulties and problems

Buying a plant - buying a plant in a small flower shop or non-specialized store, there is a big risk to buy a poor-quality or sick plant. We recommend buying plants in greenhouses or specialized flower shops.
Watering problems - The most common problem, since watering orchids is different from watering other indoor plants. Solution: water by immersion for 15-20 minutes and do not leave water in the pan.
The presence of a moisture-intensive substrate in the neck of an orchid - if you have a suspicion of moisture-containing substances in the substrate, transplant the orchid.
Sunburn - Do not place the orchid in direct sunlight.
High temperature problems - do not place orchids on the windowsills of the south side, use air conditioners to lower the room temperature, ventilate the room.
Pests - control the state of your plant, inspect it. If pests are found, urgently treat the plant with special preparations.
Lack of flowering - provide the plant with bright light, feed it with fertilizer, create conditions of temperature difference day and night, ensure the correct conditions of detention.
Substrate for orchids - Use only substrates specifically designed for orchid transplantation.
Cool season - during ventilation, remove the plant from the windowsill.
Spraying - To increase humidity, use indoor fountains and humidifiers.

Plant care

Immediately after transplanting, put the flower in a dark place with a temperature of 22-25^aboutFROM.
Water only after 5 days.
When watering, follow the rules - use only soft and moderately hard water, the water temperature is 35-40^aboutFROM.
Avoid direct sunlight on the flower.
Watering in such ways is a warm shower, by immersing the pot for 30 seconds in water, using a watering can.
Feed the flower only 3-4 weeks after transplantation.

Do not be afraid to have this divine plant at home. Simply Before buying an orchid, read the conditions for growing a flower at home and select the optimal conditions for you and begin to enjoy the beauty of the plants you grow every day.