Orchid care at home for beginners, namely a practical guide for the proper cultivation of this indoor flower with photos and species names

Orchid is an ornamental plant that attracts with its beauty, bright color and magnificent flowers. But in terms of care, it is very moody and whimsical.

If you do not follow all the agrotechnical rules from a to z, then the orchid will die and will not be pleased with beautiful flowering. To return the plant to life is very problematic, but at home it is almost impossible.

Briefly tell all the secrets and subtleties: how to properly care for her if you gave it to you or you bought it yourself.

Why is it important to grow properly?

Orchid cultivation at home is only for experienced gardeners who have experience in this matter. After all, it is enough to make one mistake, and the plant will die. Besides, incorrect orchid care entails a lack of flowering, which can be very difficult to return. Non-compliance with humidity and temperature indicators, improper watering lead to the development of diseases and the appearance of pests.

Content Principles

Orchid is a gentle and capricious flower that, with proper care, will bloom for several months a year. Compared to other indoor plants, they require more careful attention in terms of irrigation, fertilizing, selection of soil and capacity. Here we talked about the conditions of keeping an orchid at home and the features of plant care.

How to care at home?

Proper orchid care requires the following conditions:

correct temperature and humidity conditions;
timely and moderate watering;
feeding at the right time and in the exact dosage;
prevention of diseases and pests.

What determines the features of care?

Seasons

In winter

In winter, orchid care is as follows:

December. Water with warm and settled water. In the sinuses of the leaves, the liquid should not stagnate, so that moisture should be dried with a napkin. In December, the care specializes in prevention, not in the treatment of orchids. This suggests that the flower at this time requires increased attention and care.
January. Reduce watering, otherwise it will lead to stagnation of moisture and the development of fungal diseases. If the house has central heating, then increase the humidity by arranging water tanks on batteries. If this is not done, the plant will suffer from dry air.
February. This month the phase of winter dormancy is over. Watering is gradually increasing.

We talked about the nuances of caring for orchids at home in the winter and autumn in a separate material.

Spring

With the onset of spring, care is as follows:

March. Orchid care is increasing in the first spring month. The first thing to protect the flower from scorching sunlight. He is not used to the sun and can get burns. If the plant has outgrown the pot, then transplant it. As for watering, under the condition of warm weather, it should be plentiful.
April. It is in this place that pests begin to show activity, so it is important to regularly inspect the plant. The most frequent guest is the spider mite. To prevent its development, increase air humidity. Control watering, avoiding waterlogging.
May. Plants that are grown in a cool climate, it is important to take out to fresh air. Those flowers that remained on the south side of the windows should be shaded from the sun. Young children growing in containers, transplanted to a permanent place. By the end of May, orchids begin to grow actively, so you have to monitor the air humidity, which can be increased by spraying. In May, continue to check the plant for pests.

Summer

Summer care is based on the following:

June. At this time, if possible, it is possible to collect rainwater and use it for irrigation. It promotes the growth of strong roots. Avoid prolonged drying of the earth, especially during flowering.
July. Orchids need special care at this time. Monitor the regularity of watering, since during the heat they dry out very much. Shade the flower from direct sunlight to prevent the development of leaf burns. If orchids are on the street, then in the rain they should be installed under the roof.
August. This is the best time to gradually move the plant from the street to the house. After a week's quarantine (pest check), they should be kept at permanent growing sites. In August, plants respond positively to spraying.

Autumn

With the onset of autumn, orchid care has the following features:

September. This month is the last for a transplant. In addition, carry out snail prophylaxis by placing a special product bought in a specialty store in a pot. Watering in September to stop.
October. Care is based on highlighting plants. Watering cut and spend it rarely (this activates the laying of future buds). Be sure to inspect the plant for pests.
November. During this period, keep orchids in a cool climate with additional illumination. Watering is reduced to a minimum. To prevent spider mites.

Read more about the rules for caring for a room orchid in autumn and winter in our article.

Flowering plants

An orchid in the flowering phase needs careful care. The following features are characteristic of it:

Watering. It should be intense. Water the flower under a warm shower, and the water temperature should not be lower than 35 degrees. After wetting, remove fluid from the growth point. Otherwise, it will rot.
Temperature. Increase the night temperature by 5 degrees.
Transfer. It is impossible to transplant an orchid during flowering, otherwise it will lose all buds and flowers.
Top dressing. To do this, use a special fertilizer designed for orchids, but it is important not to overfeed.

Reference. You can prolong flowering if you do not rearrange the flower from place to place.

Caring for orchids after flowering is no less important. If the peduncle has dried and blackened, cut it under the base and remove (about when and how to trim the orchid and how to care for the plant after the procedure, read here). Reduce the nutrition, watering in the winter, reduce to 1 time per month. In this case, spray the flower 2 times a week.

The plant needs a transplant, and change the location of the pot by installing it in another place. If after flowering the flowers turned yellow, and the leaves wrinkled, there is no peduncle, then these are signals that the orchid should be rearranged.

Types: their names and photos

Phalaenopsis

This variety is one of the most popular, it includes 17 subspecies. In appearance, it resembles a “pillar,” which is literally strewn with flowers with leaves originating from the base. Since the shape of the buds resembles a butterfly, then the variety was called "butterfly".

When growing an orchid, it is important to consider that for its full growth it will take a lot of heat and sunlight. The rest of the phalaenopsis is not picky. With proper care long flowering - at least 3 times a year. After each flowering, cut off the top by 4-5 cm.

Cattleya

This variety needs light and warmth. This will require the construction of additional lighting in the winter. Flowering lasts from April to November. In the remaining time, the flower rests, but still requires care. During the flowering period, it is important to fertilize in a timely manner.

Bulbofillum

The variety includes 2000 subspecies, each of which has a pungent odor. The flowers grow in small buds along the shoot in 2 rows. Flowering can be both in winter and in summer. For comfortable and normal growth, in addition to watering and fertilizing, it is important to provide the plant with heat and sunlight.

Wanda

This is the only orchid species that grows in the mountains and on peaks. Because of this, the height of the shoots reaches 1.5 m. If you grow plants at home, then he will have to create comfortable conditions. Plant a flower in a large volume flower pot and give its space to reach the maximum height. Wanda loves moderate heat, so grow a flower at a temperature of +15 degrees. If it is lower, then the orchid will die. Watering is moderate, make top dressing before and during flowering.

A practical guide for beginners

First steps after purchase

Immediately after acquiring an orchid, she will have to organize a kind of quarantine. Its essence is that the flower is separated from the rest of the plants in the house. It can be installed in a room cabinet. The main thing is that sunlight does not fall on it.

Watering should also be stopped and no fertilizing during quarantine. In duration, it can take 2-3 weeks. At this time, closely monitor the condition of the flower. If the leaves or flowers are slightly faded, then you can water them with a small amount of water.

Read more about how to care for an orchid at home after purchase, we told here.

Transplant capacity selection

If the pot in which the flower was located for some reason does not fit, then you need to choose another. For this, transparent packaging is best. It allows you to monitor the state of the root system without the need to extract it. This makes it possible to prevent stressful conditions for orchids. The depth of the tank should correspond to the size of the plant and be roomy for the soil and drainage system.

Substrate preparation

Preparing the soil for an orchid is a simple matter, because in specialized stores they already sell a completely finished substrate. But you can cook it yourself. To do this, use the following components:

moss;
pulverized charcoal;
chopped pine bark;
fern;
expanded clay;
pumice.

The ratio and specific components are determined taking into account the type of orchid.

Attention! Expanded clay and pumice can be an excellent drainage system. Its height is determined taking into account the size of the pot.

Seat selection

It is necessary to grow an orchid on windows that overlook the southeast or south side. If there is no other option, then you can position the flower at some distance from the south window. Use parchment paper to shade the glass. Western and southwestern windows are ideal for most varieties of orchids. The sun begins to become active in the afternoon, and at this time its rays are more gentle. We talked in more detail about where it is better to put an orchid in the apartment and what the choice of place depends on, in a separate article.

Watering

Use only water at room temperature and well-maintained for watering the orchid. It is applied to the entire surface of the substrate in a thin stream until it is completely absorbed into the soil. Stop humidification when excess water begins to pour out of the hole in the pot. It should not fall and remain on leaf sockets and inflorescences. This will rot.

Top dressing

Fertilize no more than 1 time in 2-3 weeks. Do this when the orchid is in a phase of active growth. Use the following top dressing:

Bona Forte.
Pocon.
Greenworld

Only add fertilizer to the pot as indicated on the packaging. The flowers do not tolerate mineral salts, and if the amount is excessive, the plant will die. So flush the soil with water once every 7 days. You can alternate the application of fertilizers with washing: 1 week - watering, 1 week - top dressing.

Important! It is not recommended to use top dressing for other plants for orchids. There is no need to make them in the winter and at rest.

With frequent fertilizer, the natural immunity of the plant is disturbed, because of which various diseases begin to affect it. You can refuse to make top dressing if you observe the periodicity of updating the substrate. For a plant to receive all the nutrients change the soil at least 1 time in 2 years.

Lighting

This factor is one of the most important when caring for a flower. It is he who depends on his flowering. If there is enough light, then the flowering will be long, and if it is not enough, the leaves will slowly become a light green hue, stretch and turn yellow. When choosing lighting, be guided by the following rules:

Lighting should be diffuse.
In the summer, the flower will darken, but in the fall do not.
The daylight hours are 12 hours.

Temperature

The temperature regime is different for different types of orchids. In general, the orchid family is divided into 3 types:

Apt to cool. The temperature regime is 8-13 degrees.
Medium temperature lovers - 13-18 degrees.
Thermophilic flowers - 18-26 degrees.

For an orchid, a daily jump in temperature is important. The difference should be 5-7 degrees. This will enable the flower to fully relax and create excellent conditions for flowering.

Humidity

For orchids, the optimum moisture content remains 60%. If the room air is dry or dry comes from the batteries, then to increase the humidity, place a container of water near the flower.

Spraying

For most orchids, spraying is a harmful procedure. This can provoke spotting of leaves, decay of the bulb and the development of diseases. It is better to increase the humidity with a humidifier. The secrets of the correct spraying of indoor orchids can be found in a separate article.

Transfer

One of the important conditions for orchid care is transplantation. This procedure is carried out in several stages:

Flower preparation. Remove the orchid from the container and carefully clean the roots of the old earth, while checking them for diseases. Remove old and diseased roots, and treat the sections with fungicide. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning.
Preparation of the substrate. For the first time, it is better to buy soil.
Fortification. When everything is ready, then strengthen the flower in the ground. At the same time, make sure that the substrate is not higher than the measles neck.

All about bugs

Improper care is a violation of one of several agricultural regulations. For example, if you feed very often and in high concentration, the plant will stop its development, and die in time. Besides, The following options for improper care are available:

excessive and frequent watering;
insufficient humidity and lighting;
sharp jumps in temperature, its indicators are too high;
wrong transplant and refusal of it.

The consequences of improper breeding

With improper care of orchids, the following consequences are possible:

Sluggish leaves. They occur with damage to the root system or severe overheating of the flower.
Crack along the shared vein. It occurs due to mechanical damage, sudden cooling during irrigation, excess fertilizer, dry air and high temperature.
Rotting top sheet. The main reason is stagnation of water in the core. If there will be water for a long time, there is a lack of light, low temperature, then the top leaf turns yellow and falls off.
Yellowing of the leaves. This symptom occurs for the following reasons: damage to the root system, stress due to a sharp change in conditions or improper maintenance, lack of iron or potassium.

Diseases and Pests

With improper care of orchids, there is a high probability of their damage by pests and diseases. Most often, diseases are associated with the appearance of the flower and roots. It:

atrophy of the root;
yellowing of leaves;
decay.

Reference. All this is treated by changing the temperature regime, normalizing lighting, humidity and watering.

As for parasites, such species can infect an orchid:

Whiteflies When this insect appears, all the efforts of gardeners come to naught. The flower is treated with insecticides or a solution of laundry soap (40 g per 1 liter of water).
Chervonets. These are small white lumps, which are first removed from the flower, and only then treated with insecticides.
Spider mite. They leave a white coating on the leaves. For processing use insecticides.
Thrips. They defeat all parts of the flower at once. Treatment includes the use of Aktara.

Caring for an orchid requires special care and compliance with all agricultural regulations. If at least one is violated, there is a risk of developing diseases, pests and plant death. Since the orchid is a moody flower, a grower with a certain experience, and not a beginner, should deal with it.