Orchid dendrobium: options for care and reproduction at home

Orchids are known as elegant elegant plants. Orchid Dendrobium is fully consistent with these ideas. Her gorgeous flowers are a feast for the eyes. The plant is not too demanding in care, which increases its attractiveness to florists.

Main types

Today, there are many different types of this orchid. The classic color of the Dendrobium flower is white and purple, yellowish and reddish tones are also common. Some varieties have mix-colored flowers that vary along the edges and in the center.

Orchid Dendrobium in nature

Initially, Dendrobium lived on trees or stones. Numerous aerial roots that draw moisture and nutrients from the air serve to fix it.

In total, about 1,500 species of Dendrobium orchids are known. They have stems called pseudobulbs, on which oval leathery leaves alternate with a length of about 10 cm. When the growing season comes to an end, the plant sheds leaves, in healthy individuals shoots grow again and again.

Pseudobulbs take different forms depending on the type of orchid. They can be tubular, spindle-shaped or club-shaped. The length varies greatly: from a few centimeters to 1 m.

Numerous hybrid species come from Dendrobium nobile and Dendrobium phalaenopsis. Distinguishing them based on the arrangement of colors is simple. Dendrobium nobile has flowers that grow from the edges of the stems of the previous year, if they form only at the tip of the shoot, this is a sign of Dendrobium afalenopsis.

Dendrobium Nobile

The second term "nobile" after Dendrobium is translated as "noble." This is a large plant with straight, fleshy, tree-like stems. Oblong leathery leaves are arranged in two rows.

Dendrobium Nobile

On last year leafless shoots, short peduncles are formed, consisting of 2-3 flowers containing ovoid petals and elongated sepals, whitish in color at the base, lilac or pink at the edges. The flower sponge, covered with small hairs, has a dark purple spot in the lower part. The flowering period is January-May.

Kinga

Royal Dendrobium is distinguished by stiff cone-shaped shoots up to the top and cylindrical in the rest of the shoots up to 30 cm long. Whitish leaf bases densely cover the stem.

Dendrobium King

The low apical floral tip is made up of small fragrant flowers, ranging in color from white to bright red. The flower sponge is three-lobed, the sepals grow together on the side surfaces. February is the month of the appearance of the first flowers, which last up to 3-4 weeks.

Berry ode

This orchid is a hybrid of Dendrobium King. When flowering, spreads a pleasant aroma of vanilla.

Dendrobium berry ode

It differs by a long flowering period if the plant has good conditions: from May to December.

Hibiki

This is a miniature hybrid variety of Dendrobium, up to 15 cm in height for the formed plant. The main distinguishing features are bright double-colored flowers: violet and orange. To start blooming, 3 cm pseudobulbs are enough; buds last for more than 30 days. The resulting inflorescences contain up to 8 flowers.

Hibiki Dendrobium

The shoots are shortened, have a pinkish color, the leaves are dark green, dense. It blooms in March-April, the active period lasts up to five months.

Dendrobium Phalaenopsis

A large species of orchids, the stems are long, fleshy. Leaves and flowers are located at the end of the stems. Large flowers reach a size of 3-8 cm, from inflorescences collected from 5 to 40 flowers with a color from white to pale pink, dark red and even raspberry.

Dendrobium Phalaenopsis

Inflorescences retain freshness for a long time, which provides them with popularity among florists when creating bouquets.

Dendrobium Chrysotoxum

An orchid with yellow flowers and an intense honey aroma. It has quite large flowers, collected in inflorescences of 10-15 pieces. Chrysotoxum leaves are narrow and long, up to 10 cm.

Dendrobium Chrysotoxum

Dendrobium trantuanii

Tratuniai grows naturally in the Vietnamese jungle. It is notable for flattened stems that give the plant an original look.

Dendrobium trantuanii

Long-lasting, large, soft purple flowers are located on individual pedicels.

Dendrobium moniliforme

Moniliform is a Japanese stone orchid. It blooms at the end of winter or with the beginning of spring; secondary flowering is possible in the last summer month. The inflorescence has 1-2 fragrant flowers; there can be several of them on one stem.

Dendrobium moniliforme

The color is white, cream, yellow, green or pink. The peduncle is short, the petals are distinguished by their elongated shape.

Care for indoor orchids

Those who plant the Dendrobium orchid note that caring for it at home is much easier than for other varieties of this plant. Orchids come from tropical and subtropical Asia, where they grow epiphytically, that is, they use other trees or stones as a support. These highly specific living conditions define care requirements.

Watering

The aerial roots of orchids Dendrobium should not be watered, but irrigated by immersion. This procedure is repeated weekly.

Watering Orchids Dendrobium

Basic irrigation rules:

1. Lower the root ball into the water once a week;
2. Before re-immersion, the substrate should not be too dry;
3. Water is taken at room temperature, low in calcium, ideally without it at all. Hard water damages plants;
4. Having immersed the pot in water, you need to wait until air bubbles rise to the surface of the water;

5. Rainwater is ideal for watering and spraying orchids;
6. Humidity in the room should be at least 50%, it is necessary to check it periodically. If humidity is low, the orchid needs to be sprayed;
7. If necessary, feed the plant fertilizer dissolved in water. Excessive amounts should never be used; it is better to underfeed than to overfeed. It is recommended to use special fertilizers for orchids that are commercially available;
8. Top dressing is carried out during the growing season, in the summer.

Room temperature

To keep the Dendrobium orchid healthy, home care involves maintaining the right temperature. The plant feels good at temperatures from + 16 ° C to + 23 ° C. If the room is too hot, this can lead to problems. In winter, Dendrobium prefers a temperature of + 16 ° C to + 18 ° C. Colds below + 10 ° C should be avoided.

Lighting

This type of orchid belongs to the photophilous, but the shining midday sun can lead to unsightly burns of leaves. At home, they are under the canopy of host plants in the dense jungle, therefore protected from the sun.

Orchid Bark

If the plant is placed on an open southern window, it is better to use a protective curtain that creates diffused light. In winter, it is necessary to apply additional illumination, for example, with fluorescent lamps.

The soil

Plain soil for indoor plants is not suitable for orchids. It is important for them to use special soil, which is a plant substrate, consisting of bast, charcoal, pieces of bark, peat and polystyrene flakes. Many florists prepare it themselves. Before filling the substrate, a drainage layer of fine pebbles or brick chips is placed on the bottom of the pot. The soil surface is sprinkled with bark.

Bloom

The flowering time of orchids depends on the species. This usually occurs in spring, summer or after a winter rest. During this period, it is necessary to provide regular top dressing and watering. During rest, on the contrary, irrigation should be reduced and the temperature should be no higher than + 18 ° C.

Reasons for the lack of flowering

Lack of flowering is mainly observed if the plant is not properly looked after. Only in some cases, various pests interfere with this.

Possible reasons:

1. Insufficient coolness during the rest period. If the temperature remains high, children will form instead of flowers on pseudobulbs. The difference in day and night temperatures up to 5-7 ° C has a good effect on the plant;
2. The plant does not have enough light, it is necessary to organize illumination;
3. Orchid irrigation is not respected.

Breeding methods

There are two ways to propagate the Dendrobium orchid at home: through division and secondary shoots.

Division

Although this method of breeding Dendrobium is the simplest, only age-related, large individuals, the rhizome of which can be divided, are suitable for it. The cut is processed with ground cinnamon. Separated parts must contain at least four pseudobulbs. Usually, only two new ones are obtained from one plant.

Orchid bush division

The highlighted parts are placed in pots with a smaller substrate. Before young shoots appear, watering should be very scarce. Some gardeners recommend not to water at all for 7 days. After the first escape, you can start caring as usual.

Cuttings

For the manufacture of cuttings, old stems are used that have already dropped leaves. At the first stage, the main task is to get the kids. To do this, cut cuttings treated with coal are placed in greenhouse conditions, which can serve as a plastic container, the bottom of which is lined with sphagnum. The cover must contain ventilation holes.

Orchid cuttings in a container

The cuttings are placed directly on the sphagnum and are sprayed with the growth stimulator "Epin". Then the container is placed in a warm place.

Children are separated from the handle only when 2-4 roots appear, then they can be planted in a separate container.

Flower transplant

The ornamental plant feels more comfortable in small vessels, however, if the root system has grown too much, the plant needs to be transplanted. Too large pots should not be chosen - they often have excess moisture, which can cause rot symptoms in orchids. For a normal transplant, the following rules must be observed:

1. Transplant the plant about once every 2-3 years;
2. The ideal time for a transplant is spring;
3. Carefully remove the orchid from the old pot;
4. Remove old plant substrate;
5. Cut off rotten, dried and damaged parts of the plant, including leaves, buds and roots;
6. Choose the size of the new tank with enough space for at least two shoots;
7. Gently insert the plant, placing the oldest shoot on the edge of the pot;
8. Fill the pot with fresh plant substrate and squeeze gently;
9. To ensure that the substrate is evenly distributed, you can shake the pot slightly.

Dendrobium Orchid Transplant

The technology for planting children is different from transplanting an adult plant:

1. Carefully separate the young children with roots from the cuttings, treat the places of cuts with coal;
2. In the prepared pots, place a drainage pad, insert the sprout and sprinkle with a substrate;
3. Place the pot in another container. When the air temperature is high, water the substrate directly. If it’s cool, you can pour a little water only into an external container;
4. With the appearance of new leaves and roots, you can gradually begin to fertilize;
5. After a year, transplant a young plant into a more spacious pot.

Care after flowering

After flowering, the plant needs a long rest period. Feeding stops and the amount of water decreases. Old shoots gradually lose their leaves, but they are not cut, as new flowers may form there.

Planting Dendrobium Kids

As soon as the new shoots reach a length of 5 cm, the orchid can again be placed in a warmer place, watering and feeding slowly increase.

As a rule, the Dendrobium orchid does not need to be pruned, but the dead parts of the plant are removed before they begin to rot:

1. Dead flowers, leaves and shoots are cut periodically;

2. Slightly yellowed leaves, like old pseudobulbs, remain on the orchid;
3. Dead and rotten roots are cut off, ideally during transplantation;
4. Cutting starts carefully, better gradually than all at once;
5. Be sure to use a sharp cutting tool to avoid squeezing the plant.

The recommendations presented are universal for all varieties of Dendrobium, in order to choose the best care and enjoy the beautiful view of a healthy plant, it is better to find out the specific type of your orchid and study its individual characteristics.