Cattleya Orchid Growing

Cattleya orchid is the name of a subspecies of large-flowered orchids that attract attention with the bright color of delicate flowers. About 40 varieties of Cattleya are counted. The plant is capricious, so he needs to ensure proper care.

Cattleya orchid cultivation

Prerequisites I’m growing

Growing a flower requires a lot of time and effort. It is imperative to provide a certain temperature and light regime, a normal level of humidity.

Light

Cattleya hybrid grown on window sills in the southern part of the apartment. They need a lot of light. With a short daylight, hybrid flowerpots are additionally highlighted. The lack of light is indicated by the dark green color of the leaf plates, when it is abundant, they become pale yellow. The lack or excess of light affects the intensity of the color of the buds. The daylight hours for each variety vary. On average, it should be 12 hours, but they focus not on this norm, but on the state of the flowerpot.

Avoid direct sunlight.

Temperature conditions

Cattleya orchid feels great at room temperature from 20 ° C to 25 ° C during the day and from 16 ° C to 20 ° C at night.

The leaves must not be overheated. If in summer the temperature rises above normal, the pot is wiped several times a day with a damp cloth. Also, at least every 2 days the plant is showering. After the shower, the flowerpot is left in the bathroom so that excess moisture leaves the pot. For active flowering, it is monitored that the night temperature is 5-7 ° C less than the daytime, so the flowering periods fall in spring and autumn. Sometimes, to force the flowerpot to produce buds, they artificially create a difference between the night and daytime temperatures.

At elevated temperatures the peduncle does not form.

Optimum temperature during the day from 20 to 25 ° C, at night from 16 to 20 °.

Humidity

Cattleya are undemanding to humidity. This makes it easier to care for them. In order to provide flowers with comfortable conditions, during the warm period of time, water is poured into the pan. If the room is low humidity, install units that increase air humidity, spray the flowerpot. When spraying, water should not fall on the buds.

Cattleya care secrets

If you follow simple rules, caring for this variety of orchids will not be a hassle.

Organization of watering

Cattleya orchids love water, so they are often watered. The substrate must be constantly moist. During irrigation, water should not fall on the stems of the plant. After the orchid has bloomed, the amount of watering is reduced. In the same period, the substrate is sprayed. After flowering ends, the covers mature in which the flower stalks are matured.

In winter and early spring, make sure that water does not fall on the leaves of the pot during irrigation, otherwise brown spots appear on them.

Monthly, the substrate is washed with running water. At the same time, they don’t get the flower from the pot.

Feeding

Phalaenopsis needs fertilizing, which is carried out after flowering of flowerpots. During this period, the growth of pseudobulbs (false bulbs) occurs, on which the plant spends a lot of strength. After the growth of pseudobulbs is over, the pot is no longer fertilized. The second series of dressings is produced during the growth of the peduncle. As soon as the flowering period has begun, top dressing is stopped.

Care for roots and leaves

Cattleya orchid has a developed root system. Inspect the roots of the plant: they periodically die off. During the transplant, plants at home get rid of dead roots.Rotten or damaged areas must also be removed.

Orchid Care Rules

No less carefully monitor leaf plates. Dust is removed from the leaves and examined for parasitic insects. When spots of any color appear, they are sorted out, which caused this phenomenon.

Transplant

Cattleya orchid is transplanted every 2 years. This process is stressful for the plant. The soil, consisting of pine bark and sphagnum moss, is carefully prepared. The bark is taken in small and medium fractions. 2 days before the phalaenopsis transplant, the bark is placed in water. After the lapse of time, the water is drained and the bark is washed.

A layer of gravel with a height of 2 cm is laid in a pot designed for planting phalaenopsis. Expanded clay is an alternative to gravel. A layer of gravel is covered with bark, a small amount of polystyrene is added to it. After that, the orchid is placed in the pot and sprinkled with bark with sphagnum moss. To prevent moisture from leaving the substrate so quickly, a little perlite is added during transplantation.

Reproduction

At home, it is easiest to reproduce by dividing the bush. Orchid does not tolerate transplant, these procedures combine. Reproduction is carried out during the formation of new roots.

First, the flower along with the substrate is removed from the pot.To make the procedure less traumatic for the roots, the substrate is soaked. For this, the plant for 30-40 minutes. placed in a container of water.

Reproduction occurs during the formation of new roots

After a time, the root system is freed from soggy bark and substrate. It is also done in water. Then produce disinsection of the roots by sprinkling them with ash or crushed coal. If neither the first nor the second is at hand, use cinnamon. After drying the roots produce the division of the plant. Each new bush should have at least 3 bulbs and a maximum number of roots. The roots are reprocessed with ash. At this point, reproduction is completed by division, it remains to plant the bushes in pots.

All used tools are pre-sterilized.

Reproduction is carried out using children who have their own roots and 2 -3 sheet plates. The baby is separated from the bush, for 120 minutes. soaked in a growth stimulator and planted in a separate pot. Planting a baby is carried out in the same way as planting an adult plant.

Growing a baby does not have specific features. Cattleya, grown from children, have all the qualities of a parent bush. To help grow the kids, the flower is treated with cytokinin paste. Cut sections of phalaenopsis are disinfected.It is difficult to grow phalaenopsis at home from seeds.

Cattleya live about 8-10 years. Depending on how the cultivation occurs, the life span of phalaenopsis increases or decreases. Sometimes flowers survive to 15-17 years.

Common growing problems

Cattleya hybrid has some difficulties in growing:

• Diseases and pests cause the flowering to stop. Most often, phalaenopsis is affected by scale insects and spider mites. Insects are disposed of with gentle insecticides. Folk remedies are ineffective in pest control.
• If phalaenopsis cannot bloom, it either lacks certain trace elements or there are too many of them. Most of all, orchid needs magnesium.
• When the moisture accumulates in the basal part of the flowerpot covered with scales, the stem rots. The damaged area blackens. The affected elements are cut with a sharp knife and disinfected.
• If the content conditions are not met, root system build-up does not occur. To normalize the growth process, it is necessary to water the plant in a timely manner and provide it with a light regime. In addition, growth stimulants are used for phalaenopsis.
• The orchid is affected by fungal infections, which are eliminated with antifungal drugs. With fungal infections, the leaves turn brown or dark spots appear.Previously, all damaged parts of the plant, including roots, bulbs and buds, are cut and sprinkled with ash. Of the fungal diseases, the most common are gray and black rot, anthracosis and mosaic disease. If the disease is not treated in a timely manner, the plant dies. Resuscitation in neglected cases does not help.
• If the flower stalk dries before buds appear, phalaenopsis does not have enough water, light or nutrients.
• If the plant has shriveled leaves, it does not have enough moisture, they started rot the roots or lower air humidity.
• If the leaves fade on the Cattleya, overheating or damage to the roots occurs.
• The appearance of cracks on the pseudobulbs indicates an excess of nitrogen.

Cattleya species

Cattleya of different species exist. According to the structure of sheet plates, they are divided into univalent and bifacial. A single-leaf orchid is characterized by the formation of 1 leaf plate on each bulb. The bifolia Catalea is distinguished by the formation of 2-3 leaves on each bulb.

Moss phalaenopsis is noteworthy, one pink or lilac flower of which reaches 13 cm in length. Forbes orchid is the least demanding of the conditions.

Phalaenopsis Varshevich has white side lobes and a purple cylindrical core. The length of the bulb sometimes reaches 30 cm.

There are different types of Cattleya

Brightly looks catty miniature Cattleya. Its petals have a deep pink or purple color.

The white Cattleya, which produces a large bud, is also popular. Blooming buds of Terry Cattleya attract attention with wavy edges of the petals. It’s easy to grow Cattleya Schroeder’s house, which has white petals and an orange or yellow core. Arends, Blc. Patum Green, Black Jack, Flaski, Labiata, Queen, Tuberidia, Nardotto, Evergarden, Violet, Baudelaire, Greenflower. The description of each of the varieties of Cattleya phalaenopsis is located on a package with seeds.

Blue phalaenopsis is obtained by coloring – in the second generation, the orchid will produce white buds.

Conclusion

With proper care, Cattleya pleases with long and friendly flowering twice a year. For the living quarters, they choose the least moody varieties that feel comfortable in conditions of normal humidity.