Growing Orchid Tree Bauchinia

The Bauhinia orchid tree is an exotic plant that grows up to 10 m in height in a natural environment, is more suitable for garden plots in regions with a warm climate. Observing the rules of planting and care, capricious bauhinia can be grown at home.

Orchid cultivation go bauchinia tree

Biological characteristics

The Bauchinia orchid tree belongs to the legume family and is a representative of the genus of decorative flowering plants grown to decorate garden and park areas .

The name Bauhinia, or Bauginia, received from the Swiss brothers Baugin. In home floriculture, it is called an orchid, or orchid, tree.

When grown at home, the bauhinia reaches a height of up to 2 m. At the same time, it develops slowly in the room space.

The trunk is covered with a crust of reddish hue. Leaves are often bilobed, consist of 2 double rounded parts with a silver coating, length – up to 12 cm.The flowers look like an orchid, in diameter – up to 15 cm, have a stable aroma. The color palette of inflorescences is diverse, mainly white and purple. Inflorescence leaves can be decorated with stripes, hatching or speckles. The flowering of individual specimens is 1 day, some varieties retain their color up to 7 days.

Planting

Soil mix

For home cultivation Bauchinia as a soil mixture suitable universal soil used for flowering plants. The soil mixture is also made independently, which requires:

• 1 part of leafy soil,
• 1 part of turfy soil,
• 1 part of humus,
• ½ part of river sand, which can be replaced with perlite.

The acidity of soil must be adjusted using river sand, bringing the soil mixture to slightly acidic or neutral.

To grow bauchinia at home, drainage in a pot is required.

Fertilizers

Fertilizer complexes are added to the soil mixture. They do this at the stage of active growth in the spring, feeding the bauhinia with complexes with nitrogen. This component helps to form new shoots and builds green mass. In summer, fertilizer complexes should contain potassium and phosphorus. In the fall, fertilizer is stopped. This makes it possible for new shoots to mature and numb before winter.

Planting

Before planting, holes should be made in the pot to drain excess water. The pot is mounted on a pallet. On the bottom of the pot capacity lay drainage, which is suitable for pebbles, brick chips and expanded clay. The drainage layer is covered with soil mixture. The plant placed in the container is sprinkled with soil from all sides and watered.

Cutting and replanting

Beautiful flowers with proper care

Caring for the bauhinia involves pruning and replanting.

Pruning

Trimming is mandatory, as this directly affects the development of bauhinia, and some species stop branching without trimming. Initially, the procedure is carried out in the spring, when the plant is 3 years old.

• for the growth of lateral shoots, the plant is shortened to the desired height at a distance of 40 cm,
• after pruning, the young shoots pinch for 2-3 leaflet.

In the process of trimming, no more than ¼ of the crown is removed. Often, a bonsai-like crown is formed from an orchid tree, for which young, but already numb, shoots are wrapped with wire for 2-3 months.

Transplant

Young Bauchinias are transplanted every year in the spring. The grown plants recommend replanting in a new soil soil no more often than once in 3-4 years.If desired, the adult tree is left in the same container, cutting its roots and sprinkling the slices with crushed coal. The voids that appeared after trimming the roots are filled with fresh soil mixture.

Large orchid trees try not to transplant. For them, change the topsoil to fresh ones.

The tree is transplanted into a pot container larger than the previous one.

Reproduction

Propagate the orchid tree from seeds or cuttings.

Planting with seeds

Seeds for planting are taken from ripened pods and planted in spring, after soaking in water for 2 days, after which the largest and swollen. Seeds are sown in suitable soil to a depth of 5 mm.

Seed germination is increased by scarification – erasing part of the seed coat on one side of the grain, planting the cleaned part up.

To create the desired microclimate, the container with seed planting is covered with polyethylene or glass. The container is placed in a warm, well-lit place. The sprouts are aired daily, the soil mixture is moistened with a spray bottle. After 2 years, young seedlings are planted in a permanent place in a separate pot container.

Cuttings

Propagation by cuttings begins in the spring, for which they cut branches that are half stiffened. Branches cut during the technological processing of the crown are also suitable as material for grafting.

Fresh sections are treated with a growth-stimulating preparation and planted in vermiculite and covered with polyethylene.

Care

The tree grows only in the warm edges

Caring for the orchid tree involves creating a suitable microclimate for it.

Temperature

The optimum temperature for Bauhinia in winter is at least 15 ° C, from spring to autumn – 22 ° C-25 ° C. It can tolerate a short-term decrease in temperature to -5 ° C.

Humidity and watering

Bauhinia suffers short-term drought, but in the hot season requires regular watering, especially if located in a well-lit place. Humidity is recommended to be maintained at the level of 75-80%, although the plant does not stop developing even at rates of 40-50%. After watering, the top layer of the soil mixture should dry.

In autumn and winter, watering is reduced to a minimum. In the hot season, the plant is sprayed, avoiding water getting on the flowers and buds.

Location and illumination

A suitable place for the location of the bauchinia is the illuminated south, southeast or southeast west of the room. Optimal lighting is bright in the morning and evening hours with shading at the peak of solar activity. To extend the duration of daylight hours in winter resort to re-exposure.

Care for flowering and peace

Bauchinia blooms from early spring to late fall. When grown in the shade, the flowering process will not be as plentiful as when the plant is kept in a bright room. To extend the flowering time, they provide coolness and reduce the number of waterings.

A flowering plant must be fed.

The rest period occurs in winter. For proper relaxation, the bauchinia is placed in the brightest place, the temperature is maintained at 12 ° С-15 ° С, it is not fed, the volume and frequency of irrigation are reduced to a minimum.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that tropical bauhinia is often grown in open areas in regions with a warm climate, an orchid tree can be grown at home, if you create for it has a suitable microclimate.