How to properly care for an orchid after you bought it in the store and brought it home? It is necessary to create such conditions for the plant so that it survives the move safely and quickly gets used to its new home.
When purchasing an orchid, be prepared for the fact that it can react quite sharply to a change in microclimate: sometimes the plant’s flowers suddenly fade or the buds dry out. There is no need to panic - this is a normal reaction of an orchid to a change of place of residence (adaptation). How can you help a flower “come to its senses” faster?
First steps after purchase
Even if you carefully examined the orchid when purchasing, this does not guarantee that it is free of pests or a disease that has not yet become active. Be sure to quarantine the purchased plant for two weeks. If after this period everything is in order with the orchid, the plant can be safely “introduced” to other inhabitants of the home flower garden.
Very often in a pot you can see bark with a white coating. If you find such elements in a container with a purchased orchid, remove them immediately. Orchids are light-loving plants, but they should not be immediately exposed to direct sunlight. Accustom epiphytes to light gradually and do not forget to shade.
If there are no or insufficient drainage holes in the orchid pot, they can be made using a hot nail without even removing the orchid from the pot. But it is important not to damage the roots of the flower. Holes should be made in places where the root system is not adjacent to the walls of the container.
If the orchid after purchase looks healthy and more or less strong, does not fall out of the pot and does not have damage or dark areas in the lower part, there is no need to rush into replanting.
How to choose an orchid and not be disappointed: secrets of a successful purchase
There is a huge variety of colors in stores today. But you should focus not only on beauty. It is important to choose a young, strong specimen so that there are no problems with it later. It's easy to do.
Here is a list of signs of a healthy flower and rules for a successful purchase:
- All parts of the plant are proportionally developed.
- A healthy orchid has leaves that are dense, green, and uniform in shape. They are smooth, juicy, evenly colored, without stains or mechanical damage. Quantity of at least 3 pieces. They have no edging, sticky drops, bumps or plaque. Too bright a shade indicates too much fertilizer. Limp, yellowed leaves indicate disease or improper conditions.
- Choose a flower in a transparent container. Through it you can clearly see the condition of the roots.
- If the orchid is blooming, choose a specimen with unopened buds. Otherwise, there is a high probability that it will soon fade.
- The roots should be dense, elastic, and hold their shape when pressed with your fingers. Velamen (layer covering the roots) is light green. Gray or brown is a bad sign.
- Make sure there are no pests before purchasing. Inspect the top layer of the substrate where they usually hide.
- If the temperature outside is below zero, postpone the purchase. In case of frost, the flower may not survive the move.
- The store rack on which flowers are placed should look dry and clean.
- Check how tightly the orchid sits in the pot. To do this, grab the stem at the base and move it slightly.
I advise you to buy an orchid with a dry substrate. It will be easier to transport.
The most important part of a plant is not the flowers, but the roots. They not only absorb moisture, but also participate in photosynthesis. If the root system protrudes from the pot, it’s not a big deal.
How to bring an orchid home?
This is a very important stage on which the further condition of the plant depends. Orchids are contraindicated in extreme heat and drafts. Even a warm wind can seriously harm them. Before transportation, carefully wrap the flower in plastic or 2-3 layers of wrapping paper.
Think about the delivery method in advance. If the weather is cool, take a thermal bag.
Phalaenopsis at home
Many gardeners advise replanting orchids immediately after purchase. But in the case of phalaenopsis, first you need to study the condition of the plant: are the roots healthy, do the leaves and root collar look good? If everything is fine with the orchid, then it is better not to disturb it again and not to shock it with a transplant at the very beginning of adaptation. It is better to do this when bright green tips appear on the roots. This will mean that the plant has adapted and started growing.
Phalaenopsis, like other orchids, love humidity. But don’t overdo it and create dampness around them. Therefore, you should not spray an orchid brought from the store. But periodically wiping the leaves with a damp cotton pad is very useful.
In order for orchids to take root well in your home, they need to create conditions that are as close to natural as possible. Much attention should be paid to such a factor as air humidity. All orchids need high humidity - from 60% to 80% depending on the species. If you have purchased an orchid that needs to be kept in conditions of high humidity (for example, cattleya), then it can be grown in special greenhouse terrariums: this will make caring for the plant easier.
The first watering should be carried out no earlier than 7-10 days after purchase, since it is impossible to say exactly how long ago the phalaenopsis was watered in the store. Therefore, at home, the substrate should dry well. Do not worry that the orchid will wither without water. Phalaenopsis is much easier to overwater than to dry.
Phalaenopsis should be watered with soft warm water - boiled or distilled. You can water it from a watering can or soak the flower for 5-7 minutes in a container of water.
When watering or soaking, you need to make sure that water does not get into the growing point. If this happens, the liquid should be removed with a piece of rags, cotton wool or a napkin. If this is not done in time, the plant may rot.
The orchid has faded: what to do next?
After the orchid has bloomed, you need to decide what to do with the peduncle (flower arrow).
There are three options:
- Leave the peduncle intact. There is a possibility that the buds at its tip will wake up and it will begin to grow further and bloom in 2-3 months. But, as a rule, the flowers on the extended flower arrow turn out to be small.
- Cut the peduncle down to a living bud. To do this, you need to cut the arrow under the first (already withered) flower, above the bud. Often a branch begins to grow from it and the orchid flourishes again.
Scheme for pruning a flower arrow above a dormant bud - Remove the peduncle completely. If you see that the peduncle is starting to dry out, cut it off completely - as close to the bottom of the plant as possible.
You can trim the arrow at the very base of the plant
After flowering, it's time to replant the orchid. And then - give her a little rest. The phalaenopsis orchid does not have a pronounced dormant period, so for a month after flowering it is enough to slightly change the care: reduce watering and reduce the amount of fertilizer applied. This will be enough for the exotic beauty to rest.
Paphiopedilum at home
Paphiopedilum, or lady's slipper, is one of the few orchids that can grow well in partial shade. And yet, like any representative of the Orchid family, it is considered a light-loving plant. Therefore, find a place for this orchid on a bright windowsill, protected from direct sunlight (especially if it is a south-facing window).
Orchids can even get sunburned through glass, so when placing them on a windowsill, be sure to shade them. And although flowers need bright light, they can be greatly damaged by direct sunlight. In winter, on the contrary, paphiopedilums (like many other orchids) not only should not be shaded, but it is necessary to artificially create full daylight hours for them: a minimum of 12 hours, a maximum of 15. If the orchids are not illuminated, the leaves of the plants will begin to stretch out, darken and become soft to the touch.
If you bought a flowering plant, start replanting after it has finished blooming. First, remove the flower stalks and move the orchid to a new, wider container. At the same time, it is important to monitor the integrity of the root system: in paphiopedilum it is very easily injured. After transplantation, the orchid should not be watered for 10-12 days.
The frequency of watering paphiopedilum depends on how well the substrate absorbs moisture and how quickly it is consumed by the plant. This is largely influenced by the level of air humidity in the room: the lower it is, the more often the plant needs to be watered. If you have a hybrid slipper orchid, which is considered the most unpretentious plant, then it is enough to water it as the substrate dries. The main thing is not to overdo it with watering and not to dry out the bark in which the orchid grows.
If you gave a flowering plant?
In order to admire the flowers of a donated orchid for a long time, the plant must be provided with ideal conditions:
- diffused but fairly intense light for at least 12 hours a day;
- air humidity - 60–70%;
- air temperature - +18...+27 degrees during the day, +13...+24 degrees at night.
But even if ideal conditions are provided, an orchid can drop flowers after “moving” into a new room. There is no need to be afraid of this: for most plants this is a natural reaction. You need to continue caring for the beauty, and in a few months she will again produce a flower arrow.
Dendrobium at home
If the dendrobium you purchased is not well established in the pot or the substrate spills out of the container, the plant can be replanted immediately without delaying this procedure. You should take a plastic pot for an orchid, 20x15 cm in size. To make it more convenient to observe the condition of the roots, it is better to choose a transparent container. If there are no drainage holes in it, they need to be made as large as possible so that the roots do not suffocate.
As for the substrate, for dendrobium you should choose pine bark of the middle fraction. A layer of sphagnum moss can be laid on top of it. Don’t forget about drainage, which you can use expanded clay for.
It is best to repot orchids before they enter a new growth phase. The main rule when replanting is to be careful with the roots of the plants. Since orchids are most often transplanted from a smaller container to a larger one, new pots should be taken 1-2 sizes larger. If one of the specimens grows on a block, there is no need to replant it - just tie new sphagnum to the block from time to time. Many gardeners advise replanting orchids immediately after purchase, but in fact the advisability of this procedure depends on the condition of the plant.
For the first time, you need to water the dendrobium 6-7 days after purchase. The same interval should be observed for subsequent watering. In order for the roots to receive enough moisture, the orchid can be soaked together with the pot in a container with regular running water for several minutes. Then you need to let the excess liquid drain and only then return it to its usual place.
It is better to spray dendrobium only on the surface of the soil or around the pot. Leaves and bulbs should not be moistened again - this can lead to the development of rot.
When choosing a place for a dendrobium, you should choose the sunniest window in the house. The plant loves natural diffused light - so the purchased orchid must be shaded. To do this, you can use light fabric (tulle), paper or metallized film. These materials will allow you to achieve soft diffused light.
Cymbidium at home
When you bring the cymbidium home, place it on a bright windowsill, but not in direct sunlight. To prevent leaf burns, the plant should be shaded with cloth or paper.
When placing an orchid in an apartment, keep in mind that the cymbidium should not overheat during the day. Therefore, you need to choose a place for the plant where fresh air will circulate well. However, cymbidium must be protected from drafts. In general, all orchids are afraid of cold air - you need to remember this when starting an epiphyte in the house.
You should not place the orchid where there is a sharp change in temperature. In order for the cymbidium to adapt well after moving from the store, it should not experience stress. Although at night the temperature may drop slightly (by a few degrees). This is beneficial for most orchids, as a slight difference will trigger flowering. Well, what gardener doesn’t want to see an orchid in all its glory?
Orchids are tropical plants, so low temperatures (below 12°C) are contraindicated for them. Although among indoor epiphytes there are also orchids from mountainous regions that can live in a relatively cool climate, it is still not worth experimenting with. When choosing the right temperature for an orchid, you must remember that too hot a climate is also not suitable for these plants. The optimal temperature for keeping orchids is considered to be 20-25°C. But slight differences (by a few degrees) in day and night temperatures contribute to the forcing of flower stalks.
Immediately after purchase, cymbidium needs to be watered. After this, the substrate should be moistened regularly - once a week, soaking the flower pot in water for 10 minutes. Before returning the cymbidium to its place of detention, you need to let the excess water drain. There is no need to feed the orchid immediately after purchase.
How to care for an orchid if it has released a peduncle?
First of all, organize the support. Do this as soon as the flower stalk reaches 10 cm, otherwise it will break when the flowers appear. Use bamboo sticks or special plastic supports.
Maintain room temperature at 18-24 degrees. Allowable differences are 5-6 thermometer divisions.
During flowering, the orchid must be fed. It is better to use complex fertilizers with sulfur, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. Here is a list of the most popular:
- PetersProfessional,
- "Mr. Color"
- Combi,
- "Oasis",
- "Rainbow".
If the peduncle comes out but does not grow, this indicates low light or lack of nutrients. This often happens in the fall, when daylight hours are short. Install a special lamp. Additionally, take care of a comprehensive diet.
Oncidium at home
After purchasing, place the orchid in a bright place, protected from direct sunlight. Oncidium feels best at a temperature of 16-22°C - so try to create appropriate conditions for the plant - this will help it adapt faster.
It is best to use rainwater to water oncidium. After soaking a pot with an orchid in it, you need to ensure that the roots do not remain in the water accumulated at the bottom of the pot for a long time. This can lead to their rotting. It is advisable to drain excess water if watering was carried out using the immersion method.
Orchids should be watered with almost hot water (35-40°C). It is better to do this in the morning. Many types of orchids do not tolerate watering with hard water, because in nature they “drink” when it rains. Therefore, running water is not very suitable for irrigation: the chemicals contained in it can have a detrimental effect on plants. Therefore, it is best to water your orchids with rainwater or filtered water. The frequency of watering depends on the conditions. If the flower's pseudobulbs and leaves begin to wrinkle, the plant does not have enough moisture. If the roots rot and the leaves turn yellow, there is overflow.
Caring for orchids at home can vary slightly depending on what type of flower you choose. But if you strictly follow all the conditions, then the orchid will feel like a full-fledged mistress of your flower garden on the windowsill.
Improper care and its consequences
Errors in care will immediately affect the appearance of orchids. This is a living organism that does not need unnecessary drugs. When the purchased shoot sheds its leaves, they may have begun to turn yellow and fall off over time. In any case, find out the reason for the formation of an unhealthy appearance before taking corrective measures. A flower can be ruined by either excessive attention or a complete lack of proper care. To grow each variety, moderation is required in all activities. Success in growing exotic flowers depends on patience and care.
