Despite the capricious nature, orchids are popular with amateur gardeners. After all, these exotic plants maintain decorativeness all year round. There are many varieties of such crops, but a special place among them is the brassia orchid. This attractive tropical beauty has an unusual bud shape and relatively unpretentious character.
Description
Orchid brassia is a bright representative of the orchid family. In the natural environment, this flowering perennial plant is found in the tropical forests of South and North America.
A distinctive feature of this species is the unusual shape of the buds, due to which the culture is also called the "spider orchid". Peduncles are painted yellow in various shades. As a rule, brown blotches are present on the petals. Elongated sepals reach 15 cm in length. Each inflorescence contains from 6 to 15 buds.
The plant has thick pseudobulbs, and most often they hide under the leaves. The leaf plates are fan-shaped, and they have a belt-like-lanceolate shape.
The best types and varieties
The description of the brassia orchid will be incomplete if we do not mention the varieties of the tropical beauty. Especially popular with gardeners:
- Warty. The most unpretentious variety, characterized by long flowering. Plant height - 50 cm. Buds are painted in pale yellow-green tones. Together with narrow leaves, they create an attractive composition.
- Spotted. This variety has large, bright yellow buds with purple patches. They emit a pleasant vanilla scent.
- Tailed. This variety is distinguished by curved, pale yellow flowers. Buds produce a more pronounced aroma than other species.
- Royal. A hybrid variety with an unusual aroma. Orchid is appreciated for its long flowering with numerous buds.
- Summer Dream. Variety of large star-shaped inflorescences resembling octopuses. Petals are painted in yellow tones with bright brown spots.
Each of these varieties will decorate your collection. But for this you need to create comfortable conditions for the Brassia orchid.
Culture cultivation
Orchid brassia, the photo of which is presented in the article, belongs to capricious cultures. And to grow it at home, you have to make a lot of effort. Such agricultural activities will help in this:
- regular but moderate watering;
- periodic top dressing;
- transfer;
- prevention of diseases and pests.
When providing brassia orchid care, it is also important to maintain a certain temperature and humidity near the flower. You will learn more about these growing rules in the next part of the article.
Temperature
Orchid brassia is a thermophilic plant. It is advisable to maintain a temperature of + 20 ... + 25 ° C for it. And it is important that the exotic beauty “slept” in cool conditions with + 16 ... + 18 ° C. If the temperature difference between day and night is not 4 ° C, then the orchid will not produce peduncles.
It is equally important to place the flower in a cool room when the maturation of new bulbs begins. At this time, it is desirable to keep the plant at + 17 ... + 18 ° C.
From the beginning of May to the end of September, take the exotic beauty to the balcony or to the garden. Here she will receive a maximum of fresh air and light. In addition, this way you will ensure a natural temperature difference at night and day.
Lighting
Orchid brassia prefers bright but diffused light. It is advisable to place a flower pot near the western or eastern windows. If you grow a tropical beauty on the southern windowsill, then be sure to darken it at noon. To do this, hang tulle or gauze over the pot.
If the apartment has free space only near the north window, then be sure to arrange an additional orchid illumination with a phytolamp. Moreover, keep in mind that daylight hours for a crop should last 10 hours.
In winter, the plant often suffers from a lack of light, even on the southern and eastern windowsill. Therefore, it is desirable to highlight the culture on cloudy days with a phytolamp.
Watering
It is necessary to approach the watering of the brassia orchid with special responsibility, because the capricious beauty does not tolerate both prolonged drought and excess moisture. Moisten the soil as soon as it is completely dry. But before that, look if the plant has given new bulbs. If they formed, then do not water the plant for 5-7 days. So, you will provoke the development of new flower buds.
To water the brassia orchid, use melt or rain water. If this is not possible, then filter and defend ordinary tap water. Before watering, warm it up a bit so that the water temperature is 2-3 ° higher than indoors.
To moisten an orchid of this species is better by immersion. To do this, put the pot in a bowl of water for 15-20 minutes. After that, return the container to the pallet, and after 5-10 minutes, drain the excess liquid. If you notice wrinkles on the bulbs, then you have flooded the flower. To correct the situation, refrain from watering for 5-7 days.
Humidity
Like most tropical plants, the brassia orchid loves high humidity. It is advisable to maintain this indicator within 60%. To do this, install a special humidifier near the pot. If this is not possible, then a pallet with wet moss or pebbles will help. Install a pot on it so that water does not reach the drainage holes.
In addition, do not forget to spray the leaves of your pet daily with warm, protected water. In the summer it is advisable to hold this event several times a day. Have a warm shower once a week. In winter, be sure to cover the batteries with damp towels.
Remember: from dry air, young leaves shrink quickly. And they are covered with a drying film, which then prevents them from straightening up. To prevent this situation, keep the humidity in the room comfortable for the orchid.
Top dressing
From the beginning of spring to the end of summer, fertilize the brassia orchid once a month with nitrogen-containing preparations. This will enhance the growth and duration of flowering. In the fall, apply potassium-phosphorus preparations. In winter, the flower begins a dormant period, so at this time he does not need top dressing.
For a tropical beauty, choose liquid fertilizers that have a special mark "For orchids." Apply top dressing, combining them with watering. So, you evenly distribute fertilizers. And do not exceed the dosage of drugs, otherwise you will ruin the flower.
Transfer
With proper care at home, the brassia orchid grows rapidly, and it becomes crowded in an old pot. Therefore, you can not do without a transplant. To understand that it is time to change the flower pot for the roots protruding from the drainage holes. And also the signal for transplantation is compaction of the soil, and strongly overgrown bulbs that no longer fit the old tank.
Start the event in the spring. At this time, the orchid tolerates stress from the procedure more easily, and then practically does not get sick. Choose glass or plastic pots for your pet. Ceramic containers are also suitable, but only without a glazed surface. And you can also use planters or hanging baskets.
To plant the brassia orchid, use a special primer designed for this species. To make the substrate yourself, mix in equal parts charcoal, moss sphagnum, acid peat, pieces of pine bark and coconut chips. Be sure to keep the mixture in a steam bath for 15–20 minutes to sanitize the substrate.
How to transplant brassia:
- Put a 3 cm drainage layer at the bottom of the new pot. To do this, use brick chips, expanded clay or pebbles.
- Remove the orchid from the old container. If it has healthy roots, then move the culture to a new pot along with an earthen lump. If there are damaged processes, then put the plant in a bowl of water to wash the old soil. Then remove the damaged roots with sharp, sanitized scissors and sprinkle the cut points with activated or charcoal.
- Put the orchid in the pot, and set the flower closer to the wall so that the new bulbs have enough space for growth.
- Fill the voids with soil. Note that you do not need to fill the pot with a substrate more than 75% of the volume. After all, when new bulbs appear, you will need to add soil.
- Put the pot in a container of water for irrigation for 3 minutes.
After transplanting, hold the flower for 2-3 days in a shaded place. Water the orchid for the first time, on the third day after the event. Then return the pet to its usual place.
Diseases and Pests
Often, the brass orchid is attacked by a spider mite. This pest looks like red-brown dots that appear on the leaves and stems of the crop. As a rule, the parasite starts up when planting in uninfected soil. To avoid this, be sure to disinfect the substrate. If the tick has already wound up, then rinse the flower under a warm shower. And treat the culture with Aktara or Aktellik insecticides.
With excessive watering and cultivation in cool conditions, the orchid gets root rot. In order to cure the disease, transplant the flower into new soil and remove any rotten roots.
But it is better not to allow the disease and provide proper care for the brassia orchid at home. And then there will be no problems with the capricious tropical beauty. And she will thank with quick growth and numerous buds.