Rules for the care and cultivation of Wanda orchids at home
Wanda orchid is advised to provide proper care and cultivation at home. Otherwise, the flower will begin to hurt, it may even die. This orchid is grown with a bare root system. Greenish roots need to breathe. Water the plant only during the day. The roots cannot stay in the water for more than an hour. In addition to water, the orchid needs fertilizer and long daylight hours.
Peculiarities of the plant
Vanda is a monopodial and epiphytic plant. An orchid of this species consists of a stem, covered with oblong leaves, thick epiphytic (aerial) roots, reaching a length of two meters. The leaves are leathery, belt-shaped, arranged alternately. In the axils of the leaves of the plant, 1-4 peduncles appear. At the top of each (depending on the variety) from 2 to 15 flowers are formed.
The orchid blooms mainly in spring and summer. Flowering lasts 6-8 weeks.This flower does not need soil and requires hours of daylight, equal to 12-14 hours for every 12 months. The orchid is watered only during the day, at night or in cloudy weather, the plant simply does not absorb water, but it will begin to rot.
Orchid roots often stick out of the pot and need periodic watering and airing. The container in which the plant is planted should be transparent - the roots need light. It is not recommended to flood the plant with water for a long time, otherwise it will begin to rot. An orchid has only one growing point, so water should not stagnate in the heart of the plant. Otherwise, the stem will begin to rot, and the orchid will no longer grow.
Varieties and popular varieties
In nature, there are several dozen species of Wanda orchids. Dutch hybrids are usually sold in flower and garden stores. They are best suited for indoor cultivation.
Blue
This variety has blue mesh flowers. The peduncle has a length of 60 centimeters. 6-12 buds appear on it. The flowers are large, up to 10 cm in diameter.
Tricolor
Such an orchid has white flowers, the petals curl up, dark red spots are visible on them. One of the petals of the flower is flatter and has an inky pink color.
Sander
Up to 10 large flowers appear on the peduncles of Sandera. They have flat white petals, two of them are abundantly sprinkled with burgundy spots.
Rothschild
This variety has large blue flowers with 5 petals. One peduncle gives up to 10 buds.
Rolling
It's a pink orchid with a striped petal. About 6 large flowers appear on each peduncle.
Chess
It is an orchid up to 1 meter high with large flowers. Up to 10 buds are formed on one peduncle.The flowers are yellow, with a pink border, each petal is densely covered with burgundy spots.
Javiera
Orchid with delicate snow-white flowers. Plant height - up to 35 centimeters.
Suarez
Variety with flowers with white to purple dots. 10-12 buds are formed on a peduncle.
Great
This plant has spotted flowers of white and brownish yellow color. The diameter of the flower is 5 centimeters.
To blush
The orchid is light purple in color with a sweet aroma. About five shiny flowers appear on a peduncle.
Stanja
Variety with a small peduncle that can reach 12 cm. The flowers are yellow-green, waxy, up to 3 cm in diameter.
Yuesti
The orchid is named after Saint Thomas University in Manila. It has yellow flowers with a bright pink lip.
Conditions of detention
Wanda Orchid is a thermophilic plant that requires special care. For full flowering, timely watering, normal daylight hours and top dressing are required.
Temperature regime
In our climate, the orchid is grown as a houseplant. The temperature of the contents should be 18 to 30 degrees Celsius. Sometimes, to stimulate flowering, the flower needs daily temperature variations.
It is recommended to take the orchid to the balcony at night, where the temperature is ten degrees lower than in the room, but not lower than 15 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature of the contents should always be at least five degrees lower than during the day. In the warm season at night in the room where the orchid grows, you need to open the window. In summer, the orchid can be taken outside, hung on a tree and, in good weather, left in the fresh air overnight.
air humidity
It is important to remember that the higher the air temperature, the higher the humidity required by the plant. In summer, in the heat, it should be 80-90 percent. In the warm season, the orchid should be sprayed or watered daily.
Lighting
It is advisable to put the flower on the windowsill. However, prolonged exposure to the sun can scorch the leaves. It is best to shade the plant at midday in summer. Daylight hours should be 12-2 p.m., otherwise Wanda will not bloom.
In spring, winter and autumn in the evening (from 6 to 10 p.m.), the flower can be illuminated with fluorescent or LED lamps. If the color of the leaves is intense green, daylight hours are normal. Pale leaves indicate an excess of light and dark green leaves - a deficiency.
Priming
Wanda is grown with a bare root system, that is, in a transparent pot, without soil. The roots of the flower must breathe. True, this plant can be planted in a special substrate for orchids, consisting of conifers (pine bark) and filler (moss).
top dresser
Once every two weeks, Wanda should be fed with a special complex fertilizer for orchids. Its composition should consist of equal amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. It is forbidden to use other fertilizers. Before use, the liquid preparation must be diluted with water to the required concentration. It is advisable to use half the recommended dose of fertilizer, otherwise the plant may burn the roots.
Top dressing is carried out as follows: water is collected in the basin, a minimum dose of fertilizer is added, the roots are immersed in the solution for 30 minutes.Root feeding can be alternated with foliar feeding, that is, once a month spray the plant with a weakly concentrated fertilizer for orchids.
If the flower is well nourished, it blooms normally. If the flowering is weak, the orchid lacks nutrients. With an excess of fertilizer, the plant becomes sluggish and mushy.
Dormant period
In winter, the orchid's metabolism slows down. Although this plant does not have a dormant period. In the cold season, it should receive enough light, that is, daylight hours should be at least 10 hours. True, in autumn and winter, Wanda can be watered once a week, and not fertilized.
Seasonal characteristics
The amount of sunlight received and the time of year affect the growth and development of an orchid. Seasonal considerations should be taken into account when growing Wanda.
spring summer
During the period of active growth and development, that is, in spring and summer, Wanda should be regularly watered and fertilized in time. In the spring, the plant receives more nitrogen fertilizing, in the summer, during flowering, it is fed with potassium and phosphorus.
Autumn winter
There is a dormant period in late fall and winter. At this time, the number of waterings should be reduced, and feeding should be stopped. True, the flower should stand on the windowsill. You don't need to move it anywhere. Daylight hours should be 10-12 hours.
watering
Wanda's watering regime depends on the season. In the summer, in hot weather, Wanda is watered daily, in the spring - once every 2 days. In the cool season - 1-2 times a week. It is recommended to water this flower only during the day, never at night or in the evening. The less sun the orchid receives, the less watering is required.The flower absorbs water only in the sun. If watered in the dark, it will rot.
Hot shower
The orchid is advised to take a warm shower every 2 weeks (water temperature - 35 degrees). For this, the flower must be placed in the bathtub and watered from the shower. Then you need to let the water drain and put the orchid back on the windowsill.
Immersion
Orchid roots can be completely submerged in a bowl of room temperature water every 1-2 weeks and left for half an hour. Then the roots should be removed, allowed to drain, and the flower should be put back on the windowsill. With this method of watering, the stem and leaves must be kept dry or they will wilt.
Use a watering can
A flower growing in a glass container can be watered with an ordinary watering can. Water is poured into a container and left for 30 minutes. Then all the liquid from the jar is poured. If the orchid grows in the substrate, it is recommended to water it only if the substrate is completely dry, that is, in summer - once every 2-3 days, in winter - once a week.
Spray
An orchid that is grown with a bare root system must be constantly sprayed. Watering should be done once a day. You need to spray the roots less than the leaves. In winter and autumn, the roots can be sprayed every 2 days.
How to transplant correctly
A flower growing in the substrate at the end of winter can be transplanted into a larger pot. The orchid reacts painfully to the transplant. Its roots can be injured during such a procedure.
If the pot that holds the orchid becomes small, it can be gently moved to a new one.In this case, large fractions of a substrate consisting of bark and moss are poured into the bottom of a large pot. Then a plant is placed on top and its roots are covered with small bark and moss. After transplanting the orchid, it is advisable not to water for 3-5 days.
Troubleshoot potential issues
An orchid will not hurt if it is well cared for. All diseases are due to a lack of light or abundant watering. An orchid growing in good lighting conditions protects itself from infections, produces the necessary antibodies.
Care errors
Improper flower care can lead to a number of problems. If you notice a defeat in time, the orchid can be saved.
rotten roots
If the roots of an orchid are in prolonged contact with water, they begin to rot. In this case, you need to reduce watering. It is advisable to inspect the plant itself, cut off all rotten parts, treat wounds with activated carbon or sulfur. Usually the roots rot in orchids growing in the substrate. In this case, you need to take care of the roots, and the plant itself should be transplanted into a fresh substrate. After transplanting, the plant is not watered for 3-5 days.
falling buds
Buds drop if the plant lacks sun, moisture or nutrients. Insect pests can also cause this problem. It is necessary to arrange a warm shower for the flower, feed it with potassium and phosphorus and place it on the windowsill. They eliminate pests mechanically (collecting insects with a wet cotton swab) or by spraying with an insecticide solution.
Yellowing of leaf blades
There are several reasons for this problem. Leaves can turn yellow due to excess sun, lack of moisture and nutrients. Yellowing of the leaf blades can cause fungal diseases. The orchid should be carefully examined, the roots should be immersed in a bowl with a nutrient solution for 30 minutes, and placed in a shaded place.
Brown spots on the leaves
Leaf spots can be caused by nutrient deficiencies, fungal infections or sunburn. Orchid roots should be examined, healthy - immersed in a bowl of water, adding potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. Then it is advisable to put the flowerpot in a shady place for several days.
The plant wilts
As a rule, this problem occurs with fungal infection, lack of light, lack of food and moisture. True, an orchid can wither, become lethargic with an overabundance of nutrients and abundant watering. It is necessary to inspect the plant. A healthy orchid has dense, juicy, greenish roots. Infected or overfed roots have a soft, slimy and loose structure. With excess moisture, the roots rot.
Lack of flowering
Wanda should bloom 1-2 times a year. It blooms in spring and summer. If the flower does not bloom for a long time, it needs to create a stressful situation, that is, keep it warm during the day and take it out in the cold at night. True, the night temperature should not fall below 15 degrees Celsius. The difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures should be ten degrees. Another flower needs to be fed with potassium and phosphorus.
Diseases
With excess moisture, lack of light or nutrient deficiency, Wanda can get sick. It is best to remove rotting and affected parts of the plant immediately. The rest of the organs should be treated with a fungicidal agent.
Fusarium wilt
With this disease, brown, rotten spots appear on the roots or at the base of the leaves. The causes of the disease can be frequent watering, excessive nitrogen fertilization, the presence of peat in the substrate, soil salinity. The diseased plant should be removed from the pot, all affected parts should be cut off, the wounds should be lubricated with iodine, the plant itself should be treated with a fungicide (Fundazol, Topsin). Then dry and transplant into a new pot.
Chlorosis
Disease characterized by the appearance of yellow spots on the leaves. Water the orchid with soft, settled water. A sick plant can be transplanted into a fresh substrate and fed with complex fertilizer (iron must be present).
Root rot
The disease appears with excess moisture, lack of light and nutrition. It is recommended to examine the orchid, clean the roots from rot, treat wounds with iodine or sprinkle with activated carbon. Transplant the treated plant into a fresh substrate and do not water for a week.
pests
The orchid can be attacked by insects, especially if it is outdoors in summer. Pests are removed by hand or insecticides are used against them.
Spider
It is a small red insect that weaves a spider's web on the leaves and peduncles. Acaricides are used against ticks (Kleschevit, Fitoverm).
Shield
It is a small brown insect with a dense shield that colonizes the leaves. The sheaths are removed with a cotton swab soaked in soapy water.Insecticides are used against insects (Actellik).
Features of cultivation in a glass flask
Wanda Orchid can be grown in a glass bottle. True, the flower and leaves should rise above the container. Only the roots should be inside the vial. It is better to put the flowerpot on the windowsill. Once every 1-2 days, Wanda is poured: water is poured into the ball, left for 30 minutes, then the liquid is drained. If condensation forms on the walls of the bottle, the orchid is not watered. By the time of watering, the roots should dry out.
How to properly propagate at home
At home, an orchid can be propagated if side shoots (root rosettes) - children - have appeared near the root. They are separated from the mother plant in the spring. At the time of separation, children should have their own roots at least 5 centimeters long. Sprinkle the cut site with activated charcoal, cinnamon or sulfur.
Small children are planted in pots filled with bark and moss. It is advisable to support the shoots so that they grow vertically, and also cover with a transparent bottle, air and irrigate daily. Once the plant is rooted, the support and the greenhouse can be removed.
Additional tips and tricks
After flowering, the dried peduncles can be removed, that is, cut off. During this period, orchids growing in the substrate can be transplanted into fresh soil. After transplanting, the plant is not watered for 3-5 days so that the wounds received by the roots during this procedure are healed.