Orchid Dendrobium - care and reproduction at home, photo

Dendrobium (Dendrobium) - unpretentious, beautiful flowering orchid. Epiphytic species with lanceolate leaves and large, spectacular flowers of a wide variety of colors. Despite the great variety of species, they all have one thing in common - the tubular base of the flowers.

Depending on the species, the height of the plant can vary from 20-30 cm to 1 meter. Homeland orchid dendrobium moist tropical rainforest of Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Also see how to grow orchids such as vanda and paphiopedilum.

Dendrobium: home care. Briefly

Orchid dendrobium at home requires strict adherence to the rules of care:

Care for dendrobium at home. In detail

Caring for an orchid dendrobium at home can not be called complicated, but still it has a number of features.

Flowering orchid dendrobium

Dendrobium blooms after a short period of dormancy. Peduncles appear only on 2-3 year old bulbs. The total duration of the flowering period is 2-3 weeks. The number of colors directly depends on the temperature and light intensity during the rest period.

After flowering, the old bulbs are not cut. They must dry naturally. In this case, the nutrients accumulated in them will absorb the remaining shoots.

New varieties of dendrobiums can bloom without a dormant period. The process of aging and the formation of bulbs in them continues in the winter. The main thing is to provide the plant with the necessary lighting.

Temperature mode

The home orchid dendrobium develops well at ordinary room temperature. At the same time, it is desirable for her to provide a difference between day and night temperature. Low temperature at night promotes the ripening of shoots and the laying of flower buds.

Spraying

All modern varieties of dendrobiums are perfectly adapted to the usual humidity level of residential premises. Therefore, spraying them, as a rule, is not required.

Lighting

The dendrobium orchid plant at home requires intense lighting. Varieties with dark-colored flowers are especially demanding on the level of illumination. In autumn and winter, the southern windows are best suited for dendrobium.

In summer, the plant must be rearranged to the east or west side.

Watering orchid dendrobium

Watering the dendrobium is carried out by immersion. For this, the pot is placed in a cup of warm water for 15-20 minutes. Irrigation water must be settled or filtered before use. Once a month, watering is replaced with a warm shower.

The frequency of watering depends on the ambient temperature. In summer, the plant is watered much more often, in winter it is very rare. If the orchid is kept in the cold, watering is stopped altogether. In the case of severe wrinkling, the bulb is simply sprayed with warm water. In general, between waterings, the substrate in the pot should completely dry.

Dendrobium Orchid Pot

For young orchids, small transparent pots made of plastic are chosen. To prevent plants from overturning, several stones are put at the bottom. Heavy, ceramic flowerpots are suitable for planting large, overgrown specimens.

Priming

Orchid dendrobium at home is grown on a substrate of bark and moss. The soil mixture is prepared at the rate of 1 part of crushed moss per 1 part of the bark, plus a small amount of pieces of charcoal and peat. Before planting, the substrate must be shed with boiling water.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

To feed the dendrobium, special fertilizers for orchids are used. They are introduced in the form of solutions at each 3 or 4 irrigation. If necessary, you can also use foliar spraying. During dormancy, fertilizers are not used.

Transplant orchid dendrobium

Transplantation of the dendrobium orchid is carried out after the peduncles have dried at the moment when the plant begins to grow rapidly. The need for transplantation is determined by the state of the substrate. If it decomposes, becomes salted or mold appears on its surface, the plant must be transplanted.

During the transplant, pay attention to the state of the root system. All rotted and blackened areas of the roots must be cut to healthy tissues. The formed places of cuts are necessarily sprinkled with charcoal powder or cinnamon. In some cases, after processing the roots, the plant may even need a smaller pot.

After transplanting, the plant is not watered for a week.

Pruning

The dendrobium does not need special pruning. As necessary, completely dried stems and leaves are removed from the plant.

Rest period

For the mass laying of flower buds, the plant needs a dormant period. To do this, after the end of growth, the dendrobium is transferred to dry conditions at night at a temperature not exceeding + 15-18 °. In this case, the plant must necessarily be well lit. In such conditions, the flower is kept for at least 1.5 months.

During this period, dendrobium is not watered. To prevent wrinkling of the bulb, shoots are sprayed 1-2 times a week with cool, previously settled water.

Reproduction of orchid dendrobium by dividing the bush

Strongly overgrown specimens of dendrobiums during transplantation can be divided into several parts. Each of them must have at least 3 well-developed, healthy bulbs. In some cases, it is allowed to leave fewer shoots. But such plants, as a rule, take root much longer.

Slices formed after division are necessarily dried and processed with coal powder or a weak solution of brilliant green. Delenki planted in a substrate for adult plants. During the first week they are only sprayed. In the future they are watered gradually and very carefully. The normal watering regime is resumed only when the plants start growing.

After 2-3 weeks from planting, they can be fed with special fertilizer for orchids.

Reproduction of orchid dendrobium cuttings

At home, cuttings can be used for reproduction. They are cut from ripened, but still not blooming shoots. For reproduction, faded pseudobulbs, on which sleeping kidneys remained, are also suitable. If the shoot is too long it is cut into several pieces about 10 cm long. All sections formed during this process must be processed. If a shoot of small length it is used in its entirety.

Packs with wet moss are prepared for rooting. Prepared cuttings are placed in them. After that, the bags are suspended in a well-lit, warm place. After a few weeks, children begin to develop on pseudobulbs. As soon as young plants form the root buds, they are carefully separated.

For planting children use small greenhouses with a substrate for adult plants. High humidity promotes accelerated root development. The disadvantage of this method of propagation is that the plants obtained in this way will bloom no earlier than after 3-4 years.

Reproduction of orchid dendrobium by children

On pseudobulbs of the dendrobium, children periodically form. They can be used for reproduction. Children are separated after the roots of roots begin to develop on them. On average, it takes about a year. Using a sharp knife, they are cut off with a small piece of the mother stem or separated with a twisting motion. The resulting slices must be dried for several hours, and then processed with a solution of brilliant green.

Children with well-developed roots are planted in small pots with the usual substrate for dendrobiums. The first few days they are not watered, but only sprayed. In the future, they do not need to create any special conditions, usual care is enough. Such plants, if properly grown, can bloom the very next year.

Diseases and Pests

Due to errors in care, an orchid can suffer from a number of diseases:

• Dendrobium does not bloom. The lack of flowering is most often associated with insufficient lighting or lack of dormancy. To correct the situation, the plant must be rearranged in a lighter place and ensure the correct temperature regime.
• The roots rot. Most often it is a consequence of excessive watering. The substrate between waterings should dry.
• The leaves of the dendrobium lost turgor, became sluggish. The plant most likely suffers from a lack of moisture and high temperature. In the heat, the orchid should be watered without waiting for the substrate to completely dry.
• Dendrobium leaves turn yellow. The reason may lie in an overabundance of fertilizer. When applying top dressing, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommended norms.
• The leaves are pale and light. The plant lacks calcium and magnesium. To eliminate the deficit, it is recommended to apply appropriate fertilizers.
• Brown spots on the leaves of the dendrobium. The plant suffered from direct sunlight or too high a temperature. Orchid should be rearranged at partial shade or create a shade from the sun.
• The tips of the dendrobium leaves are dry. Most often, this phenomenon occurs when the air is too dry or if the pot with the plant is located next to the heating battery.

Of the pests, the dendrobium most often affects: spider mite, whitefly, aphid, scale insects. To combat them, it is necessary to use special preparations of insecticides.

Types of orchid dendrobium home with photos and names

In indoor floriculture, the following species are most common:

Noble Dendrobium (Dendrobium nobile)

Large epiphytic species. It is characterized by dense, jointed stems with constrictions in the region of internodes up to 70 cm high. Leaf plates are arranged in two rows. The total lifespan of the stems does not exceed 2 years. Peduncles are short, appear on last year's shoots. Consist of 2-4 brightly colored flowers with a characteristic turned lip.

Dendrobium phalaenopsis (Dendrobium phalaenopsis)

Large view with lanceolate leaves located at the top of fleshy shoots. The flower stalk is curved, up to 60 cm long. The flowers are collected in large, drooping brushes. Their color varies from pale pink to deep raspberry. In this case, the lip is always painted more intensely. With good care, the duration of the flowering period can be up to six months. The species is grown as an industrial crop to produce high-quality cuts.

Dendrobium densely colored (Dendrobium densiflorum)

A view with stems of a tetrahedral shape, covered with membranous vaginas. The top of the shoots is crowned with 3-4 lanceolate leaves. Inflorescences consist of many flowers collected in large drooping brushes. The length of the brushes can reach up to 30 cm with the number of colors over 50 pieces. The size of the flowers is about 5 cm in diameter, the color is bright yellow with an orange stripe along the edge of the lip.

In room culture, hybrids of dendrobiums derived on the basis of the species described above were also widely used:

Dendrobium stardust

Appreciated for the original red-orange color with brown streaks.

Dendrobium Dorrigo 'Wisteria'

It has interesting stems resembling reeds.

Dendrobium formidable

It was obtained by crossing D. formnsum and D. infundibulum.

Dendrobium Red Fair 'Akebono'

A brightly colored hybrid with a contrasting lip color.