Orchids are unique plants, striking in their external variety, shape and color scheme. This article will talk about a relatively new form of home-grown orchids - growing in glass vases.
Features of growing orchids in vases
With this non-trivial method of growing and maintaining orchids at room conditions, the shape of the glass container plays a decisive role in the growth of plants. The optimal configuration is considered to be a wide vase in the lower part, tapering upwards, like a cognac glass, since only the root system should be in a flowerpot without soil, the rest of the plant - outside the dishes. However, when buying a flower, the vessel in which it is placed can have completely different shapes - wide and short or tall and narrow.
Did you know? An orchid can be called a champion among flowers by the number of seeds produced by one plant - up to 4 million pieces.
If a glass flowerpot has a shape elongated in height, then in the care you should take into account some nuances:
- since the leaves are folded, “pressed” to each other, there is a risk of damage to them;
- inadequate ventilation and excess humidity in the pot can provoke the occurrence of fungal infections of the plant.
Orchids growing in glass containers look very decorative, however, plant care is complicated by the fact that flowerpots from the above material are devoid of drainage holes, so you should carefully monitor the state of the root flower system for pathogenic fungi, mold and algae.Features of plant development and growth
Orchid grows and will develop in the future with the complete absence of the soil layer in the case when the root system is not in a state of constant humidity. In the natural growth environment, tree bark, mosses or lichens are only supporting, supporting materials for the plant.
Important! Aggressive sun exposure is detrimental to this type of plant, so you should not place flower pots on the windowsills of windows oriented to the south.
In our case, the supporting elements are the walls of the pot or special holders. Particular attention should be paid to the correct arrangement of flowerpots in the room in which they grow, since the flowers are quite demanding on lighting.
Basic care principles
Let us dwell in detail on how to care for an exotic flower.
Watering
The procedure for watering an orchid growing in a glass container is practically no different from watering plants that are contained in ordinary flowerpots. Water is poured in such a way that the roots are completely immersed in it and well moistened.
The following requirements apply to irrigation water:
- settled (without chlorine impurities);
- softened;
- the content of mineral salts should be minimal.
The requirement of the last paragraph is due not only to the health of the flower, but also to the fact that insoluble salt compounds settle on a glass surface, thereby reducing the overall decorativeness of a room orchid. After about half an hour, excess water is drained as thoroughly as possible.
The frequency of watering is affected by the temperature regime of the room. Three times a week, watered in the warm period, on especially hot days - daily. In the colder months, the frequency of water application is reduced to 1 time in 7 days. For the procedure, morning hours are preferred so that the plant dries out in the evening.
Top dressing
Fertilizing an orchid is often recommended with nutrients of low concentration, and not rarely, but in large doses. When the process of active growth of green mass occurs, the flower is fed once every two weeks with a special fertilizer composition in a concentration of 25% (a quarter) of the recommended dose.
Prevention of possible diseases
In order to prevent the development of possible diseases, The following requirements must be adhered to:
- The volume of the flowerpot should be slightly larger than the volume of the root system. Otherwise, natural ventilation is disturbed, which leads to the appearance of root rot, fungi, mold.
- Avoid supercooling of the roots.
- Timely remove dead parts of the orchid.
- Regularly wash the glass flowerpot, and carefully place the extracted orchid on a flat surface for airing and drying the roots. Before this, you can perform the “bathing” procedure - the roots are thoroughly washed with water with a comfortable stream of water using a soft shower jet.
Important! Before the feeding procedure, the root system of the plant is abundantly wetted with water. This will avoid a chemical burn.
Tips and secrets of professionals
Since the orchid is notable for its whimsical care, the advice of professional gardeners will greatly help in solving problems with the flower.
What to do if the root system is very weak
In the case of a weakened, damaged root system, the orchid is removed from the glass container, defective roots are removed and for a while, to form a powerful viable system, placed in a mini-greenhouse. To do this, a five-liter plastic bottle is cut in the transverse direction on three sides, a layer of moist substrate (bark, moss, expanded clay) is laid on the bottom, into which a plant with previously cut peduncles is placed. The bottle is tightly closed, fixing the structure with tape. From time to time, the container is opened to ventilate and moisten the substrate. After a while, the roots should grow stronger and recover.
Plant ventilation and ventilation
As mentioned above, ventilation of the root system provides a sufficient volume of the flowerpot and periodic removal of the plant from the vessel for forced ventilation and drying of the roots. As for the flower as a whole, it is not recommended to expose it to sharp drafts, especially in the winter, as this can lead to frostbite of leaf plates (manifests itself in the form of dark spots). When ventilating the room, plants must be moved to more comfortable conditions for this time.
Did you know? Cut flowers of an orchid or its peduncle “live” in a vase with water longer than all other flowers.
Tank disinfection
This manipulation will minimize the development of rot, algae, deposits of plaque of mineral salts. To do this, the plant is extracted, and the vase itself is treated with a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate or special fungicidal preparations, after which the dishes are washed with running water.
Of course, the orchid does not belong to the "typical" indoor flower, which traditionally grows in the ground. However, following the recommendations of professional flower growers and adhering to agrotechnical techniques for keeping phalaenopsis and other types of orchids, you can decorate the surrounding area with exotic flowers.
