The diversity of this genus can be envied - it includes up to 1500 of the most diverse species inhabiting the vast territories from northern Japan to New Zealand.
Dendrobium is one of the largest genera of the Orchid family. The name of the genus is translated as "living on a tree", which in itself implies an epiphytic lifestyle. True, some of its varieties are lithophytes, that is, living on stones, there are also ordinary terrestrial inhabitants. The appearance of dendrobiums also varies greatly: from miniature species of the Oxyglossum group, several centimeters in size, to large plants of the Nobile group reaching a meter in height.
And how different are the conditions for the existence of species! Some of them come from monsoon subtropical regions - deciduous plants with an obligatory dormant period.
Others, hailing from tropical forests, evergreens- in their homeland they are accustomed to constant year-round heat and humidity. Therefore, it is impossible to give uniform recommendations for all plants of this genus. To date, scientists have developed at least six main groups of these orchids, which differ in their conditions of detention.
According to the requirements for the temperature regime and the dormant period, most dendrobiums can be divided into two blocks: plants that require a cool dormant period and those that need year-round maintenance in warm conditions. The first block includes the largest number types. It includes:
In the second block, there are also plants with different growing conditions:
Despite this great diversity, room conditions the most popular are two species, which, by the way, are typical representatives of the two above-mentioned different blocks: noble dendrobium (D.nobile) and phalaenopsis (D. phalaenopsis).
Dendrobium nobile or noble is a large orchid up to one meter high with straight, fleshy, jointed stems, thickened at the nodes. The roots are hard and white. The leaves are elongated, leathery, arranged in two rows along the entire shoot and live for about two years.
Peduncles are short, formed in the axils of last year's leafless shoots. As a rule, each carries two to four fragrant flowers, painted in lilac or pink shades. However, in recent decades, a huge number of hybrids and varieties based on noble dendrobium have appeared, so their flowers can be of all kinds of shades: orange, yellow, white, blue, purple and even tricolor. Each shoot lives from 2 to 4 years and then dies off. To create optimal conditions for the noble dendrobium, it is necessary to understand well the patterns of its growth and development during the year.
The flowering of dendrobium nobile, as a rule, falls on winter time. It lasts from three weeks to natural species up to two months in modern hybrids. After flowering, the plant begins active vegetative growth. Young shoots grow from the bases of pseudobulbs, roots grow actively. This process usually continues throughout the spring and early summer. By the end of summer, new pseudobulbs begin to form. After the end of their formation, the plant must necessarily have a dormant period. Watering and fertilizing are gradually reduced, and the dendrobium is at a temperature of + 10 ° C to + 14 ° C for several months, practically without watering. During the dormant period, the dendrobium may shed its leaves. This should not be feared, because in nature this species is deciduous. The dormant period ends with the appearance flower buds on last year's runs.
Soon the plant blooms and everything repeats again.
Dendrobium noble - very photophilous. It is necessary to provide him with the most illuminated places in the house. He will greatly appreciate being outside in the summer, only it is necessary to accustom him to the sun very gradually. The color of the leaves will serve as a good indicator: they are bright green in sufficient light. Dark green leaves signal a lack of light, and yellow ones indicate a critical state of a plant that is without light. With an excess of bright light, the leaves may turn light green - this means that the plant needs protection from the sun. In winter, even at the height of the dormant period, the lighting should remain bright. Use of illumination by fluorescent lamps is possible.
In spring and summer, during the period of active vegetation, the dendrobium will be quite satisfied with the usual room temperature, but it is only desirable that it be 5-6 ° higher during the day than at night. The plant does not tolerate heat, the processes of growth and development will stop if the temperature exceeds + 30 ° C. In autumn, when the dendrobium comes to rest, it is desirable to provide a cool place with an even greater amplitude of fluctuations in daily temperatures. Optimal mode: at night +5°+10°С, in the daytime +15°+20°.
Subject to this temperature regime, watering should be stopped completely. If the plant goes through a dormant period in warmer conditions, then watering should be limited, but not completely removed. After the appearance of flower buds, the dendrobium can be placed in a more warm room, but the main thing is that he has enough light.
The plant needs moderate watering. During active growth, you can water every 3-4 days. It is better to use the immersion method, but you should not keep the plant pot in water for more than 10 minutes and be sure to drain the water from the pan. By autumn, watering is gradually reduced to 1 time per week, so that during dormancy it is completely stopped if the orchid is kept at a temperature of + 10 + 12 ° C. In warmer conditions, you can occasionally spray the plant. Under the conditions of keeping the dendrobium at moderate temperatures, the plant does not need high humidity.
Water for irrigation must be warm and soft.
The plant is fed with special fertilizer for orchids only during the period of flowering and growth. It is better to fertilize every week, but with a fertilizer diluted two or even four times the standard concentration.
This flower is not at all a relative of another orchid - phalaenopsis, as you might think when you see its name. It's just that its flowers and the peduncle itself are a bit reminiscent of the corresponding organs of phalaenopsis. He also has other names - moth, two-humped.
It is a large orchid up to 60 cm in height with many fleshy upright shoots - pseudobulbs. Lanceolate, leathery leaves are located in the upper half of the stems. Leaves die off with age, on average live for 2-3 years. And the older the shoot, the fewer leaves on it. The orchid blooms profusely from 1.5 to 4 months. Peduncles appear from the axils at the top of the shoot. They are quite long, up to 40 cm, are erect or hanging, carry up to 35 flowers, the color of which can be white, pink, purple, yellow.
Phalaenopsis flower cut lasts about three weeks. That is why it is specially grown on an industrial scale as a cut crop.
Dendrobium phalaenopsis is one of the easiest orchid species to grow indoors. The light he needs is bright, but diffused. In summer, protection from direct sun rays. The temperature should be moderately warm all year round, around +20°-+25°С. IN winter period at night, it is desirable to lower it to + 15 ° C, but not less. This is easily reproduced by placing the plant pot on the windowsill, where it is cooler at night in winter than in the rest of the room.
Irrigation has its own characteristics. During flowering, watering should be good, every 2-3 days. After the end of flowering, watering is somewhat limited (up to 1 time per week), so that the substrate has time to dry out between procedures. As soon as vegetative growth and shoot development begins, watering is again increased to abundant, especially in hot weather, given that the activation falls on the summer season. When the growth of the plant is completed, around the autumn months, watering is again reduced to 1 time per week until the development of flower buds begins.
Humidity needs to be increased in winter. Spraying the plant is not desirable. It is better to overlay the orchid with sphagnum moss and spray it regularly.
Top dressing is the same as that of the noble dendrobium.
Transplantation of orchids is carried out as rarely as possible, about once every 3-4 years.
Dendrobium does not like to be disturbed by its roots, so this should be done only in the following cases: when the roots get sick or the substrate has decomposed to a state of dust. For transplanting, a pot is taken, which is several centimeters larger than the previous one. Dendrobiums are often grown on blocks of cork oak bark or fern roots.
When growing in a pot for a plant, you need to buy a special substrate for orchids, or cook it yourself from pine bark, high peat and charcoal taken in equal proportions.
The dendrobium is propagated by dividing the bush during transplantation, as well as by stem cuttings and apical shoots - children with aerial roots.
The division of the bush can be done no more than once every 3-4 years. Each division must have at least three pseudobulbs. The apical shoots are children; when they appear, they can be cut off every year.
When propagated by stem cuttings, they are cut so that each fragment has several internodes, and placed on wet sphagnum moss under a transparent cover. Then the cuttings are placed under bright diffused light at a temperature of +20°+25°C. Within a month, child shoots may form in the nodes.
With the formation of several roots, they can be seated in finely chopped pine bark.
Unfortunately, the dendrobium can be affected by pests. To combat them, you need to use standard insecticides and the sooner the better.
Waterlogging can lead to various fungal diseases, so you need to be very careful about the watering procedure.
The Dendrobium orchid is very popular with lovers of indoor flowers. After all, she is the living embodiment of perfect beauty. It is unlikely that there will be at least one flower grower who does not dream of growing a collection different types of these orchids to admire their magnificent flowering at home. What are these orchids? In this article, we will introduce you to the Dendrobium orchid species and its hybrid varieties.
Dendrobium (lat. Dendrobium) is a herbaceous perennial orchid. Belongs to the Orchidaceae family. The name was coined by the Swedish botanist Olaf Schwartz when he first discovered it in the Caribbean in 1799. He combined two Greek words: "dendron" - "tree" and "bios" - "life". Indeed, most of the Dendrobiums grow on trees as epiphytic plants, and translation from Greek means "living on a tree". In fact, in addition to epiphytic Dendrobiums, there are lithophytes that grow on rocks, i.e. on the stones.
There are more than 1500 species of epiphytes and lithophytes in the genus Dendrobium. IN wild nature they can be found in Australia, Japan, the Philippines, New Guinea and New Zealand, in the rainforests of South Asia and Polynesia. Natural tropical species of Dendrobiums are difficult to get used to life in city apartments. But breeders have bred hybrid forms of these orchids that take root well and bloom at home. Dendrobiums are second in popularity among orchids, after.
Dendrobiums are most often low epiphytic bushes. A huge number of species suggests their significant difference from each other. Plant height can be from a few cm in miniature varieties to a meter or more in giants. At home, low specimens are usually grown, not higher than 90 cm.
The aerial roots of Dendrobium, like most epiphytic plants, are covered with a spongy, multi-layered, hygroscopic dead tissue, called velamen (Latin velamen). The root system performs many vital functions for the orchid, such as fixing the plant in the planting substrate, absorption and accumulation of moisture and nutrients.
Dendrobiums are sympodial orchids. This means that adult plants have several stems with leaves and flowers at once. The stems of these orchids are pseudobulbs, i.e. store and store moisture just in case and nutrients. A bud awakens at the base of the pseudobulb, from which a new shoot begins to grow upward, which is then covered with leaves and flowers, and roots begin to grow downward.
Orchid shoots are smooth, sometimes ribbed, sometimes cylindrical. Almost all of them are thickened and surrounded by membranous tissue. The life span of one shoot does not exceed three to four years. After that, he dies. This fact can be attributed to the shortcomings of the species. If you have one flower, and you really like it, you will have to take care of its reproduction in a timely manner.
The leaves, as a rule, are green in color, located either only on the top of the shoot, or alternately along its entire length. The shape of the oblong leaves is also different - ovate, narrow-lanceolate or elliptical. Sometimes the leaves are similar in density to the leaves of succulents.
Dendrobium flowers also have a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. On one peduncle there are from one to four flowers with a diameter of 4 to 10 cm. Peduncles are located almost in the axil of each leaf. The flowers are painted in various shades of white, yellow, orange, lilac, their petals are two and even three-colored. The duration of flowering and its time depend on the type and variety of these orchids.
There are a huge number of species and hybrid varieties of Dendrobiums. We do not undertake to determine which of them is the most beautiful, it is simply impossible. Therefore, we will introduce you to the most popular varieties Dendrobiums, which flower growers successfully grow at home.
Dendrobium Nobile or Noble (Dendrobium nobile)
Dendrobium Nobile is considered one of the most spectacular and unpretentious care. It can be found more often than others in the apartments of orchid lovers. The Himalayas are considered the homeland of this orchid. There, her flowers with white-lilac petals often adorn the mountain slopes. Translated from Greek, the word "nobile" means famous, noble, conspicuous. This species has over 80 varieties. Refers to the sympoidal type, i.e. new leaf rosettes are formed on the rhizomes. Each such sprout, pseudobulb, lives from two to four years.
The plant is quite large, reaches 90 cm at home. The stems are straight, swollen, fleshy. At the beginning of life, they are upright, slender, with a glossy sheen, but over time they can bend over and lie down. Oblong, elliptical in shape, leathery sessile leaves, arranged on stems on both sides. Short peduncles are formed on last year's leafless shoots. On each peduncle, three to four flowers are formed up to 10 cm in diameter with ovate petals and oblong sepals. Flowers appear in the second year of the life of the shoot.
Interesting flower color. The base of the flower is whitish-cream, towards the edges the color becomes lilac or lilac. The white pubescent lip of the flower has a dark purple spot at the base. The beauty of the flowers is enhanced by a pleasant aroma. Dendrobium Nobile blooms from January to May. Sometimes, the plant skips the flowering season even with normal care. But next year, in the spring, it will surprise you with large fragrant flowers that bloom immediately on all shoots of different ages.
Read more about home care for Dendrobium Nobile.
Dendrobium Yamamoto is a line of tetraploid hybrids based on Dendrobium Nobile. The difference is in erect compact stems with a height of 40 to 50 cm. During flowering, the bushes are densely strewn with bright flowers. They grow well indoors and are easy to care for. They bloom several times a year.
Such varieties are especially popular: Himezakura, Fancy Angel, Spring Dream, New Century, Red Emperor, Yellow Song and others.
Dendrobium Parish (Dendrobium parishii)
This orchid is epiphytic, originally from the Asian plateaus. It is deciduous, reminiscent of Dendrobium noble. It differs in fleshy prostrate or hanging stems, growing in length up to 30 - 40 cm. Each stem is shrouded in a whitish base of leaves and has thickenings at the nodes. Sharp oblong leaves have a slightly incised top. Single, rather large, up to 5-8 cm in diameter, flowers appear on leafless peduncles. They are lilac or pink, but always darken a little towards the edge. The lip of the flower, rounded or diamond-shaped in shape, usually has a white or pink-amethyst shade. At the base of the lip are two dark purple spots. Flowering occurs in spring and summer. The flower stays on the bush from one and a half to two weeks. The view is demanding for a large difference between day and night temperatures, up to 10 gr.
Dendrobium Lindley (Dendrobium Lindley)
Dendrobium Lindley is an epiphytic plant. It got its name in honor of the English botanist John Lindley. Its short, oblong-rounded stems, about 8 cm high, look like bulbs. Only one oblong leathery leaf grows on each stem. Golden-yellow flowers with a large pubescent lip are located on long hanging peduncles. The flowers have a pleasant aroma.
King's dendrobium (Dendrobium kingianum)
The King variety is a low epiphytic orchid native to Eastern Australia. It has been in cultivation since 1844. It is distinguished by rigid, cylindrical stems thinning upwards, the height of which is from 30 to 50 cm. Each stem is covered with a whitish membranous base of lanceolate leaves. The length of the leaves is 30 cm, the width is 3 cm. A flower brush is formed at the crown of 3-7 small flowers with a diameter of 1-3 cm. The color of the petals is various shades: White to bright purple. The lip of the flowers consists of three lobes, and their sepals are fused on the sides. It is this rolled tubular base of the lip around the column that is the feature of this species of Dendrobium. Flowering begins in February. The flowers stay on the orchid for a month, emitting a pleasant vanilla aroma. The peak of flowering is in March.
Dendrobium Densiflorum (Dendrobium Densiflorum)
This epiphyte came to us from Southeast Asia, where its counterparts grow more often on trees covered with moss, less often on rocks. The height of the bushes does not exceed 45 cm. The stems are tetrahedral, erect, thickening towards the top. Narrow leaves, lanceolate or ovate, 3-4 pieces, grow at the very top of the stem. They are smooth and fleshy to the touch. Hanging brushes of dense inflorescences are also formed there. Dendrobium Dense-flowered, due to the multifaceted bulbs with thick bundles, belongs to group species due to the large number of bulbs. He is able to release up to a hundred peduncles. Inflorescences consist of a large number of fragrant flowers (from 50 to 100 pieces). Each flower has elongated, blunt-ended sepals, from which grow rounded yellow petals, finely incised along the edges. The yellow-orange lip of the flower is pubescent. The diameter of the flower is not more than 5 cm. Fragrant flowers will delight you for at least two weeks. Flowering begins at the end of February and continues until the end of August. The peak usually occurs in April-May.
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis (Dendrobium Phalaenopsis)
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis is native to Australia. The flower got its name for its resemblance to the flowers of the Phalaenopsis orchid. It is a large, semi-deciduous orchid with long, fleshy, erect stems. The difference is that long lanceolate leaves and flower stalks (up to 60 cm) grow only in the upper part of the stem. Her flowers attract attention. They are quite large, their diameter is up to 9 cm, and in each inflorescence there can be up to 40 pieces. The color of flowers in hybrids is striking in variety: from dazzling white to dark crimson, red and lilac-violet of all shades. Flowering lasts up to two months from November to January. Moreover, the old pseudobulbs bloom several times. Cut inflorescences retain their freshness for quite a long time. Florists use this property of theirs when compiling delightful bouquets for weddings and other celebrations.
Based on Dendrobium Phalaenopsis, breeders bred a large number of hybrids that differ in the color of the inflorescences, the timing of flowering and its duration:
Dendrobium Anna Green - has flowers with yellow-green petals and a contrasting crimson lip
Dendrobium Snow White (pictured), Bon White, Big White - these hybrids have white flowers
Dendrobium Black Beauty - This hydride blooms with dark maroon-brown flowers.
Dendrobium Jade Green (pictured), Dendrobium Lemon Green - these hybrids bloom in all shades of yellow-green
Dendrobium Beautiful (Dendrobium Formosum or Bellatulum)
An instance of the Fine variety has a stem about 7 cm, on the top of which long and thick leaves grow. Blooms appear in spring and late summer. The flowers are medium in size, about 2 - 3 cm in diameter, have a pleasant aroma. The flower has snow-white petals, against which a yellow lip and a red middle stand out in contrast. This orchid loves Fresh air and sunbeams.
Dendrobium Fringed (Dendrobium Fimbriatum)
Fringed differs in impressive sizes. The height of the bush is from 60 cm to one and a half meters and above. Long leaves (up to 15 cm) grow in two rows. Produces up to 50 peduncles or more. Up to fifteen flowers are formed on peduncles at once, with a diameter of 4–6 cm. The peak of flowering occurs in spring, and the flowering period is all year round. On the plant, the flower lasts up to 10 days, exuding a slightly sour aroma. This is not enough, but it is compensated by abundant flowering.
Dendrobium Longicorn (Dendrobium Longicornu)
This is an alpine plant, rarely found in flower growers' apartments. It differs from others in pointed sparse leaves spaced around the circumference of the flower. The flowering period is short - in the first half of spring about three weeks. The height of the Long-horned Dendrobium does not exceed 25 cm, the flowers are quite large, up to 6 cm in diameter.
Dendrobium Amboinense (Dendrobium Amboinense)
Her homeland is Indonesia. Ambonian is a sympodial epiphyte. The height of the plant is 35 cm, the height of the pseudobulb is 20 cm. The shoots are segmented, in the upper part they are four or hexagonal. The leaves are leathery, oval, pointed, about 15 cm long, growing at the top of each growth in the amount of two or three pieces. In the upper part of the shoot, a short peduncle grows with two to four large flowers - from 7 to 15 cm in diameter. The flowers have narrow long petals and sepals of white-cream color with red-orange veins and red edges. Lip yellow color with dark red border. The disc of the lip has dark orange dots. The flowers are very beautiful, but bloom only one day. The main flowering occurs in the spring, but it happens that the orchid blooms several times a year after a sharp drop in daytime temperatures.
Dendrobium Golden (Dendrobium Chrysotoxum)
The habitat of the Golden Dendrobium is Southeast Asia. It grows at an altitude of 400 - 1600 m above sea level. Sympodial epiphyte up to 30 cm tall. The same length and pseudobulbs. They are spindle-shaped and slightly flattened. Young pseudobulbs have a dark green color, with age they turn yellow, become shiny, become wrinkled. The leaves grow closer to the top of the pseudobulb. Their number depends on the size of the plant, but it is always an even number: from two to eight. The leaves are leathery to the touch, shiny, dark green in appearance. From the upper nodes of young, but mature, pseudobulbs grow long, from 15 to 45 cm, peduncles. Sometimes they are straight, but more often they are curved or drooping. Each inflorescence has 10 to 21 flowers. For a low plant, the flowers are quite large, their diameter is 5 cm. The flowers are waxy, golden or yellow-orange in color. The lip is almost round, velvety, with wavy fringed edges. At the neck, the lip is decorated with a peculiar brown-orange spot and red stripes. The flowers are very fragrant and stay on the shoot for up to three weeks. Flowering occurs from February to September with a peak in May-June. To initiate flowering, a large daily temperature difference (15 - 18 degrees) and low night temperatures are required.
Dendrobium Christie (Dendrobium Christyanum)
Christie's homeland is China, Thailand. It got its name in honor of the English botanist, orchid lover Thomas Christie. This is a small sympodial epiphyte (8 - 14 cm). The length of its pseudobulb is from 5 to 8 cm. The shoots consist of two to four internodes and are covered with grooves and black hairs. The leaves grow 3 - 6 cm long. They are dark green and covered with black hairs on the underside. There are two to four leaves. Peduncles are short. They grow from internodes at the top or on the sides of old and young pseudobulbs. On each peduncle there is only one flower with a diameter of 5 cm. The petals and sepals are painted in white and cream tones. The wide lip is shaped like a violin. The center of the lip is decorated with a bright yellow-orange spot. fragrant flowers long-lasting, flowering continues from July to October. To initialize flowering, a dry cold dormant period is very important, lasting until new spring shoots appear.
Dendrobium primrose (Dendrobium Primulinum)
This orchid came to us from Southeast Asia, where it blooms in February - March. The primrose variety is distinguished by its many leaves, which are densely covered with shoots, and the unusual color of the flowers: the petals are painted in pale - lilac colors, and the yellow-white lip is framed by purple stripes. Flowers vary in size from 4 to 8 cm in diameter. In our latitudes, flowering begins at the beginning of the year and continues until the beginning of autumn.
Dendrobium Leafless (Dendrobium Aphyllum)
This species is most widespread in Southeast Asia. It has long, multi-leaved, slightly drooping pseudobulbs. In the nodes of last year's leafless shoots, short peduncles develop with one to three pale-pink flowers with a creamy fringed lip. The diameter of the flower is from 3 to 5 cm. In nature, the peak of flowering of the Leafless Dendrobium occurs in February - May. At home, comfortable conditions, flowering specimens delight the owners almost all year round.
Dendrobium Unique (Dendrobium Unicum)
This epiphytic orchid grows in Laos and Thailand on trees, at an altitude of about one and a half thousand meters above sea level. Its pseudobulbs reach a length of 20 cm. At first they are green, and turn red in adulthood. Lanceolate leaves, no longer than 7.5 cm, stay on the shoot for about a year. Peduncles appear on already bald pseudobulbs. On them, in the upper axils between the leaves, from one to four flowers with a diameter of about 5 cm may appear. Their petals are orange or red-orange in color. The lip is boat-shaped, covered with red veins inside. It has a wide and long outgrowth and covers the column inside itself. Unique prefers to live in a terrarium, orchidarium or greenhouse. It grows well under phyto lamps in 100% conditions. artificial lighting all 12 months of the year.
Dendrobium Monoliforme (Dendrobium Moniliforme)
This Japanese endemic orchid is cultivated in Japan. It resembles the Dendrobium Nobile, but it is much smaller in size - an adult plant does not exceed 15 - 20 cm in height. You can see a tiny bush, 5 - 6 cm in height, ready to bloom. Each bulb gives one to two inflorescences. White-pink fragrant flowers appear at the end of winter. They have a wonderful aroma. Flowering continues until September. Loves very much sunlight western windows.
Dendrobium Stardust (Dendrobium Stardust)
This hybrid was obtained by crossing Dendrobiums Unique and Monoliforme. Its thin reddish pseudobulbs reach a length of 50 cm. Lanceolate leaves 8 cm long and 3 cm wide last no more than two years. Flower stalks emerge from internodes. From one to five flowers are 4 to 6 cm in diameter. The color is different: from pale yellow to red-orange with darker, even brown streaks on the lip.
The combination of Dendrobiums with other colors
In a flower arrangement, Dendrobium orchids are perfectly combined with European ones, with tuberous begonias, with and other flowering and decorative leafy indoor flowers.
We have introduced you to the most popular types of Dendrobium orchids. Each of them you can successfully grow in your home. The choice is yours.
There is debate over whether Dendrobium bihumi and Dendrobium phalaenopsis (moth) are considered the same species. Some experts attribute them to one species, others consider them to be two independent species, others believe that the two-humped Dendrobium is one species that has several forms.
Growth:
Northeast Australia. This species grows in coastal areas on low trees and on rocks in fairly light forests at an altitude below 610 m above sea level.
Climate in natural habitats:
Plant description:
Size and type of plant:
Sympodial epiphyte or lithophyte 40–122 cm high. Plants rarely grow to really large specimens, as old pseudobulbs die off.
Pseudobulbs:
Cylindrical stems 40–122 cm high. The upper third of the shoots is covered with leaves. Stems that die off at the base may form babies at the top.
Leaves:
3-5, rarely up to 12 leaves 8-15 cm long. Leaves are oblong, lanceolate, leathery, hard, with a reddish or purple tint. The life span of the leaves is two years.
Peduncle:
Peduncles 20–40 cm long. Each growth annually for many years forms from 1 to 4 peduncles that grow from nodes near the top of the pseudobulb. Peduncles can be arched, hanging or growing horizontally. The flowers are evenly distributed along the upper half of the flower shoot.
Flowers:
Each inflorescence has from 3 to 20 magnificent flowers with a diameter of 3.5–7.0 cm. Petals and sepals are wide, overlapping each other. In Dendrobium phalaenopsis, unlike Dendrobium bihumus, the petals are slightly larger, only slightly bent, and the middle lobe of the lip is usually longer and pointed, and not rounded, like in D. bihumped. The flowers are usually an intense lilac, although they may be white, lavender, bright scarlet, or purple. The color of the flowers is bright. The lip is usually darker than the petals and sepals, its neck and stripes on the rectangular and pointed middle lobe are more intensely colored. The lateral lobes of the lip are arcuately curved. The spur is wide. Flowers vary in color and size. If they are not in contact with water, they can last for months, so that a healthy plant can bloom almost constantly.
Flowering period: in nature blooms from July to January. According to data received from flower growers, in the culture, the peak of flowering occurs in autumn.
Agricultural technology:
Temperature:
The plant is thermophilic. In summer, the average daytime temperature is +29–30°C, at night +22°C, which gives a daily difference of 7–8°C. Daily temperature fluctuations during the year differ by only a couple of degrees.
Lighting:
30000-45000 lux. Fluctuations in illumination due to the seasons at the latitude of this orchid are small, but the amount of light in winter is higher due to more sunny days. For indoor plants, bright light and strong ventilation throughout the year are extremely important.
Watering:
Precipitation is moderate to heavy in summer and early autumn in the areas where this Dendrobium grows, but it is drier in winter. In a culture during the period of active growth, the substrate of the plants should be wet, in the fall, watering is gradually reduced. If the summer temperature exceeds +33°C, Australian flower growers recommend daily morning and evening spraying of plants, even those growing in pots.
Fertilizer:
Plants should be fed weekly with 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. A fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is best applied from spring to mid-summer, while a fertilizer with a high phosphorus content is useful in late summer and autumn.
Substrate:
These plants grow well on tree fern or cork oak blocks, but in summer time require high humidity air, daily watering, and in dry hot weather, repeated spraying. If the orchid grows in a pot, it needs good drainage, so medium-sized pieces of pine bark or cork are used as a substrate. Such a substrate quickly conducts water and passes air well. Since the center of gravity of the plant is high, it is better to use heavy clay pots. It is better to take pots that at first glance seem too small for these plants. Supports should also be placed to support the new thin pseudobulbs. Transplantation is best done after flowering has ended or at the end of winter and early spring, when new growths begin to appear.
Air humidity:
About 70–75% most of the year, late winter and in early spring declining to almost 65-70%.
rest period:
in winter average temperature is +24–26°C, at night +17–19°C, which gives a daily difference of about 7°C. There is little rainfall during the four months of winter and early spring. Low humidity indicates that plants rarely receive moisture even in the form of dew. In care, a dry dormant period should begin after flowering. At this time, the substrate of the plant should dry out between waterings, but not remain dry for too long, because the shriveled pseudobulbs recover very slowly. To avoid excessive drying, the plant should be sprayed periodically between waterings. Only after the appearance of new growths in the spring, watering is gradually increased. Since new growths that have not reached a height of 5-8 cm are very susceptible to infections and decay, care must be taken during watering and try not to wet them. Feeding in winter is reduced or completely stopped until regular watering is resumed in spring. Since in the places where this orchid grows, the sunniest days are in winter, the grown plants at this time also need as much light as possible. However, the leaves must not be scorched.
Note: Florists report that these orchids do not grow well in regions where there is not enough light in winter, the lack of which causes bud drop. Dendrobium phalaenopsis is considered difficult to care for and difficult to bloom, as it requires bright lighting, high temperatures in winter and a dry dormant period. The combination of these conditions is difficult to provide in mixed collections.
Among the countless varieties and hybrids of sweet peppers, there are such as, for example, Ramiro peppers, whose popularity is literally global. And if most of the vegetables on the shelves of supermarkets are nameless, and it is almost impossible to find out about their varietal affiliation, then the name of this Ramiro pepper will certainly be on the package. And, as my experience has shown, this pepper is worth knowing about it and other gardeners. That is why this article was written.
Autumn is the busiest time. It is no longer hot, in the morning there is heavy dew. Since the earth is still warm, and foliage has already attacked from above, creating a very special microclimate in the surface layer, the mushrooms are very comfortable. Mushroom pickers are also comfortable at this time, especially in the mornings when it is cooler. It's time for both to meet. And, if not introduced to each other - get to know each other. In this article I will introduce you to exotic, little-known and not always edible mushrooms that look like corals.
If you are a busy person, but at the same time not without romance, if you have your own plot and you are endowed with aesthetic taste, then explore the opportunity to purchase this wonderful ornamental shrub - Caryopteris, or Nutwing. He is also a "wing hazel", "blue fog" and "blue beard". In it, indeed, unpretentiousness and beauty are fully combined. Cariopteris reaches its decorative peak at the end of summer and autumn. It is at this time that it blooms.
Ajvar from pepper - vegetable caviar or thick vegetable sauce from bell pepper with eggplant. Peppers for this recipe are baked, and for quite a long time, then they are also stewed. Add to ajvar onion, tomatoes, eggplant. For harvesting for the winter, caviar is sterilized. This Balkan recipe is not for those who like to make preparations quickly, undercooked and underbaked - not about ajvar. In general, we approach the matter in detail. For the sauce, we choose the most ripe and meaty vegetables on the market.
Despite the simple names ("sticky" or "indoor maple") and the status of a modern substitute indoor hibiscus, abutilons - plants are far from the simplest. They grow well, bloom profusely and delight looking healthy greens only in optimal conditions. On thin leaves, any deviations from comfortable lighting or temperatures and violations in care quickly appear. To reveal the beauty of abutilons in rooms, it is worth finding the perfect place for them.
Pancakes from zucchini with parmesan and mushrooms - a delicious recipe with a photo of the available products. Ordinary squash pancakes can easily be turned into a boring dish by adding a few savory ingredients to the dough. In the zucchini season, treat your family to vegetable pancakes with wild mushrooms, it is not only very tasty, but also satisfying. Zucchini is a versatile vegetable, it is suitable for stuffing, for preparations, for second courses, and even for sweets there are delicious recipes - compotes and jams are made from zucchini.
The idea of growing vegetables on the grass, under the grass and in the grass is at first scary, until you feel the naturalness of the process: in nature, everything happens that way. With the obligatory participation of all soil living creatures: from bacteria and fungi to moles and toads. Each of them contributes. Traditional tillage with digging, loosening, fertilizing, fighting all those we consider pests destroys the biocenoses that have been created for centuries. In addition, it requires a lot of labor and resources.
What to do instead of a lawn? So that all this beauty does not turn yellow, does not hurt and at the same time looks like a lawn ... I hope that the smart and quick-witted reader is already smiling. After all, the answer suggests itself - if nothing is done, nothing will happen. Of course, there are several solutions that can be used, and with their help, reduce the area of the lawn, and therefore reduce the laboriousness of caring for it. I propose to consider alternative options and discuss their pros and cons.
Tomato sauce with onion and sweet pepper - thick, fragrant, with pieces of vegetables. The sauce cooks quickly and turns out thick because this recipe is with pectin. Make such preparations at the end of summer or autumn, when the vegetables have ripened under the sun in the beds. From bright, red tomatoes you get the same bright homemade ketchup. This sauce is a ready-made spaghetti dressing, and you can also just spread it on bread - very tasty. For better preservation, you can add a little vinegar.
This year I often saw a picture: among the luxurious green crown of trees and shrubs, here and there, like candles, the tops of the shoots are “burning”. This is chlorosis. Most of us know about chlorosis from school biology lessons. I remember that this is a lack of iron ... But chlorosis is an ambiguous concept. And not always lightening the foliage means a lack of iron. What is chlorosis, what our plants lack in chlorosis and how to help them, we will tell in the article.
Korean-style vegetables for the winter - a delicious Korean salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. The salad is sweet and sour, spicy and slightly spicy, because it is prepared with seasoning for Korean carrots. Be sure to prepare a few jars for the winter, cold winter This healthy and fragrant snack will be very useful. For the recipe, you can use overripe cucumbers, it is better to harvest vegetables in late summer or early autumn, when they are ripe in open field under the sun.
Autumn for me is dahlias. Mine begin to bloom already in June, and all summer the neighbors look over the fence to me, reminding me that I promised them a few tubers or seeds by autumn. In September, a tart note appears in the aroma of these flowers, hinting at the approaching cold. So, it's time to start preparing plants for a long cold winter. In this article I will share my secrets of autumn care for perennial dahlias and preparing them for winter storage.
To date, the efforts of breeders have bred, according to various sources, from seven to ten thousand (!) varieties of cultivated apple trees. But with their huge variety in private gardens, as a rule, only a couple of popular and beloved varieties grow. Apple trees - large trees with a spreading crown, and you cannot grow many of these in one area. But what if you try to grow columnar varieties of this crop? In this article I will talk about such varieties of apple trees.
Pinjur - Balkan eggplant caviar with sweet peppers, onions and tomatoes. A distinctive feature of the dish is that eggplants and peppers are first baked, then peeled and simmered for a long time in a brazier or in a saucepan with a thick bottom, adding the rest of the vegetables indicated in the recipe. The caviar is very thick, with a bright, rich taste. In my opinion, this cooking method is the best of all known. Although it is more troublesome, the result compensates for the labor costs.
Orchid Dendrobium is a small epiphyte with unusual flowers, which cover the entire cylindrical stem of the plant. In nature, orchids of this species grow on trees, the ground or rocks. This justifies the name of the plant, which in translation means "living on a tree." Breeders have bred hybrid forms of dendrobiums that grow and bloom well at home. Observing simple conditions for their cultivation, you can achieve long and abundant flowering.
Genus dendrobium has more than 1000 species, whose cylindrical stem grows from 40-90 cm. Lance-shaped leaves are alternately located on the stem. Orchid peduncles consist of 1-4 flowers. The diameter of each of them is about 6-8 cm. Peduncles are located in the axil of almost every leaf. The color of the flowers can be white, lilac, orange, yellow, or even two or three colors.
Since there are a lot of types of dendrobium, it is simply impossible to determine which one is the most beautiful. Among gardeners, the most attractive for home growing are the following types:
Breeders have bred a large number of phalaenopsis dendrobium hybrids, which differ in the color of the inflorescences, as well as the timing and duration of flowering.
Hybrid orchid species bred by breeders are most adapted to indoor conditions. But even for their cultivation, you need to have experience in floriculture, or read the care instructions in detail.
orchids are photophilous plants, so they need to free up a well-lit place without direct sunlight. Otherwise, the leaves of the plant may get burned. The best option for growing orchids is the western and eastern windows. From the windowsills of the southern windows from the midday sun, they need to be removed.
In late summer and autumn, orchids begin to shoot shoots, so they need the maximum amount of light. For this, it is recommended to use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.
Necessary temperature regime depends on the type of dendrobium:
During the period of active growth, almost all epiphytes like high temperatures up to + 25C during the day, and about + 20C at night.
During the period of active growth, orchids need abundant watering. If the room is warm, then the plant is watered twice a week. Orchid soil should dry well before the next watering. Water from the pan must be poured 15 minutes after watering the plant. During this time, the flower will pick up the missing moisture. If the water remains in the pan for a long time, the roots of the plant may begin to rot.
Water for irrigation should be at room temperature, settled. During the dormant period, dendrobiums are watered symbolically, preventing the root system from drying out.
Orchids love high humidity. To do this, they can be sprayed daily, making it so that water does not enter the axils of the leaves. Otherwise, the trunk will begin to rot. Therefore, it is best to put a pot with a flower and a tray in a container with wet peat, expanded clay or moss.
From April to September, that is, during the period of active growth, orchids are fed twice a month. For this, they are used special complex fertilizers for orchids. Fertilizer must be diluted very carefully, since a strong concentration of the solution can burn the roots of the plant. That's why experienced growers it is recommended to make the concentration twice as weak as indicated on the instructions.
Evergreen orchids, for example, dendrobium phalaenopsis, are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in winter. Deciduous plants - nitrogen fertilizers no more than twice a month.
Dendrobium transplantation is very painful, so it is done no more than once every two to three years. Transplanting should be done in the spring, when the plant begins active growth. It is recommended to use only special soil for epiphyte orchids. You can do it yourself prepare soil mix for a dendrobium transplant, taking for this:
The pot for dendrobiums should be ceramic or plastic, but not transparent, which is suitable only for phalaenopsis. A layer of drainage must be laid at the bottom of the pot.
As soon as the last flower withers on the orchid, the peduncle must be removed, watering should be gradually stopped, and the plant itself should be transferred to a cool place.
With short daylight hours in winter, the dendrobium may stop growing, hibernate and freeze. The plant will not die, but it will be much worse to develop and bloom in the future. Therefore, in winter, orchids are recommended to be illuminated with a phytolamp.
If, nevertheless, the dendrobium has stopped growing, that is, it “fell asleep”, it must be removed from heat sources and practically stop watering. Watering an orchid should be started only when its new sprouts will stretch 2-3 cm and put down new roots.
In order for the dendrobium to bloom again in the spring, flower growers resort to some tricks in the winter season:
They have a good effect on flowering and differences in day and night temperatures, which should be at least 5-7C.
This type of orchid propagates in two ways:
A large adult bush after flowering is usually transplanted into a new pot. At this time, it can be immediately divided. To do this, the flower is taken out of the pot, cleaned of the earthen mixture and divided into parts.
The division must be done carefully. At first unravel the roots, and then with the help of a sharp and clean knife, what could not be untangled is cut off. Slices are processed with garden pitch or crushed coal.
Each division should have 2-3 young sprouts and the same number of mature bulbs. Young shoots are planted in miniature separate containers, watered and placed in a well-lit place with an air temperature of about + 22C.
In this way, only deciduous species of dendrobium can be propagated. Cuttings are cut from pseudo-bulbs, which are previously separated from the mother bush. Each cutting should be about 10 cm long. Sections are processed with crushed coal or garden pitch.
cuttings first placed in wet sphagnum moss, and after the roots appear, they can be planted in the soil for orchids. In order for the cuts to heal well, it is better not to water the cuttings for the first two weeks.
For better rooting, experienced sphagnum moss flower growers are placed together with segments of pseudo-bulbs in a plastic bag with a zipper. Two cuttings are placed in each such bag, which should be stored at a temperature of 22-25C in bright diffused light. The packages are opened every day, the cuttings are ventilated. The first roots should appear in two to three weeks. A young dendrobium, propagated by cuttings, will bloom only after two to three years.
The recommendations written above are suitable for most types of dendrobiums. And yet, in order for your pet to please you with its appearance and beautiful, long flowering, you should find out what species it belongs to and study individual characteristics caring for him.
orchid dendrobium
