Phalaenopsis orchid

In Europe, they learned about phalaenopsis at the end of the XNUMXth century – the first plant was brought to the Old World by the German traveler Georg Rumph – he discovered this miracle of nature on the Indonesian island of Ambon, which is part of the Maluku Islands.

For more than half a century, this copy was the only one, and only in 1752 the Swedish pastor Peter Osbek, who was engaged in missionary work in the same Indonesia, found another orchid – on a small island. He dried it and sent the herbarium to Carl Linnaeus, who described the new species in his famous scientific work Species of Plants. True, he called him the lovely epidendrum (Epidendrum amabile). Everything is clear with the charming, and the word “epidendrum” in Greek meant “on a tree”, which very accurately reflected the essence of the plant: in nature, most phalaenopsis are epiphytic plants, that is, they grow on trees.

The familiar name for us “phalaenopsis” came into use in 1825. It was then that the director of the State Herbarium in Leiden (Netherlands), Karl Blume, discovered, as usual, on a small island in the Malay Archipelago, another orchid of this genus. He was looking at the twilight jungle through binoculars when a flock of white butterflies caught his eye. But when he got closer, it turned out to be an orchid. In memory of his mistake, he named the plant phalaenopsis, which in Greek means “like a moth.” That is how it is still called today.

In nature, phalaenopsis grow in the Philippines, Australia and Southeast Asia. Most often, they live on tree trunks, extracting food from decayed organic matter in the forks of branches and cracks in trunks, and moisture from the air.

Types and varieties of phalaenopsis

The genus Phalaenopsis includes more than 70 species (1) (some botanists will distinguish 77 species, but 7 of them are not officially approved – they may not be separate species, but clones), is divided into 5 subgenera, two of which are divided into sections (2). Most of them live in tropical rain forests, some grow on rocks, and there are some that live in regions with dry or cold seasons. And this leaves its imprints on agricultural technology.

In floriculture, all phalaenopsis are usually divided into 5 groups (2).

Species phalaenopsis. This includes natural species that have not been touched by selection. As a rule, they can be found among collectors – you are unlikely to find them in the general sale.

Phalaenopsis Stuart (Phalaenopsis stuartiana). Its leaves are variegated, and its roots are silvery. The peduncle is long and branched (up to 80 cm), but there are a lot of flowers on it – sometimes up to 60 pieces at a time. Delicate white flowers with red spots at the base, in the center of the flower is an amber lip, smoothly turning into purple.

Schiller’s Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis schilleriana). Its leaves are beautiful, variegated – silvery spots on a dark green background, the lower part of the leaf casts red. The inflorescence is up to 50 cm, and just a gigantic number of small (up to 7 cm in diameter) flowers form on it. In the right conditions, this orchid blooms in a beautiful, unique cascade.

Phalaenopsis pleasant (Phalaenopsis amabilis). White large flowers up to 10 cm in diameter, about 20 pieces develop on the peduncle. The leaves are fleshy and oblong. They form a rosette of 3-5 leaves. Flowers bloom one by one.

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana (Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana). A beautiful orchid with hard paired leaves up to 25 cm long. Usually there are no more than 8 of them in a rosette. The flowers are white, like porcelain, with transverse stripes of purple, purple and chestnut hues. Smells very strong and nice!

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi (Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi). A very effective look. Its leaves are green, up to 22 cm long. The flowers are collected in peduncles of 12 flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, and they are of a very unusual color: yellow-green with red-brown transverse stripes. Plus, it’s also fragrant.

Large-flowered hybrids. This is the largest group itself, it is these phalaenopsis that are most often sold in garden centers. Not very unpretentious, even beginners can easily grow them.

In this group, a huge number of varieties, which are usually divided according to the color of the flowers. In our stores, they usually do not indicate the names of the varieties, more often they write “mix” on the price tags, so transcription has not entered into practice. So here are their international names (if you search the Internet, you may be able to determine which variety you grow).

White:

• Taisuco Crane;
• Taisuco Kochdian;
• Cygnus;
• Yukimai;
• Sogo Musadian;
• White Dream;
• Florida Snow.

Pink:

• Nobby’s Pink Lady;
• Minho Valentine;
• Minho King Beauty;
• New Cinderella;
• Taisuco Firebird;
• Sogo Smith.

Semi-white (the upper and side petals are white, and the lips are colored):

• Luchia Lip;
• City Girl.

Striped:

• Sogo Zebra;
• Chih Shang Stripes;
• Okay Seven.

Spotted:

• Carmela Spots;
• Rousserole;
• Soroa Delight;
• Leopard Prince.

New hybrids. For a long time, phalaenopsis were on sale exclusively in white and pink shades. However, now in the garden centers you can find yellow, and orange, and red. Such colors in industrial varieties appeared relatively recently – they began to be obtained about 40 years ago. And some of them have become quite popular, they can be found in our garden centers.

Yellow:

• Carol Campbell;
• Emil Giles;
• Brother Lawrence;
• Taipei Gold;
• Golden Bells;
• Sogo Manager;
• Brother Passat;
• Golden Amboin;
• Yellow Queen;
• Ching Her Buddha;
• Golden Sun

Orange (there are many shades here: copper, bronze, rusty red – these shades are often called desert or artistic):

• Sweet Memory;
• Zuma Aussie Delight;
• Paid Paid;
• Brother Sara Gold.

Reds (here shades range from orange-red to lavender-burgundy):

• Cordova;
• Lonnie Morris;
• Sogo Pony;
• Sogo Rose;
• Sogo Grape;
• Sogo Prince;
• Golden Peoker.

Harlequins. This is a completely new line that appeared in Taiwan – the flowers of these phalaenopsis are white or yellow with large almost black ink spots that are randomly scattered on the petals.

The most famous varieties:

• Ever-Spring Light;
• Yu Pin Pearl;
• Yu Pin Panda;
• Bright Peacock.

Multi-flowered hybrids (multiflora). This group includes phalaenopsis with many flowers, which are located either on several peduncles, or on one branched one.

Popular varieties:

• Be Glad;
• Cassandra;
• Vilind;
• Carmela;
• Zuma,
• Timothy Christopher;
• Be Tris;
• Quevedo.

miniature hybrids. This is a relatively new line that came about by crossing various miniature Phalaenopsis species. And it is in this group that the most whimsical orchids are located, because their ancestors in the wild did not live in tropical forests, but in cool or dry regions. They have a dormant period, they need cooler conditions, in general, this is for experienced flower growers, it is better for beginners not to start them.

The most famous varieties in this group:

• Micro Nova;
• Mini Mark
• Anna-Larati Soekardi.

Phalaenopsis care at home

Phalaenopsis are considered the most unpretentious of orchids, however, there are a lot of nuances in their cultivation.

Ground

Here, the first surprise usually arises for beginner flower growers: in no case should phalaenopsis be planted in ordinary soil! In nature, they do not encounter it, because they live on trees (some species on stones). Therefore, the substrate for them must be special.

The easiest option is finely chopped pine bark. Larch is even better – it is more durable. But such a substrate dries up very quickly, so it is recommended to add sphagnum moss to it in a 1: 1 ratio – it retains water for a long time, moreover, it has bactericidal properties and protects the roots from decay.

Bark and moss can be bought at the store. Or collect in the forest, but in this case, all the ingredients must be boiled, because they may contain pests and pathogens.

There is another option for planting – on a piece of bark (of course, it must also be boiled). In this case, the phalaenopsis is attached to the bark with wire, and the roots are wrapped in moss. Either they do not wrap, but in this case the orchid will have to be sprayed several times a day.

Temperature

Ideal temperature for growing Phalaenopsis (2):

• in the afternoon – 23 – 29 ° С;
• at night – 18 ° С.

That is, the usual room temperature is quite suitable for him. For good growth. But not for flowering – in order for phalaenopsis to bloom, you need to hold it for at least 2 weeks in cool conditions, with a temperature of 13 – 15 ° C. Such conditions occur on a glazed balcony in September – send an orchid there for a couple of weeks, and it will give flower arrows.

But during flowering, the temperature should be consistently warm, around 25 ° C. If there are sharp drops, the phalaenopsis will drop the buds.

Lighting

Since in nature orchids are in the eternal penumbra of huge trees, but at the same time in fairly sunny subtropics, the window sill should be light, but without direct sunlight, which can burn delicate plants. Moreover, orchids belong to those flowers that get used to their place and rather poorly tolerate moving and even rearranging to another window sill.

Humidity

In tropical forests almost all year round the same humidity – 100%. In urban apartments, especially in the cold season, when heating is turned on, it barely reaches 25%. This is not enough, so phalaenopsis should be sprayed often, but this should be done in the morning so that the leaves dry out by night. Or put next to pallets of water.

But it is necessary to moisten the substrate skillfully: between waterings, it must dry out completely (2). In no case should the roots be constantly in dampness – they will rot. Therefore, water must be drained from the pan after watering.

fertilizers

For phalaenopsis, it is best to use special fertilizers for orchids – they are sold in stores.

Feeding

During the period of active growth, usually from April to September, phalaenopsis should be fed every 2 weeks. In warm weather – in the doses indicated in the instructions. But if the room is cool, and it is cloudy outside, then the rate should be halved (2).

Reproduction of phalaenopsis at home

At home, 3 methods of propagation of phalaenopsis are usually used.

Children. They themselves may appear on the peduncles after flowering (in addition to flower buds, they also have dormant vegetative buds), but this happens extremely rarely. If you are lucky, you need to wait until their roots grow to 2 cm, separate from the peduncle and transplant into a new pot.

Flower arrow. For some gardeners, this method gives very good results – almost all sleeping buds wake up. For others, the result is zero, but in any case, it’s worth a try.

The essence of the method is as follows. After the phalaenopsis has faded, the peduncle is cut off at the base, treated with Epin and placed in a plastic bottle. It is not necessary to cut it – the neck should remain. Water is poured into the bottle up to half the length of the cutting, a drop of fertilizer for orchids is added to it. The container is placed in a warm (it is desirable that the temperature is 29 – 30 ° C) well-lit place (but not in direct sun). It is not necessary to close the bottle with a cap.

There will always be high humidity in the bottle, and combined with high temperatures, there is a chance that the buds will wake up and produce new orchids.

Pieces of peduncle. In this case, the cut arrows-peduncles are cut into several parts, so that each has a dormant bud. Sections must be carefully powdered with crushed charcoal (or activated) so that they do not rot.

The cuttings are placed in a transparent plastic container on wet sphagnum moss, sprayed with Epin and covered with a lid. It is important that the moss is kept moist at all times. And it is often necessary to ventilate an impromptu greenhouse so that mold does not appear there.

It is necessary to keep the cuttings in a bright place at a temperature above 25 ° C.

Stimulation of the kidneys with cytokine paste. In this case, children are grown on a peduncle without cutting it off from the mother plant.

The point is this. On the peduncle, you need to find a sleeping bud, make a small incision under it on the peduncle with a sharp blade, then carefully remove the covering scales from the bud with tweezers and smear it with cytokine paste (it can be found in online stores) – they stimulate bud germination. For reliability, the kidney must be wrapped with moss and polyethylene – so as not to dry out.

Usually, after such treatment, the kidneys wake up on the 7th – 10th day. Once this has happened, the polyethylene and moss can be removed. When the children have roots, plant them in separate pots.

Phalaenopsis transplant at home

Phalaenopsis grow aerial roots right on top of the pot, so the size of the container is not important to them. These orchids are transplanted when the substrate begins to decompose – if, when watering, small particles of bark begin to wash out of the drainage holes, then it’s time. As a rule, this happens after 2 – 3 years.

Transplanting is best done in the spring after the phalaenopsis has faded. The substrate must be taken completely new, the old one cannot be used (diseases can lurk in it).

Thoroughly clean the roots of soil residues, inspect well, remove damaged ones (dark, dried, rotten, yellowed). Treat the cuts with crushed charcoal.

Place the orchid in a pot (you can use the old one, but it needs to be disinfected), straighten the roots and carefully fill all the voids with the substrate, but not tightly so that the roots can breathe.

Phalaenopsis diseases

A capricious guest of the subtropics can get sick if she is not properly looked after.

Brown spotting. It usually affects orchid flowers – brown or pink speckles appear on the petals (3). Other parts of the plant are not affected by the disease. Grows in wet and cool conditions.

To combat the disease, Rakurs or Topsin-M drugs are used (4).

Bacterial brown spot. It starts as small dirty green watery spots on the leaves. As the disease progresses, the spots become larger, their color changes to brown. On phalaenopsis, this disease develops very quickly and soon affects the growing point (3), after which the plant may die.

If the lesions are small, sore spots should be cut out to healthy tissue and sprinkled with coal dust. And then treat the plants with Racurs or Topsin-M (4).

Rust. It appears on the leaves in the form of spots, which are very quickly covered with an orange bloom of spores of the pathogen fungus. This disease usually does not lead to death, but the plants lag far behind in development and bloom poorly.

To combat this pathogen, drugs Ikarus, Pharaoh, Falcon, Chistotsvet are used (4).

Phalaenopsis pests

Spider mite. It usually affects the leaves and buds of phalaenopsis (3). Hiding on the leaves from the underside. The first signs of the disease are numerous bright dots on the leaves. Then webs appear on them.

Kleshchevit and Fitoverm are used to combat this pest (4).

Flat red tick. It affects many types of orchids, including phalaenopsis. Damaged leaves become clumsy, thickened, covered with a silvery coating (3). With severe infection, they dry out.

Thrips. Very small agile insects with narrow bodies. Leaves are affected – characteristic silvery dotted lines appear on them (3).

To combat thrips, Actellik is used.

Shields and false shields. These are small insects covered with a strong shell. They settle on all frequent plants, but especially like to hide in the axils of the leaves (3).

Pests are removed with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. The plant is then washed with soapy water. The remains of scale insects are destroyed with Actellik.

Mealy bugs. They infect the leaves, and they can be recognized by the waxy secretions that look like lumps of cotton wool.

Affected plants should be washed with soap and water. Then spray with Aktara or Aktellik preparations (3). Repeat the treatment after 2 weeks.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the problems of growing phalaenopsis with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

Sources of

1. 1 Systematics of plants. Phalaenopsis // The Plant List http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Orchidaceae/Phalaenopsis/
2. Phalaenopsis // Brooklyn botanic garden https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/phalaenopsis
3. Uvarov E.V. Orchids in our house // Printing house No. 2 of the State Committee for Publishing of the RSFSR, 1989. – 96 p.
4. State catalog of pesticides and agrochemicals approved for use on the territory of the Federation as of July 6, 2021 // Ministry of Agriculture of the Federation https://mcx.gov.ru/ministry/departments/departament-rastenievodstva-mekhanizatsii-khimizatsii- i-zashchity-rasteniy/industry-information/info-gosudarstvennaya-usluga-po-gosudarstvennoy-registratsii-pestitsidov-i-agrokhimikatov/