Oncidium: home care. Tips and Tricks

To grow these unusually beautiful plants every florist dreams. Of the many kinds of orchids, the most popular worldwide is oncidium. Care at home for this plant is not simple. A beginner in floriculture is unlikely to cope with it, so the information in this article will be useful to many.

Oncidium unites more than seven hundred species of epiphytic plant types. Most of them grow at an altitude of more than three thousand meters above sea level. A distinctive feature of these flowers is their excellent adaptability to growing in moist tropical forests, which are located in South and Central America. Some species are found on the territory of Florida.

Many onions of our country are interested in oncidium (home care). Photo of a plant and the secrets of its cultivation, we will present to your attention in this article.

Description

Oncidiums are plants with a sympodial type of branching. Some species perfectly develop on stones covered with a layer of moss. The representative of the genus - the orchid Oncidium, care at home is rather complicated - often has yellow flowers of unusual shape (with a slightly enlarged "lip"), collected in paniculate inflorescences. Blossom orchids from spring to autumn. In winter, he is at rest. Cultivated as a houseplant, in window flower gardens, greenhouses. A few miniature species are often used in block culture.

Among the representatives of this species there are quite large plants. Their leaves can reach a length of up to forty centimeters, peduncles - up to two meters. But in recent years, flower growers are increasingly attracted to miniature plants, a height of not more than 15 cm.

Popular varieties

A diverse appearance, magnificent flowering delight the growers of the whole world. However, it should be remembered that oncidium, home care beyond which causes difficulties even for experienced owners, should not be started by beginners who only master the cultivation of orchids.

We have already said that there are many representatives of orchids that belong to this species. However, the most popular are certain varieties, which we will discuss below.

Warty oncidium

This plant is especially often seen in the photo in special editions. The plant has cylindrical bulbs and a pair of light green, thin, neat leaves. Inflorescences make up a lot of yellow flowers. The duration of flowering - no more than two months, begins in August. On our country, oncidium yellow is widely used for indoor floriculture. Home care is standard for this species (we'll discuss this in more detail below).

Oncidium The butterfly

This plant has on the basis of pseudobulb a rather high flower-bud, which has not changed for several years. With proper care, a magnificent flower, similar to a butterfly, opens regularly on its top. This orchid blooms from the beginning of August for one month.

Sweet Sugar

This is an extraordinary beauty hybrid, derived for indoor floriculture. Long narrow leaves with pointed tips have a rich green color. As the growth of erect flower buds branches. One after another, at least ten buds are revealed on it. The flowers are painted in bright sunny yellow color and have a very pleasant aroma. A characteristic feature is an enlarged lip, at the base of which there is a red-brown spot.

What is more attractive ontsidium Svit Sugar? Care at home for this flower is more simple than for the rest of the species. This flower does not need a period of rest, the owner's time costs, is suitable for growing even beginners in lovers of indoor plants.

Orchid Oncidium: home care

The photos presented on the page show the excellent appearance of green pets. But to achieve this result, a lot of effort should be made. In the process of cultivation of this rather exacting to the conditions of the maintenance and care of the plant, certain rules must be observed. Which ones will be discussed below.

Lighting

Most representatives of this species are photophilous, like scattered, but bright light. For these colors, east, west and south windows are preferable. Additional illumination with fluorescent lamps is allowed, since buds can dry up and fall off when there is a lack of light. More often additional lighting is required in the winter for three to four hours. When the phytolamp is illuminated, flower buds of the plant are laid and the process of pseudobulb formation is accelerated.

Humidity and temperature conditions

The temperature regime during the vegetation period during daylight hours should be not less than +18 ° C. At night, the temperature can be reduced by several degrees. Temperature +24 ° C is the most comfortable for Orcidium Orcidium. Care at home implies strict compliance with humidity parameters - ideally at least seventy percent.

The plant needs regular irrigation, therefore it is necessary to install humidifiers in the room where it is located. You can grow this kind of orchids in partially closed containers of glass, which are called florariums.

Soil and top dressing

Soil for orchids should be loose. Typically, the mixture consists of one part of charcoal and the same amount of bark of coniferous trees. Feed oncidium only during active growth, when pseudobulb is formed.

You can resume supplementation during the growth of the peduncle (before the appearance of flowers). It should be noted that the roots of this plant are very sensitive, so the concentration of fertilizer recommended on the package should be reduced several times.

Watering

Not all florists are pleased with exquisite flowers oncidium. Care at home for this capricious handsome man is first and foremost a timely and proper watering. It almost 90% depends on the success of growing this amazing tropical plant.

Before watering, make sure the soil is completely dry. Permanently moist soil and too moisturizing can be fatal to oncidium. Overmoistening provokes decay and death of roots. Plentiful watering of adult plants is carried out in seven days. In this case, you should focus on the season and the temperature conditions in the room. In winter, breaks between watering can reach 20 days.

To find out if your orchid needs watering, immerse the wooden stick 10 cm deep in the soil: if it turns out to be dry, then it's time to humidify the soil.

Reproduction and transplantation

Orchid Oncidium very painfully tolerates transplantation. This procedure is justified in the case when the landing capacity has become too small. Transplant an orchid not more often than once a year.

The most simple variant of reproduction is the separation of the flower from the flower garden. In this case, each part should have at least two well-developed false bulbs.

Pests and diseases

One of the most frequent problems in the cultivation of orchids are pests: aphids, thrips, mealy worm, scab. It is not difficult to notice the mealy cervix - the affected stems in this case are covered with white flakes. It is necessary to remove insects, using for this purpose a cotton wool or napkin soaked in a weak alcohol solution, and to treat the damaged surface with the drug "Aktara".

When aphids are affected or thrips, the presence of the pest can be determined by silver strips on the leaves. Oncidium often infects various rot. If you notice dark brown spots on the leaves, remove the damaged areas and allow room ventilation.

Oncidium: care after flowering

When your beauty is blossoming, she will need special care. At this time, the stems are removed. It is advisable to transplant the orchid and keep it dry for a while. This is required for the acclimatization of the plant. In addition, this method will prevent rotting of the wounds on the roots, which often appear during the transplant.

Until the new growth, watering is reduced. It is not good if a vegetative shoot starts to grow from a new pseudobulb instead of a peduncle. This may mean that the rest period is not sustained, and the plant begins to develop incorrectly. In normal development the flowering of the orchid occurs annually, sometimes in 8 months.