Often, people who have been to Vietnam are bringing home an orchid bulb as a souvenir. This is not surprising, because the adult plant is incredibly beautiful! However, in the process of growing this flower there are a number of difficulties and nuances that must be known. So how to properly grow at home the tubers of this plant, where, how and for how much to buy them, as well as how to plant? Answer further.
Description
Orchid from Vietnam - a beautiful plant belonging to the bulbous family, which grows in its natural habitat on the trunks of giant trees. The most suitable terrain for its growth and flowering - regions with a humid-continental climate and good lighting.
In Vietnam, there are 2 types of orchids:
- ground - grow from the ground in places where there is debris and humus, have large bright flowers and dense leaves;
- aerial - roots grow into tree trunks, their buds hang down and have a soft aroma.
Important! It is impossible to bring an orchid out of Vietnam in a flowerpot; problems at the customs control will not arise only with a bulb.
Types with names
Most often, ground-based orchid species are brought from Vietnam, such as:
- Nice - during flowering, its buds reach 6-8 cm in diameter, the petals of green-orange color are decorated with dark dots and lines.
- Siamese - on one of its peduncles there is only one flower of a greenish-pink color.
- Vietnamese - possesses unusual lower flowers of various colors, the lower petal of which resembles a slipper.
- One-flowered - the earliest form of an orchid with a short peduncle, on which 1-2 relatively small (with a diameter of maximum 7 cm) buds are formed.
- Appleton - characterized by a large (about 10 cm in diameter) bud, which combines brown and purple colors.
- Bearded - different burgundy buds with a bright border around the edges.
- Helena - this species blooms for 3 months, and its single yellow flowers seem to be covered with a waxy bloom.
Despite the differences in the number of flowers, their color and flowering period, all these species need the same care.
A photo
And this is what the flower looks like in the photo.
Where, how and for how much can you buy?
Online store orchidee.su offers to purchase different types of orchids for the price of 900 rublesThe shipping cost depends on the region. Being in Vietnam, in Vung Tao, for the bulbs of Vietnamese orchids, you can safely go to any flower shop, of which there are a lot of them.
They can also be purchased at flower markets (for example, in Dalat or Ho Chi Minh City), where the largest number of orchid species are found. The lowest prices for plants are found on the Cho Dam market in Nyachang.
How to plant tubers?
Why do I need to place in the substrate?
If an orchid bulb was brought from Vietnam, then it must be planted in the substrate as soon as possible, otherwise it may die without having time to give a single root. In the case of purchase in a small capacity sprout orchid, the transplant is needed to avoid rotting during growth.
Also over time, the earth loses its acidity and in case of a delayed transplant, the ground will become too dense, and then its decomposition begins, causing the growth of roots to slow down.
Important! When watering the soil, orchids will rot and the roots will die.
Transplantation is carried out in the spring and its regularity depends on the soil: if the orchid grows in the substrate from the bark, transplantation is necessary every 3 years, and if from sphagnum - every two. You can not wait for spring if:
- the substrate decomposes;
- pests are found in the pot;
- roots rot due to frequent watering.
What inventory is useful?
For planting bulbs orchids from Vietnam will need:
- substrate;
- necessarily transparent pot;
- Orchid bulb.
Soil preparation
The substrate for orchids from Vietnam is very important and most often purchased in finished form. It must include:
- sphagnum moss;
- bark of coniferous trees;
- coconut chips.
Complement this mixture with artificial fiber rokvul.
You can also prepare your own substrate, this will require:
- bark of pine or fir eaten from tar;
- crushed charcoal;
- sphagnum moss;
- peat;
- dolomite flour;
- perlite or expanded clay.
To hang the calcium content, you can add fern roots, coconut chips, limestone or chalk to increase the calcium content. For necessary (especially in the 1st month after planting) aeration, the substrate must be mixed well.
The process itself
Before planting the bulbs you need to know that this is not part of the plant and only a month later out of it will emerge shoots - the stems of the future orchid. Procedure for planting a Vietnamese orchid bulb:
- Carefully moisten the substrate.
- At the bottom of a previously prepared container with holes, you must put large stones to increase its durability.
- Then fill the drainage layer of expanded clay.
- Substrate lay the third layer.
- Set the bulb vertically, deepening it to a maximum of 1 cm.
- The bulb itself should be left on the surface and not sprinkled with the substrate.
- Support the bulb with a stick so that it does not fall.
- Place a container with a planted bulb in a well-lit place.
No need to water the orchid before the horses appear, otherwise it will die. After planting, it will take a month for the first roots to appear.
The bottom of the bulb must be attached to the ground.otherwise the roots will not appear.
Problems and difficulties
Pests such as thrips, mites and roundworms can appear in a flowerpot with a Vietnamese orchid. Most likely they will start when the bulb gives roots, and the stalks appear from the adventitious bud. If the plant is affected by thrips, it must be isolated, rinsed under a shower and treated with insecticides. In case of defeat by nematodes, the plant will not be able to be saved, since no drug will help to get rid of them forever.
Important! If the orchid in the absence of pests, you need to lower the pot with it in the soda.
Further care
In order for the Vietnamese orchid bulbs to grow, the following conditions must be created for it:
- air temperature should not be below +18 degrees;
- the level of air humidity is 70%, the minimum acceptable figure is 50%;
- fertilizers must be made monthly;
- watering is done in the summer every day, in the winter several times a month, when the substrate is dry;
- it is better to put a pot with orchid on the window sill on the south side, while you need to protect the plant from direct sunlight;
- additional lighting is most likely required in winter.
Orchid from Vietnam - a beautiful flower that will delight the owner with its flowershowever, growing it from a bulb is not so easy. Be patient, take into account all the nuances and follow the instructions, then success is guaranteed.