Symbolism:
Orchids
always were a symbol of love, luxury and beauty. The ancients
considered the symbol of virility and fertility.
The Chineses called him “plants with the perfume of king”. In
the Middle Ages are used as an essential ingredient of herbal
therapeutic formulations. Considered an aphrodisiac plant and was the
main material in love potions and syrups. . In the 18th century BC,
when the British brought orchids from distant lands, were expensive
plants and it
was cultivated by few botanists and wealthy
hobbyists. Today
the culture of orchids has acquired a lot of partisans.
General
for orchids:
Orchids,
uses other plants for support, so
that they can be developed, while their roots are in air.
All their reproductive organs co-exist on the same plant. They
are answered in the all continents with the exception of the
Antarctica.. In Greece
we introduce orchids mainly from the Netherlands but there are
experienced Orchid producers supplying the market with top quality
plants. The Phalaenopsis Orchid, because of her beauty and great ease
in cultivation are the most likely to buy for your home or to accept
it as a gift.
Care/maintenance
tips:
Lighting:
Orchids,
to flourish and stay healthy, needs light without coming into
direct exposure to the Sun. If you notice the leaves the Orchid you
will figure out if you need more light. If the leaves are thin and
long with dark green color indicates that the Orchid needs more
light.(in the same place will just slow to flower) if it has soft
green leaves, that fade or yellow would be good to put it somewhere
with less light.
Watering:
Key
factor of preservation of orchid is water. Orchids typically die from
accidentally watering because there is no balance between water and
air in the rhizome. If the roots stay moist for a long time, their
core rots, the plant does not absorb water and dehydrate. One way to
have healthy plants straight is to check their roots. If the roots of
the plant are white grey or silver, then the plant needs watering.
Brown and soft to the touch, roots are rotten and remove from the
plant with a sterile tool. Healthy roots are green in color and are
hard to the touch. Water once a week with warm water (better
morning). In flowering period careful not to go water to the flowers
because it limits the duration of flowers.
Space:
wetness:
Εxcept
watering, key role plays and the humidity of the area (at a rate of
60-80). In the morning spray the leaves of orchids with water to dry
till night. Also we can put next to Orchid a bowl with water so that
it has the
humidity that needs.
Fertilization:
Specifically
the hot months of summertime, fertilization should
be done 1-2 times a month with watering. In
my own orchids I prefer liquid
fertilizer because the plant absorbs it more easily.
Transplanting:
When we
buy an orchid, it would be good to change the substrate because
orchids are usually not repotted and sold with the old and marginally
tolerable substrate that unless you have the proper care may host
bugs or fungus. We do not use soil but some substrate suitable for
orchids. In many phalaenopsis orchids used a mixture of charcoal with
wood pieces. Generally, replanting is done once a year or every 2
years depending on the condition of the substrate. Appropriate time
is spring after the plant loses their flowers. The
size of flowerpot that we select should be commensurate
with the size of the plant.
Flowering:
If you
buy Orchid hybrids need 3 to 4 years to flourish. . In several
flowering stalks the hybrids are driven to flowering after cutting
their summit when it lost the flowers and only in perfectly healthy
plants. The stalk grows Sep-Oct and after 3 months the buds bloom. In
this period we are leaving the plant in the same place because any
change in temperature burns the buds.
Buying
advice:
- Orchids commonly sold as part of a packaging or wrapped in zelofan. Beware of the zelofan or the pot not to have water in.
- When we see an orchid that yellow flowers or buds wilt (regardless of the care that would offer after) the more likely it is to fall the buds of mid-week.
- The pseydobolboi of orchids will be sleek and inflatable. In any other situation, it shows that the trim is not correct or the plant is infected.
- the leaves should be perky all. If you bend or have folds, rather the plant froze at some stage of his life or it was not irrigated well or still that exists problem in the roots of plant.
5.
the substrate should be fluffy, the plant firmly planted. An old
seated
substrate,
has a lot of moisture and probably carious roots.
6.
the roots of the plant if it is green, grey/green , white or grey,
the plant is healthy. Ask the salesman to pull up the
plant. A correctly planted plant, can lift it’s weight no
matter how fragile it is.
7. if
you buy plants ,from department store, find out how long they're
there. They usually have less care than that reported by vendors.
8.
Something very tempting about buying a plant is the offers. When the
plant has lost it’s flowers, is offered at a lower price but
perhaps spent over 1 month with poor care and damage is irreversible.
9. If
you buy orchids through internet or auction pages make sure your
plant is accompanied by the specific CITES certificate (issued by the
control authorities of the exporting country) or ask the seller if
the purchase price included certificates or any customs taxes .For
import of plants except European Union will need an import permit
from the host country (Greece).
With
these simple tips, you'll have amazing phalaenopsis orchids that will
reciprocate the care that you offer with wonderful flowers.
Valentina
Zampioglou
Orchids always were a symbol of love, luxury and beauty. The ancients considered the symbol of virility and fertility. The Chineses called him “plants with the perfume of king”. In the Middle Ages are used as an essential ingredient of herbal therapeutic formulations. Considered an aphrodisiac plant and was the main material in love potions and syrups. . In the 18th century BC, when the British brought orchids from distant lands, were expensive plants and it was cultivated by few botanists and wealthy hobbyists. Today the culture of orchids has acquired a lot of partisans.
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