Among all the flowers that man has "tamed" over the centuries, orchids occupy a special place. These plants have a special beauty that attracts many beauty lovers. But sooner or later each grower has a question - how to propagate an orchid at home? What difficulties and nuances are there along the way?
Reproduction "from the root"
Orchids are pretty moody plants, they must be carefully looked after. The same goes for their reproduction at home. Here flower lovers need to try hard. One of the most common ways to increase the number of flowers is by propagating by roots or dividing the bush.
This procedure spend in early spring... At this time, the orchid is just coming out of the dormant state and is ready for active growth. Reproduction in this way is carried out in the following sequence:
Carefully remove the rhizome from the pot;- You must first disinfect the garden knife. With its help, cut the rhizome in half. In this case, 2-3 bulbs should remain on each part;
- The cut points must be sprinkled with ground wood corner. Thus, you will disinfect them;
- Then each half is planted in a separate pot and watered abundantly.
After planting, do not expect the rapid growth of both new plants. The fact is that on one rhizome there can be young, and on the other old bulbs. As a result, the first will immediately grow, and soon you see fresh greens... Old bulbs will sprout not so "nimble", but from time to time everything will level out.
You can take care of the active growth of new plants in advance after dividing the rhizome. This method is acceptable if you already have a large, mature and healthy plant. If you want active growth of both halves immediately after planting, then about a year before this operation, cut the rhizome to the middle. This action will promote the formation of adventitious buds, which will become the "organizers" of the active growth of new shoots.
We use the grafting method
Many growers, when asked how orchids reproduce at home, will call grafting method... This method is widely used by gardeners, but in our case it is quite effective. The only thing you need to know is that it is better to propagate monopodial orchid species by cuttings.
The procedure itself is quite simple. It is necessary on the plant to select the top of the stem, on which the aerial roots have formed, and cut it off. The resulting stalk is planted in prepared soil at dawn. The new plant is looked after as an adult. After a while, shoots with roots will begin to grow from the cut stem. After that, they are separated and planted in a pot.
It is very important to properly care for it after cutting from an adult shoot orchid. The plant must be placed in a damp place. After a while, the flower can be returned to normal environment... This moisture content will help the plant cope with stress.
Some experts suggest propagating an orchid at home using a cut of a peduncle. But it is worth remembering that this procedure is rather complicated. The orchid is propagated by the already experienced flower growers. Himself the process looks like this:
After the flowers have disappeared, the peduncle is cut off at the very base;- Further, the cut part is divided into cuttings. Moreover, in the center of each of them there should be a kidney;
- Cuttings are placed in a pre-prepared pot of moss in a horizontal position. Make sure the bud is on top of the moss;
- Next, you need to meet the conditions for good growth. The pot is covered with foil and placed in a bright place. The temperature regime must be strictly observed. It will be optimal if the plant is at a plus of 25 degrees;
- Watering is carried out every three to four days. In this case, you do not need to pour a lot of water, otherwise the stalk may begin to rot.
After some time, the planted piece of peduncle will take root, and the new plant can be transplanted to a permanent place of "residence".
We land the "kids"
There is another way how to breed an orchid at home. In some plant varieties from the maternal root young shoots grow, which are popularly called "kids". These can be cut off and planted in separate pots. Moreover, if the "baby" has not yet formed its own bulb, then you can cut off part of the mother. In this case, the plant will have where to get energy from to grow in a new place.
Not all plants have new "babies". But there is a way to speed up their growth. To do this, it is necessary to place an adult plant in a place with a high temperature. In addition, the orchid is fed with fertilizers that contain a large amount of nitrogen. Under such conditions, an adult plant will more actively release "babies".
The process separated from the adult orchid is planted in the soil usual for this plant. The detached "baby" does not require special care. The same procedures are carried out as for an adult plant. After two or three years, the sprout will reach adulthood and will begin to bloom.
We use seeds
Orchids can also be propagated by seed, like regular flower plants. This method can give much more "offspring". If you make simple calculations, then by dividing an adult rhizome you can get two, maximum three plants. The most productive way is cuttings, it can give you up to 10 orchids. Using seeds is a completely different matter. In this case, you may have several dozen or even hundreds of new plants at once.
But here there are pitfalls... Growing an orchid from a seed is a rather difficult task, which is sometimes beyond the power of even an experienced florist. The fact is that an orchid seed has no energy to grow. A shell with nutrients is not formed around the "embryo". Therefore, everything that is needed for growth must be provided by the florist himself.
For sowing, you need to prepare the soil. This includes finely chopped moss and leafy soil. The soil is moistened and seeds are sown on top. It is worth remembering that they are very small, so you do not need to sprinkle them with earth on top. It is also impossible to water the crops, they need to be sprayed with warm water. After the leaves appear, young orchids dive.
Growing from seed is a challenging task. It is necessary to achieve absolute sterility of both soil washing and irrigation water. It is almost impossible to do this, which is why this method is used extremely rarely.
Conclusion
Orchids are beautiful, but pretty picky plant... She especially shows her capriciousness during breeding. There are several ways to increase the number of orchids in your home. The most reliable method is dividing the adult rhizome. And the most productive one is cuttings. You can try growing a plant from seeds. But here it is worth remembering the difficulties.
Orchid seeds are very small and have little energy. To grow an adult plant out of them is a big job. Therefore, this method is rarely used. But if you wish, you can do everything, the main thing is not to be afraid and follow all the recommendations of specialists.With a little effort, your house will be filled with beautiful orchids that will delight your eyes and cheer you up.
