Features care orchid oncidium at home

This member of the Orchid family is also called "dancing pupae" and not so long ago began to gain popularity among fans of house plants.

Oncidium, without any doubt, will be a great decoration for your home.

However, such a flower, in order to please the eye longer, requires proper care.

Description

Such orchids have a simpodial type of branching. The height and size of the plant depends on the species: there are oncidia that resemble irises and do not grow more than 15 cm, but there are rather large flowers of this type with pronounced pseudobulbs producing lanceolate leaves. Heat-loving oncidiums have more rigid leaves than shade-loving ones, which, in turn, are distinguished by thin leaves. These plants are blooming with flowers collected in the racemes, which can vary in length from 10 cm to 5 m. The flowers have a pleasant aroma and differ in appearance, depending on the variety. In diameter, they can be either 1 cm or 12 cm.It is impossible to name specifically one single color of oncidiums, but it can be argued that the color of such flowers is yellow and red-brown.

Sorta

This genus is distinguished by a high diversity of representatives. In nature, there are both oncidia growing on stones in the hottest and driest regions of the Earth, as well as moisture-loving orchids for growing at home. Regarding the latter, hybrids of oncidia, which are most often found on store shelves, are 'Sweet Sugar', 'Sharry Baby' and 'Twinkle'.

'Sweet Sugar'

Differs in small double-faced pseudobulbs, which are carefully attached to each other. Flowers have a yellow color, diameter - 3 cm.The height of such a plant can reach 35 cm. This type is the most common, because not very whimsical in care and does not require undue attention.

'Sharry Baby'

The main distinctive feature of this hybrid is a pleasant, pronounced the smell of honey and chocolate. On such a plant there are many small flowers (diameter - 3.8 cm) of dark-violet, red with white or yellow-brown color. One inflorescence of this plant can carry several dozen flowers. In height, an orchid can grow up to 70 cm.

'Twinkle'

Hybrid "Twinkle" has even smaller flowers (diameter - 1.5 cm) than the orchids of the two previous varieties. Also has a pleasant aroma. Flowers tend to be white, purple, yellow, pink or red. The length of the stem can reach 1 m.

Choosing one of the oncidia in the store, it is necessary to pay attention to the number of bulbs per plant: there should be at least three of them. It is also better to take a flower with leaves on which there are no spots, as they usually mean that the flower is sick. The ideal plant - the roots of which stick out to the surface from dry soil.

Growing conditions

So that the plant does not cease to bloom immediately after purchase, does not hurt and further develops to your delight, it needs the right conditions. This must be taken into account when deciding to create such a flower at home. Almost all types of oncidium suit the same conditions that are easy to provide.

Temperature

Regardless of the type of hybrid you choose for home keeping, the best temperature for the plant will be 15-26 ° C. However, if the temperature in the room where the pot is, does not exceed 17 ° C, the plant should not be sprayed with water to prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases.

Air humidity

On a standard window sill, room oncidians have enough moisture (40%), so often such a flower does not require additional manipulations on your part to increase the level of moisture in the air. But if your orchid is standing near the heater and the humidity of the air does not reach 40%, it is necessary to spray it or wipe the leaves from time to time.

Lighting

Oncidiums are flowers that love the light but not too brightthey have enough ordinary scattered sunlight. On how much light will receive orchids, depends on the pomp of the flower: more light - the flower is more magnificent. If a plant has enough light, it can be determined by its leaflets: if they have a saturated and uniform green color, it means that they do not lack lighting; if the leaves are yellowish or with brown or white spots, it is necessary to rearrange the flower to a more lighted place.

The soil

Oncidia grow in the soil, which consists of pine bark, charcoal, river sand and chalk.To maintain the desired level of humidity and filter out excess salt from the water, sphagnum moss is placed on top of the soil.

Care

As well as the conditions of maintenance of such a plant, the proper care of an oncidium orchid at home is also important. It comes down to all the standard procedures that any indoor plants need: fertilizer, watering, pruning, and sometimes - transplanting.

Watering

Such plants should be watered when their bright roots on the surface and the substrate in which they grow dry. However, this should not be done immediately: after you notice that the roots have grown, you need to give them a little dry out and breathe. When the weather is warm, water oncidium should be watered 3-4 times a month, in the rainy or winter period it can be done less often - 1-2 times a month. The best way to water is to put the pot in warm, clean water for 20 minutes. In this case, not all the container with a flower should be immersed in the water, but only 1/3 of it.

Top dressing

Oncidium should be fed during the growth of young shoots and suspend fertilizer during the formation of bulba. When the flower appears, the dressing needs to be renewed.The fertilizer solution marked "for orchids" should be weak - 1:10 or 1: 8.

Pruning

In those plants, remove those parts of the bulb on which the outlets of the mycelium or other lesions are visible. Also - spotty and hollow areas. This is done with a sharp knife, after which it is necessary to treat the places where the incision was made, with garden pitch or crushed coal.

Transfer

These orchids - not lovers of transplants. But if after the purchase you found a lump of moss inside the pot, if the roots began to rot, the substrate turned into a dusty substance or the sprouts began to grow, the flower must be transplanted. Planned transplants should be done when the young bulbe only need to start their growth roots.

For transplantation use pine bark of an average fraction. This process must be carried out in several stages:

1. Place a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot.
2. Put on the drainage pieces of bark.
3. Dip the plant in a pot and fill it with smaller pieces of bark (so that the bulb does not fully sink into the soil, it can be seen on the surface).
4. Make sure that the oncidium in the substrate is not loose (if loose, fasten with a stick and rope).

Diseases and pests

Mealybug is the most common pest attacking orchids. The first sign that your plant has been exposed to it is white lumps on the oncidium, which look like cotton wool. To save the flower from such a misfortune, it is necessary to remove these lumps with a piece of cloth or a tampon dipped in alcohol, and then process it with Aktar.

Also oncidium can infect aphid, scab or spider mite. They suck the juice from the plant, settling on the bulbs, leaflets or stems. As a result, the leaves become spotty, dry and fall off.

Such pests should be removed from the plant swab dipped in alcohol or soapy water. You can process the flower homemade infusion of one tsp. onions and one glass of water (the infusion should be a day).

It is not excluded the oncidium damage by fungi or bacteria. In this case, leaves appear on the leaves, which must be removed. It is also necessary to stop spraying the plant with water and treat it with appropriate means (fungicide + "Tetracycline"). The oncidium orchid is a wonderful choice of home flower. However, this choice must be made correctly, paying attention in the store to the color of the leaves and the number of flowers. Just buy and put a flower at home is not enough: you need to find the right place for it, provide the necessary conditions and care, and only then your orchid will be healthy, beautiful and always blooming.