Is it possible to grow an Orchid at home

For beginners experts recommend to choose a Phalaenopsis Orchid, as the least capricious of all types of orchids. With proper care and conditions, this plant blooms for 6-7 months in a year, and of your brethren the most common as home flower. Under natural conditions all orchids are epiphytes, which means that they do not have a formed root system, and live generally in the folds of the bark of trees. At home on the soil for orchids, too, should be forgotten - it requires a completely different substrate. Phalaenopsis planted in a mix of bark pieces and moss, there you can add charcoal.

You can buy a ready substrate for planting orchids, you can make a mixture yourself. For this, take a dry pine bark, which is first boiled for at least 2 hours. After this the bark to dry and after it completely dries, you boil again. It is necessary to kill insects and their larvae, and prevent fungal and mold spores. Pieces ready crust size should be 1.5 - 2 cm Bark mixed with chopped sphagnum, and a substrate for orchids ready. Pot for planting Phalaenopsis also need to choose particularly because orchids require transparent container with lots of holes. Pot is best to take the plastic glass can injure the delicate roots, and there are cases when the roots of the Orchid grow into the micro pores of the glass, while suffering greatly.

On the bottom of the pot is placed drainage - pieces of foam or charcoal. By volume it should be at least one quarter of the total capacity. Then stacked the roots of the orchids and the space between them tightly but without pressure, filled with substrate. To stamp it in any case is not necessary, all must lie naturally and freely, the roots of orchids need a lot of air. Repot the orchids no more frequently than every three years, so this process takes a long time just from habit, return to it will be very soon.

Orchids are picky plants that require a lot of light, but direct sunlight they do not suffer. To determine whether the lack of plant lights, it is easiest on the leaves. From the excessively hot sun sheets during the day, covered with burns, and with a lack of light will become very dark green, almost black. Watering Phalaenopsis soft water, summer, every 2-3 days, and in winter 1-2 times a week. The substrate should dry out between waterings, orchids do not like excessive moisture, their roots can start to rot. Too much watering is required - the pot immersed in water for 10 minutes and then leave to drip off excess moisture. From the top, like a regular flower, water does not make sense, because the moisture must saturate the bark and moss completely.