What is a baby orchid and how to plant it?

Orchid is an exotic flower that has become a favorite of domestic flower growers quite recently. There are many varieties, colors and varieties. Each of them is unique in its own way. Many plant lovers want to “breed” their pet.

The most natural way to make several of one orchid is a baby. It is relatively unpretentious, growing quite quickly, and caring for it is not much different from caring for an adult flower. In the article, we will consider the situation when a baby formed on the peduncle of an orchid: how to properly separate it and put it in a pot.

What it is?

Baby, or pseudobulb - a process on a peduncle or on the root of an orchid, which in the process of maturation is formed into an independent flower. Reproduction by pseudobulbs of such varieties as phalaenopsis is the best option. It does not require much time and skills, and also does not harm an adult plant.

On a note. Many breeders and flower lovers prefer this type of breeding. The appearance of the baby is a real event for the grower. Indeed, on their own, without additional stimulation, they appear extremely rarely.

How to recognize a pseudobulb?

Orchid growth is an extremely fascinating sight. Many flower growers every day try to observe the changes of their favorites. And adjust the feeding and watering schedule in accordance with the periods of growth and flowering.

As a rule, there is no problem with a baby that is formed on a peduncle from a kidney. It’s hard not to recognize. The difficulty is with the so-called root cake. Therefore, an inexperienced collector notices a neoplasm on the basal part of the flower, he is confused, trying to guess this baby, peduncle or a new root.

If the root of the peduncle and the baby is relatively easy to distinguish. A new growing root forms next to the old roots. In the process of growth, the root “breaks” through the leaf. But after 2-3 weeks, a dull "nose" appears on the root. It is peculiar only to the root system. And it will help to dot all I.

Peduncle, or in common arrow. It also develops quite specifically. As a rule, the tip of the peduncle is shown "because of the sinus" of the leaf. But, cases of the formation of a peduncle in the basal part are not uncommon. Then confusing it with a root baby is not so difficult.

The main features of a growing basal baby are:

• the baby, like the peduncle, can form "behind the bosom" of the leaf;
• the baby has a sharp tip;
• oval shape;
• within a few weeks, it should take the form of a "boat";
• if the flower suddenly has another growth point, we can confidently say that a new baby has formed.

Curious! Often a florist can observe the development of a peduncle for several weeks, which later turns out to be a baby. These are the surprises nature presents us!

Watch the video about how the root differs from the peduncle on the orchid:

How to determine that the shoot is ready for "independent life"?

Keiki is a real treasure for orchid lovers. They can help get another flower identical to the mother plant. It is a great success to find such a process on your pet. Many flowers may not give children at all for the entire period of their life. therefore the task of orchid lovers is to properly transplant the baby and not destroy the young plant. To do this, it is important to know how to properly take a shoot from an orchid, root and plant it.

Attention! The main thing is not to rush. The key to successful separation of the cake from the mother's orchid is timeliness. It is necessary to give the young flower to gain strength and to release the roots.

Many flower lovers are advised to think about a transplant, not earlier than the baby will give the first 3-4 leaves. And its roots will grow at least 5 millimeters. However, pulling with a transplant is also not worth it. Too overgrown roots can also be difficult. It’s hard to put them in a pot without damaging them.

What if the roots do not appear?

It often happens that the baby grows, and even tries to release a peduncle, but does not build up its roots. This confuses orchid lovers. Indeed, it is absolutely impossible to transplant a young plant with an undeveloped root system. In this case, experienced breeders share their experience on how to increase the root system of the cake.

• Grow roots with sphagnum moss. To do this, you must:
  1. To form a bag from moss and attach it with a thread to the base of the baby, you need to control so that the thread does not damage the plant.
  2. If the baby is large and grew up on a peduncle, tie the arrow and the structure itself to the stick.
  3. If the room has over-dried air, you need to wrap a bag with moss-sphagnum with cling film, this will create the effect of a greenhouse. But, in this case, the cake needs to be aired daily.
  4. Moss should be sprayed with water daily, to accelerate the effect, it is recommended to add a root growth stimulator to water, it can be bought at flower shops.
  5. After the root system is formed, you can safely plant the baby in the substrate.
• Experienced orchid lovers suggest growing roots on a cake in a greenhouse. To do this, you need:
  1. Separate the baby from the mother flower.
  2. Plant in a bark in a specially prepared greenhouse.
  3. The upper part of the cortex must be covered with sphagnum moss and sprayed daily with water.

Reference. The rooting process in a greenhouse can take anywhere from three months to six months. Success directly depends on the regularity and correctness of spraying. This method is not recommended to gardeners without experience of orchid cultivation.

The process of planting at home

So, the root system is fully formed, the baby has already given several leaves, and it's time to transplant it into the ground. This is a very important and responsible process; it does not tolerate inaccuracies and neglect.

The fate of the young plant depends directly on whether the transplant takes place correctly. For transplant, it’s useful:

• A special plastic transparent pot with a diameter of 7-10 mm with drainage holes or make them yourself.
• Substrate (special soil consisting of bark and charcoal) - the size of the bark should be no more than 1-1.5 cm. If you can’t buy a suitable substrate, you can make it yourself by chopping large pieces of bark with garden shears.
• A sharp knife, pruner or pruning shears.
• Sphagnum moss.
• Activated carbon.

The transplant process requires caution, accuracy and a little luck.:

1. First you need to take a plastic pot and make sure that it has drainage holes, if they are not there - do it yourself.
2. Make sure that the soil is small enough.
3. Separate the cake from the mother flower with a sharp object. After making sure that the root system of the baby is formed.
4. Process cut points with activated carbon. Cut the slice on the baby with an antiseptic and put it to air dry before planting.
5. Place the shoot in the pot in such a way that the neck of the roots is at the level of the edges of the pot. It is necessary to try to ensure that the roots fully enter the pot, but if in the process the root system can suffer, you can leave some on the surface.
6. Pour the substrate into the pot with extreme care so as not to injure the roots.Important! Tamp the ground with your hands or with foreign objects.

   In order for the substrate to lie tightly and evenly, the pot is shaken a little.

7. If roots remain on the surface, they should be wrapped with harvested moss.
8. Watering the just transplanted baby should not be earlier than after three to four days. This time will provide an opportunity to heal the wound from the cut. And the ingress of microbes from a substrate or moss will be practically excluded.

Follow-up care

Caring for a baby planted in the ground is not much different from caring for an adult plant. The main thing is to provide the plant with a comfortable climate, timely watering and sunlight.

To stimulate growth, orchid lovers recommend adding special fertilizers to the water, which you can buy at any flower shop. With good care, a young plant can bloom in 2-3 years.

Useful video

Watch a video on how to transplant an orchid baby into a pot:

Conclusion

Orchid - a flower quite moody. It requires special soil, good lighting, regular infrequent watering and is very afraid of open sunlight. From the article you learned what to do if the process has formed in the orchid, how to separate, plant and care for it later. It can be concluded that lovers of these plants should try so that their specimens bloom and feel great. But, the joy of the blossoming buds and the admiring glances of the guests more than cover all the expended efforts.

Watch the video: Potting Baby Seedling Orchids (November 2024).