Orchids have always been and will remain the favorite of florist. Beautiful plants with wonderful long flowering always decorate the house and delight the eye. Now we consider the features and rules of care for orchid varieties "Cumbria". You certainly will like this extraordinary flower.
Description
Cumbria is a hybrid flower bred by crossing three types of orchids, namely:
- Miltonia (lat. Miltonia), or pansies;
- Brassia (Brassia) "spider orchid";
- Oncidium (Oncidium).
Did you know? "Cumbria" is also called the "asterisk" because of the extraordinary similarity of the flower with the star.
Cumbria has a wide palette of colors; many people mistakenly think that these are all different types of orchids. External characteristic "Cumbria" is as follows:
- rounded pseudobulbs (nutrients that come to the rescue during extreme periods of plant growth);
- narrow and oblong leaves;
- sprout growth;
- "Cumbria" refers to sympodial orchids (this is when one of the two lateral axes of a plant forms so quickly that it takes the direction of the main one, as a result of which the other shifts or dies);
- pseudobulbs have an oblong shape, are well formed and reach a length of 8 cm;
- 2-3 pseudobulbs with dark green leaf with a vein in the middle are placed on them, they are about 50 cm long;
- Flowers come in a variety of colors interspersed with a diameter of 50 mm to 10 cm.
Features of growing
To grow "Cumbria" preferably on the east, north-east or west window-sills. If the windows look to the south and south-west, then the orchid (in summer) should be shaved with gauze or other fine fabric. The leaves of the flower are very sensitive: if you carry out rain watering, they may remain stains. Also irreparable damage to the leaves causes a direct hit of the sun's rays.
Did you know? Despite the huge variety of orchids - about 35 thousand species of this plant are known - all their flowers, differing in shape and color, are arranged in the same way. Each flower has three sepals and three petals, one of which is noticeably larger and brighter than the other two.
Breeding
A favorable period for breeding "Cumbria" is the beginning of spring (March - early April). At this time, she is preparing to get out of biological rest. Orchid should be propagated after it blooms. Traditionally, "Cumbria" propagated by dividing the bush.
The process of dividing the bush:
- soak the root system of the flower in water (to avoid damage to brittle roots by bark or other soil components);
- disinfect the tools (fire or alcohol) that you will use;
- remove rotten orchid patches;
- carefully divide the bush into 2-3 parts, try not to damage the roots;
- cut off leaves and other damages with charcoal powder;
- rid the root of the old earth and dry it;
- transplant the plant into a new soil.
Care
Rules for the care of "Cumbria" are simple and not demanding, because this hybrid was created with the expectation of maintenance in an ordinary apartment.
Familiarize yourself with such members of the Orchid family as Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, Wanda, Cymbidium, and Bletilla.
Conditions
The ideal temperature for an orchid ranges from 15 ° C to 25 ° C. It is suitable for both day and night temperatures. If you want your orchid to develop quickly, provide it with a cool habitat temperature (15-20 ° C). Illumination for an orchid must be chosen with good light transmission, so the flowering will be much better, and the flowers themselves will be larger. At the same time, “Cumbria” needs to be protected from direct sunlight - they burn brittle leaves and, over time, they begin to turn yellow (in this case, the flower must be moved to another place).
Important! In winter, the orchid most of all needs good light transmission, so it needs to be moved to the most lit place. If necessary, you can use phytolamps.Humidityin the period of biological rest almost not needed. The orchid is practically not watered, because at this time flower buds are laid and the growth is ripening, and after it comes flowering. In winter, you need to consider the proximity of the flower to the sources of heating (batteries or fan heaters). If the plant is near heat sources, place a bowl / glass of water near it or spray the air around it daily, trying not to fall on the leaves.
The soil for orchids should include whole pieces of bark (2-3 cm in size). If the crust is crushed and more like a lump of earth - throw it away, such a substrate does not allow air to pass through and retains water. In this case, the roots of the "stars" will begin to rot and harm the plant. Sometimes polystyrene is added to the bark, allowing for quick drying out of excess water. Coal, sphagnum moss and fern roots can be added to the soil.
An ideal substrate should:
- restrain moisture for the roots;
- do not form souring (moisture should not linger for a long time in the tank);
- pass air (do not be too dense).
Watering
Orchid root system is very fragile. To protect it from rotting, watering in hot weather is carried out once a week, and in rain or cold - once every two weeks. With daily watering the plant will disappear from the abundance of water and decay. Water for irrigation should be boiled or filtered, "Cumbria" is extremely susceptible to water quality. You can also put the pot in water for half an hour and then pour the flower until it is completely dry.
Important! Cumbria is easier to tolerate drought than stagnant water.
Top dressing
During growth, the orchid is fertilized with special dressings. It lasts until the flowering period, after any feeding stops. Be careful, use half the dosage than indicated on the package, so as not to burn the delicate roots of "Cumbria".
Transfer
The flower does not tolerate frequent transplants; if necessary, it is propagated once every two years (when the roots will not fit in the pot, and their growth will slow down significantly). The best time for a transplant is considered the period when the roots did not appear on the bulb.
Step-by-step transplant "Cumbria":
- remove the flower from the pot;
- clean it of moss and bark (if there is suppuration, they also need to be removed);
- put the bark and foam at the bottom of the pot (so that the roots are not in the water when watering);
- set the plant at an angle of 90 °;
- we fall asleep with new bark, pieces of coal and moss;
- We do not water for a week (so that the resulting wounds heal).
Diseases and pests
An orchid can be struck by a scythe - a dark-brown insect with a very dense shell, resembling bulging tubercles; it clings to the leaves (especially young) and drinks all the juice from the plant. After the leaves become sticky with sweet discharge. To fight pests need special insecticides, following the instructions, depending on the complexity of the defeat. With good weather, the flower can be put on the street (just not on the direct rays of the sun). Soil for the flower must be replaced.
You can fight pests with the help of such drugs as: "Aktara", "Confidor" and "Malathion".
Fungal and bacterial infectious diseases can appear on Cumbria. To get rid of them, you need to use fungicides (chemicals against fungal diseases). After the treatment, we transplant the flower and sprinkle the earth with coal. If you notice a white bloom on the leaves and stems of the orchid, most likely it is the salinization of the substrate. For treatment, water it with boiled water, stop feeding and replace the soil. "Cumbria" - a wonderful flower hybrid, having a variety of colors. It requires minimal watering and rare transplantation, which does not practically complicate the city dweller, flower lovers and gardeners.
