Orchids need stress to flower. When you can take indoor plants outside, on the balcony
It's already warm outside. Warm nights. And you want to bring your flowers to the cottage or to the balcony or loggia, but you doubt whether it is too early? Are all the flowers worth taking out into the street? What conditions are necessary for indoor plants on fresh air?
It is useful for indoor flowers to "travel" to fresh air in the summer, for example, to a summer cottage.
Flowers can be taken to the country at the beginning of June.
Ferns, violets, orchids, bromeliads and other epiphytic plants. For them, moving to fresh air can end in disaster.
Asparagus, chlorophytum, cacti, ficuses, conifers, agave, citrus fruits, coffee, figs, pomegranates, bonsai, palms, indoor roses and jasmine. Outdoor life for these plants in summer is a good thing.
The main thing in moving- choose the right place for indoor plants. An open, sunny place is suitable for plants with silvery, blue or gray-green leaves (lavender, cistus, olive, rosemary). Plants with leathery leaves (citrus fruits, laurel, myrtle) also feel good in the sun. Plants with succulent leaves (aloe, agave) also easily tolerate drought and are not afraid of the sun.
Most indoor plants, although they prefer well-lit places, do not tolerate direct sunlight. In hot midday hours, care must be taken to protect the myrtle, araucaria, and coffee. And it is better to put fuchsias, large-leaved begonias, gloxinias in a shaded place, at least for the first time. For shading, it is good to use a camouflage net or thin covering material (lutrasil). It is necessary to protect the flowers and from the wind - pampered room conditions the flowers will wither and dry in the wind. Therefore, it is better to place the pots near the fence, decorative lattice, the walls of the house, in the shade of trees. Can not be arranged houseplants in low areas, flooded during the rain - from an excess of moisture, the roots can rot, and the plant can die.
Fertilizing indoor plants in the garden should be the same as at home... But it should be remembered: since you will water them more, it means that you will also wash out. nutrients there will be more. Houseplants should not be fed fresh manure. Better not to use organic at all.
Sudden and rapid leaf drop without a prior long period of wilting or discoloration is usually indicative of plant shock. It can be caused by a significant temperature difference (both decrease and increase), sharp increase daytime light intensity or strong cold draft. Sudden leaf fall, especially in treelike plants, can also be caused by drying out of the soil at the roots.
“I envy your greenhouse. I live in an apartment, I don’t have such an opportunity, ”one florist often writes to another. Actually, there is an opportunity: you can arrange a greenhouse on an ordinary balcony with your hands and imagination.
“My thoughts are to transform the balcony into a winter garden. And then I have very dark apartment, but I want flowers ", - the participant dreams Triksi... Here's how to make these dreams come true.
How to insulate
If your balcony is sheathed with siding and equipped with normal double-glazed windows, this is half the battle. But only half: in order for your plants to feel comfortable both in the heat and in the cold, the balcony needs to be properly insulated, and in such a way as to protect it from overheating on hot July days. Remember that you need to insulate the balcony with a material that is not afraid of moisture - it is not known how hygrophilous flowers you want to grow.
Many ornamental plants they do not like sudden changes in temperature, and this must be taken into account: the air temperature in your balcony greenhouse must be stable. An electric heater with a temperature sensor will help you with this, which will itself control and maintain the desired temperature. What you need to take care of is that the heat is distributed evenly throughout the balcony. At the same time, the greenhouse effect must not be tolerated. To do this, many install an air conditioner on the balcony greenhouse, but some also manage with ventilation hatches.
The balcony floor will also have to be insulated. Ideally - to make a heated floor, but there are budget options: put a layer of insulation, on it - boards, hardboard. Top - linoleum or any other flooring, necessarily - waterproof. Ceramic tiles work best.
It seems that last floor- a great advantage for a balcony greenhouse: you can make a glass roof. However, experienced flower growers say that it is not needed: on sunny days, plants will suffer from heat, and the risk of burns will increase. In addition, such a roof quickly becomes dirty - you will be tortured with it. And by the way, if your balcony faces south, even at the stage of insulation, install horizontal blinds on the windows.
Where to get a place if it is not there
In fact, there is more space on the balcony than it seems. Flowers can stand on the windowsill, curl along the walls, hang from the ceiling. Boxes for large plants and bushes can be placed on the floor, on the sides and in the center of the balcony. Along outer wall inside the balcony, shelves can be installed in several tiers: the upper floors are for the most light-loving crops, and the lower ones are for plants that prefer shade.
That's not all. You can put a couple vertical posts for pots, fix on facade walls brackets, hang beautiful pots and wicker baskets from the ceiling. You can well strengthen a couple of boxes outside the balcony: ampelous plants will look great in them in summer.
Placing plants on multiple levels will not only provide you with reserves for placing them - in fact, it gives you endless possibilities for imagination and creativity. Your balcony will look like a flower paradise.
Magma:
And I really want to boast. This beauty grows on our loggia, converted into a winter garden:
Floriculture is fun. You may not even notice how your balcony has turned into a dense jungle, and the room behind the balcony has become semi-dark, like a closet. Light has to penetrate the room as well, don't forget about it! Ideal if the plants on the loggia frame window hole with three sides or from two, as a theatrical backstage.
What to grow
After examining this section, you can grow anything in your home greenhouse: ginger, murraya, strawberries, coffee, fruit-bearing trees, herbs and cereals ... But first, just consider the location of your balcony. If it faces south, plant crops that love light: ivy pelargonium, Drummond phlox, long-flowered, Dutch and Chinese carnations, daisies, levkoy, dahlias, Snapdragon, nasturtium. If we talk about climbing plants, then the sun is loved by hops, morning glory, cobea, passionflower, Turkish beans and sweet pea... Dracaena, yucca, aloe and a variety of cacti will also do well on the sunny side.
If your balcony hides in the shade most of the day, focus on fuchsias, marigolds, forget-me-nots, mignonette, various tobaccos and tuberous begonias... Feel free to put pots with oleander, laurel, balsam. Want to climbing plants? Take ivy or ampelopsis.
Mixes of ordinary plants with tropical ones look great. Agapanthus, hibiscus, citrus, clianthus, orchids, abutilon, passionflower, gloriosa will perfectly dilute humble garden perennials.
According to the experience of our florists, plants that come from the subtropics take root best on the glazed balcony. In winter, they suffer in our apartments, they need a lower temperature, and in the greenhouse loggia they are completely happy. But it shouldn't be colder than + 15C on the balcony! Conifers and other plants that need coolness in winter feel great in the balcony greenhouse.
If you have a small balcony, give up the idea of growing large-sized trees with spreading branches. A variety of compact plants will look more spectacular.
Say a big "no" to large-scale owners! If you mean the acquisition of them large. the main objective- lush vegetation. Set your goal wider! Application of lush vegetation!
How to arrange
The design of a balcony greenhouse depends on the balcony, and on the interior of the adjacent room, and on the type of plants. If you live on the ground floor and your balcony is protected by forged gratings, then the accessories must match: forged stands and consoles, furniture on metal frames... Consider the interior of the room adjacent to the greenhouse. For example, if it's high-tech, use perforated metal shelves and place flowers in metal planters.
A dry tropical garden with cacti looks rather monotonous - arrange the plants in a ladder on the podium against the background of the original lined wall. And if you place bindweed, vines and tree roses around the perimeter of the balcony and stretch the lattice and fishing line along the ceiling and along the walls, the greenhouse will look like a classic gazebo.
The greenhouse will become a favorite place in your home, and it is possible that the balcony landscape design- your new hobby. You can trim the wall like a rock or veneer it with textured stone, decorative plaster with stone texture. Put a small fountain, wicker chairs, turn on recordings with birdsong and forget about all the worries and worries ... Designers believe that chairs and chairs are just as important as plants - let your greenhouse become a place where it is pleasant to sit with a friend over a cup of coffee ...
For more information on how to turn a balcony into a winter garden, see our video. And here is a video on how to choose plants for winter garden... And this bonus is useful for both beginners and experienced florists- our forum "Pests and diseases of indoor plants".
I have been doing floriculture for five years. I live in an apartment, so I am fond of growing house plants. I have a wonderful flower garden on my balcony!
Our region (Crimea) with its mild climate is favorable for gardening on the balcony.
My favorite plants are orchids. The bright ones delight me with their long, beautiful flowering.
Phalaenopsis care
Phalaenopsis are very beautiful, they take up little space. These are relatively easy to care for, bloom for a very long time.
The most important thing when growing orchids on the balcony or in the house is to choose the right place for them.
For the successful growth and flowering of phalaenopsis, there must be enough light, otherwise the orchids will throw off the formed buds. East or West orientation of the windows is great for.
Phalaenopsis does not require much time from the grower; it is very easy to care for these orchids.
Please note that orchids do not like to grow in the ground, but in a special substrate. You can make your own bark and other mixture, but I prefer to buy a ready-made mixture.
Every morning I spray the phalaenopsis with settled water.
I water the phalaenopsis once a week. To do this, I soak a pot of dried orchid substrate in warm water until no more air bubbles (for about half an hour or an hour).
Three times a month I add fertilizer to the orchids in the irrigation water.
And further, important point orchid care. If you make a little more in the flowerpot, then the orchid immediately starts growing.
And the flowering period of wonderful phalaenopsis lasts up to six months!
I hope that my advice will help growers in growing phalaenopsis and destroy the myth that the orchid is the most capricious plant. Far from it! Therefore, decide to buy the first phalaenopsis. And don't panic if you are given this plant. You will soon become a real fan of Phalaenopsis.
I wish all flower growers a successful orchid cultivation!
Also, do not forget that the orchid is the Flower of Love, which can be a wonderful decoration for your bedroom.
I advise all girls to have this beautiful plant in their home.
And, of course, dear men - often give your beloved women orchids and other beautiful flowers!
Ekaterina Plaksina (Sevastopol, Crimea)
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For the winter I transferred the orchid (phalaenopsis) to the kitchen - it's warmer there, I spray the air around. But 2 problems arose: the lower leaf began to turn yellow, and the top of the stem began to dry out. I cut off the stem above the third shoot, an unsightly stick remained (it is hard to believe that something will come of it - is there really any hope that this stick, a remnant of its former luxury, will still sprout and bloom?) How to fertilize orchids and how to transplant (hide overgrown roots in the ground or not, what to put in a pot)? Is it possible to keep an orchid on closed balcony in winter (10-16 degrees), because the windows in the house face east, and the window sills are located above the radiator.
Shortening the phalaenopsis stem after flowering promotes secondary flowering from a lower node; Phalaenopsis can bloom 2-3 times on one shoot. In addition, if the content is favorable, "babies" may appear on the flower stems. Therefore, do not cut the flower stem of Phalaenopsis, although it has an unsightly appearance without flowers. Phalaenopsis usually blooms 3 times a year, some varieties more often, and hybrids several times a year (almost all year round). The lower, older leaves of Phalaenopsis fall off (a typical plant has 4-5 leaves at any time of the year).
In autumn, Phalaenopsis is kept cool for 4-6 weeks (optimally 16 degrees), this promotes flowering. For the rest of the year, keep the orchid in warm room: 20-22 degrees during the day (more in summer), at least 18 degrees at night. In winter, an orchid cannot be kept on a cool balcony. Do not put an orchid near the battery under any circumstances - it will die from dry air. On bright kitchen you can keep the orchid only if the required air humidity is provided and cooking does not entail a sharp increase in temperature.
Phalaenopsis transplant is recommended every 2 years in May; purchase a special coarse loose orchid substrate (cannot be used flower land). For feeding, it is also better to use a special orchid fertilizer (in the summer, fertilize Phalaenopsis 2 times a month, during the year - rarely and in smaller quantities). If necessary, you can prepare the substrate yourself by mixing in equal proportions pine bark in 1-5 cm pieces, charcoal in 0.5-1 cm pieces, coarse sand and sphagnum. In the absence of special orchid fertilizers, you can use Azofoska (1-1.5 g per 1 liter of water) and magnesium sulfate (2-3 g per 1 liter of water); preferred foliar feeding in the form of spraying the leaves.
Phalaenopsis can be grown in a pot or in an orchid basket. A feature of the roots of Phalaenopsis is that they grow strongly and entangle everything that gets in their way; when not all roots are covered with substrate and go beyond the pot, this is normal, but it is important not to damage them when transplanting. The most important thing is that the roots always have enough moisture for growth; constantly support high humidity air.
It often happens like this: they brought a blooming orchid from the store, it faded, and then it stands sadly for years on the windowsill, not releasing a peduncle. And the neighbor in the apartment has the same plants in bloom all the time! What's the secret?
There are varieties of orchids that can bloom continuously for years. Others, in order to bloom, need temperature differences. Moreover, according to outward appearance it is difficult to distinguish them - you can have two white phalaenopsis on your windowsill, and at the same time they can be different varieties, - said the researcher of the Central Botanical Garden, curator of the collection of orchids Natalia Burchik.
Phalaenopsis is one of the most common types of orchids, they are most often sold in our stores. It is not difficult to achieve their flowering. You just need to know a few tricks.
Orchids don't bloom in a comfortable environment
If you got a plant that needs temperature changes, and in your apartment, for example, +20 degrees, then be prepared for the fact that it will not bloom until the temperature drops to +16. The plant is too good and comfortable when room temperature... For an orchid to want to bloom, it needs stress. When from the heat it gets into the cold, then it will release the peduncle.
Therefore, if the weather permits, we take out the plants to the balcony. Let them stand there for two weeks. But if it is already colder on the balcony, do not risk it - due to the low temperature, the leaves will be damaged.
Sometimes you can find advice to put the orchid in the refrigerator for a while. But for phalaenopsis, this recommendation is not suitable. This option can still pass with such a type of orchid as dendrobium nobile - this plant can withstand zero degrees, although + 6 ... + 10 is better. But still, this method is considered quite extreme: there is a possibility that you will freeze the flower.
Making a refrigerator on the windowsill
If it's already too cold on the balcony, put the plants near the window, fencing off the apartment with a cardboard partition, our expert advises. - You can take cardboard box from under the shoes, cut off one wall, put this side to the window, and place your orchids inside. The temperature near the glass is lower than in the room, and you get a kind of mini-refrigerator.
At this point, cut back on watering: if you water the plants once a week, do so after 10 to 12 days. Spray the surface of the substrate once a week. Do not forget that the water should not fall into the point of growth of the leaves, otherwise the plants will rot.
Look for phosphorus in fertilizers
Another prerequisite for flowering orchids is proper feeding.
Orchids need fertilizers to stimulate flowering, says Natalia. - Pay attention to the composition: phosphorus should prevail in it. How often do you need to feed the plants? They usually write on the packages that this should be done once every two to three weeks or once a month, but I propose another option. Experience shows that it is best to use fertilizers during each watering, but not in the proportions indicated on the package, but in micro doses. Let it be one or two drops of fertilizer per liter. Every time you water your orchid (most often using the immersion method) add a little fertilizer.
Orchids do not bloom during the period of leaf and root growth.
An important nuance: all plants have certain periods of development. In an orchid, after the flowering stage, the dormant stage begins - for about two weeks it does not try to bloom or grow. Then - the stage of root development, after it - the period of leaf development. And if you see that your plant is actively growing leaves, you will not be able to achieve flowering until this stage is over, regardless of whether you create cool conditions or not.
By the way, there is an opinion that the flowering of orchids in winter period not as bright and colorful as March and April. In order for the plant to bloom well in the cold season, it needs additional lighting. Therefore, some experts recommend not to stimulate the flowering of orchids now, but to be patient and wait for the beginning of spring, when the daylight hours will be longer in March-April.
Should orchids be placed near batteries?
Orchids can stand near batteries, provided that you can create a humid environment for them. Take small trays, fill them with expanded clay, pour some water and put a saucer on the expanded clay, in which the plant will stand. Then the water that will evaporate from the surface of the tray will create a humid atmosphere necessary for orchids, advises Natalia.
Do I need to cut the peduncles?
Another question that often arises among orchid lovers: is it necessary to cut the peduncle after flowering?
Your best bet is to trim it to the last faded flower and wait. The flower stalk will either dry out or give birth to a new bud, and your orchid will bloom again.
One orchid can be split in two
Some orchid varieties give birth to a baby from which a new plant develops. And there are varieties that do not have this ability. However, they can be multiplied. If you grow a plant that is large enough, you can simply cut off the top, thereby dividing the plant in half. Treat the cut with brilliant green, iodine or sprinkle with activated carbon. Transplant the upper part into a separate pot - you will get a new rejuvenated plant. The lower part will give a new shoot within a year, and you will have two full flowers instead of one.
Does flowering depend on transplanting?
The transplant is not associated with flowering, but it is advisable to change the substrate every two to three years, says our expert. - If you do not change it, it becomes very dense, gets lost, the roots suffocate and rot. The plant in such soil feels uncomfortable and may die.
