Key points for caring for Cattleya flowers in all seasons are different
Today's sharing: Topics related to the care of Cattleya flowers at home, the key points for caring for Cattleya flowers in all seasons are different, let's take a look together!
Cattleya, also known as Shimbilan and Shinmeinanglan, belongs to the semi-epiphytic orchid genus of the Orchidaceae family. The original species of Cattleya are distributed in the Himalayas and the high mountains of Southeast Asia, and the horticultural varieties cultivated nowadays are all the hybrid descendants of these original species. Cattleya prefers a high temperature, humidity, semi-shady, and well-ventilated growth environment, and dislikes strong sunlight and accumulated water in the substrate. It enjoys heavy fertilization. The optimal growth temperature is between 25℃-32℃, and the temperature for overwintering should not be lower than 10℃. It is necessary to use a perforated pot or wooden frame hanging cultivation for Cattleya, with substrates such as fern roots, bark, moss, and volcanic rocks, or loose peat or grass charcoal soil can also be used. During the blooming period, a cover pot can be added for indoor appreciation.
Seasonal Care
1. Spring Management
Spring is an important stage for the growth of new shoots in Cattleya. It should be placed in a place with sufficient sunlight and good ventilation for cultivation, but should avoid being exposed to strong sunlight in the afternoon of late spring. The room temperature at night should not be lower than 10℃ and maintain good ventilation. Watering should be done between dry and wet intervals, keeping the substrate moist while also frequently misting the leaves of the plant, but avoiding waterlogging at the roots that could lead to root rot. When new shoots are growing, a dilute liquid fertilizer should be applied once a week, or a special fertilizer with a nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium ratio of 6.5:6:19. When the new shoots are 4cm-5cm long, solid organic fertilizer should be used instead, applying once a month. The main diseases and pests危害ing Cattleya in spring are snails and scale insects. Snails can be trapped by placing vegetable leaves or banana peels around the pot, while scale insects need to be sprayed with a rapid灭松 emulsion every 10-15 days, and虫卵 and larvae should be removed.
Spring is also the best season for potting young Cattleya seedlings, dividing large seedlings, and repotting old seedlings. When potting young seedlings, the pot should match the seedlings, ensuring small seedlings are planted in small pots and large seedlings in large pots. After potting, the young seedlings should be watered initially to keep the substrate moist, and then increase the amount and frequency of watering after they resume growth, and start applying dilute liquid fertilizer to promote plant growth improvement. For large orchid clusters, they can be divided when repotting. First, dig up the orchid cluster, cut off excessive roots, divide it into clusters of 3-4 stems, and replant with new substrate. When planting, be careful not to plant too deep and do not place the orchid in the center of the pot, leaving enough space for new shoots to expand. After replanting the divided orchids, avoid strong sunlight and water thoroughly every 2-3 days, spray the leaves 1-2 times a day, stop fertilizing, and wait for the plants to recover (about 1 month) before returning to normal management.
2. Summer Management
Summer is the season when new shoots of orchids grow the fastest. In early summer, the orchid plant can grow to about half the height of the previous year, and by the end of summer, it can reach the same height or even taller. At this time, the orchid plant will enter the flower bud differentiation stage, and the old stems will show longitudinal wrinkles of varying depths. In dry and hot climates, special attention should be paid to shading and cooling. It is usually advisable to shade 40-50% or place it in a place without direct sunlight for cultivation, and try to create conditions to lower the temperature, preferably keeping it below 25℃ to facilitate flower bud differentiation. Watering should be done at around 7 am and 9-10 pm every day, and it must be watered until fine water flows out of the bottom of the pot. It may also be necessary to mist the leaves to keep them moist and lower the temperature. In early summer, apply organic solid fertilizer monthly, and in late summer, stop and switch to a special liquid fertilizer with a phosphorus:potassium:magnesium ratio of 46:30:1 diluted 2000 times and sprayed directly on the leaves, or use ripe liquid fertilizer diluted and sprayed on the leaves once a week. Cattleya is prone to whitefly and black spot disease in summer and needs to be sprayed with pesticides in a timely manner. Whiteflies can be controlled with marathon emulsion or rapid灭松 emulsion at a concentration of 1000 times, once a week. Black spot disease can be prevented with a DNS 800倍液 every two months. Additionally, new shoots that Cattleya produces in summer usually cannot grow fully and should be pulled out with the roots in time to avoid consuming nutrients, which could prevent the plant from growing and flowering normally.
3. Autumn Management
In autumn, the flower buds of Cattleya will stop growing, the base will start to swell, the old pseudobulbs that have shown wrinkles will start to become smooth, and by the end of October, the old leaves will turn from dark green to tea-brown, the nutritional growth period of the orchid plant will end, and it will enter the flower bud differentiation stage. It can be placed in a place with sufficient light for cultivation, but still avoid strong sunlight and maintain good ventilation. Watering and fertilizing are still similar to summer, with sufficient and timely watering, twice a day in early autumn, and no need to water at night when the temperature is lower. Fertilize once a week, mainly with liquid fertilizers rich in phosphorus and potassium. At the same time, as the temperature drops, attention should be paid to keeping warm, moving the orchid plant into a room or other warm place in time. After entering the room, the orchid plant is prone to diseases and pests due to poor ventilation conditions, so预防 measures must be taken. In addition, leaf buds should be removed in a timely manner. Because usually, from September to October, flower buds can sprout from the base of the new stems of the year, and many leaf buds will also grow, which affects the growth of flower buds, so they should be carefully identified and removed. But the new leaf buds should be allowed to grow a bit first to determine whether they are flower or leaf buds before removing the leaf buds.
4. Winter Management
In winter, the pseudobulbs of the orchid plant have stored abundant and sufficient water and nutrients and are about to enter the blooming period. The development of flower buds in orchid plants is greatly related to temperature, and orchid plants entering winter should pay special attention to the management of temperature, humidity, and ventilation. It is usually advisable to place them in a sunny place to promote strong plant growth, which is beneficial for germination in the following spring. When the flower buds start to grow, attention should be paid to the intensity of light, as too much sunlight can cause the flower buds to burn or even become哑花. Under normal conditions, weak light should be provided during the period from bud formation to flowering, and then stronger light is needed, but flowers in white, cream, light pink, and green series should not be exposed to too much light. The room temperature should be controlled at 18℃-25℃ during the day and 12℃-15℃ at night. Avoid adding too much heat artificially, which could cause the flower buds to turn yellow and wither. Watering should be controlled appropriately, once every 2-3 days. For orchid plants with buds, a little more water can be added. In dry climates, it is necessary to spray water on the leaves and the surrounding ground 1-2 times a day to increase humidity and prevent哑花. In winter, the orchid plant is in a dormant period and should not be fertilized, but to promote flowering, a dilute liquid fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus and potassium can be sprayed on the leaves, the concentration should not be too high, and it is better to be "dilute rather than high," once a week. When the flower stem reaches about 15cm in length, it is necessary to set up a support to secure the flower stem and adjust its growth direction to keep the stem upright. However, be careful during this operation to avoid breaking the fragile flower stem.
The blooming period of Cattleya is long, usually lasting two to three months, or even longer. During this period, it consumes a lot of nutrients, and if it blooms for a long time, it can not only weaken the orchid plant but also prevent the growth of new buds and leaves, so the flower branches should be cut in time. Usually, when all the small flowers in the inflorescence have bloomed, they can be cut for vase arrangement and continue to be appreciated, and dilute liquid fertilizer should be applied every 4-5 days until the plant recovers.
Flowering Control
Under normal circumstances, Cattleya can bloom when it is three years old, but for commercial production, Cattleya is often planted for 4-5 years before flower induction treatment to obtain more flower branches and flowers. If you need to adjust the flowering period to the Spring Festival, you should transfer it to an environment with a temperature of 18℃-22℃ and a day-night temperature difference of more than 10℃ at the beginning of bud formation in August-September, and the flowering induction treatment for about two months.
The above () introduces the specific contents of the key points for caring for Cattleya flowers in all seasons for your reference.