Khiloshista
Content:
Hylochista: description of the orchid
Hiloshista orchid: flower photo
Hylochista is an incredibly interesting plant name that is actually a miniature epiphytic orchid. It is distinguished by the fact that there is no leaf part at all on it. This is a very unique plant that uses long green roots to carry out the process of photosynthesis. When orchids mature, they do not form the largest trunk, on which the signs of a leaf sometimes form, but when they bloom, they finally fall off. The flower stalks of the khiloshista are long, drooping, bearing up to twenty attractive flowers, from which the aroma of vanilla emanates. As for the color of the plant, it can be white, yellow or greenish, orange, but there are also varieties and varieties that are painted in purple or dark burgundy shades. Each plant can produce a huge number of peduncles. The height of the hiloshist is from ten to thirty centimeters. This is their standard height, usually a gardener is unlikely to meet larger bushes, at least from the point of view of this type of orchid.
In this article, we will also tell you more about how to care for a hylochist orchid at home. This information will be very useful for both novice gardeners and those who already have experience in this activity, but they would like to receive even more useful information in order to expand their horizons.
Hyloshista orchid: home care
The content, if we talk about the temperature regime, should be moderately warm. It is advisable to carry out temperature drops between night and day, and this will guarantee a brighter and more lush flowering. During the day, for example, the temperature can be 21-24 degrees, at night - 16-18 degrees. After the flowering of the khiloshista orchid has ended, there is a not very long dormant period for the orchid, and at this time the plant should be at a temperature of 12 to 13 degrees during the day, and at night the temperature should be kept at eight degrees.
The Hylochista Orchid responds well to sunbathing, especially if you have them in the morning and evening. During the day, the plant is best placed in light shade. Sunlight must also fall on the root of the orchid, since the aerial roots are located above the top layer of the soil. In the autumn-winter period, the plant can be additionally illuminated with phyto-lamps and fluorescent lamps. During the abundant flowering of the khiloshista, it is necessary to shade the plant a little. In this case, the flowers will stay on the plant much longer, they will not crumble, and, accordingly, the flower's lifespan will also be increased.
Hiloshista orchid: flower photo
The plant is very demanding for high humidity in the room, especially in combination with the constant movement of the container with a flower, the plant will feel just wonderful. If we talk about the substrate for orchids, then the flower grows well in ready-made mixtures for orchids, the acidity may be very slightly increased, but it is recommended to keep it at a neutral level. A soil based on pine bark or perlite, coarse sand, sphagnum moss or peat is also suitable. So it is worth making sure that this soil mixture is ideal for the orchid.
It is best to use a fertilizer that contains a large amount of nitrogen as a top dressing for the orchid chyloshista, and such fertilization is especially useful during the period of active growth.They also take fertilizer with a low nitrogen content during the flowering period, since nitrogen can negatively affect the quality of flowering, the size of the flowers and, in general, their external characteristics. It is recommended to feed it twice a month with a solution that is not mixed at the entire concentration, but at half. So the instructions for use should be studied very carefully so as not to be mistaken.
The flower stalks of the chyloshista turn out to be drooping, and they can delight the gardener if he chooses this orchid for growing it in pots. This is precisely the purpose of the hylochista orchid. The flowering of khiloshista occurs in the spring-summer period, and the flowering itself differs in duration, so that the gardener can enjoy the external characteristics of the plant for a long time.
The air humidity must be at least fifty percent. To provide such moisture, the plant must be surrounded by a layer of moist sphagnum moss, and you can also put a container with a flower on a pallet that was filled with moistened gravel or expanded clay. If possible, you can use a room humidifier. The plant can also be sprayed, spraying is carried out in the morning, although sometimes whitish smudges can remain on the leaves from spraying, which certainly kill all the decorativeness of the plant and its external healthy state.
The soil must be kept in a constant moist state both in spring and summer, if there is an excess of water, it accumulates in the sump, then this should be constantly monitored and removed these residues. Bottom watering is best for an orchid and can be done by immersing the orchid pot in water for about 4-5 hours. In winter, watering, their frequency and abundance should be reduced, since closer to this time the plant generally enters a state of dormancy, and therefore, you should still make sure that it is least disturbed at this particular time.
Transplant Khiloshista
Young chiloshist orchids can be replanted every one and a half to two years. If we are dealing with adult plants, then it is recommended to replant them every three years. The transplant is done after the orchid has faded, you should also follow all the rules for transplanting and the subsequent care of the plant - these are the same rules as when planting an orchid in a permanent place, and we already talked about them a little higher. As for reproduction, orchids of this species reproduce only by seed. To do this, you need to know some subtleties, and it is also necessary to create certain temperature conditions for the plant, comfortable air humidity and, in general, the most comfortable microclimate. Hylochista can be burned if exposed to direct sunlight for a long time. Putrefactive disorders can also form, especially if the gardener does not know the measures in watering, and if the drainage layer is completely ineffective. May also be attacked by aphids, mealybugs or whiteflies. It is necessary to monitor the plant, as well as periodically carry out processing of the hylochist orchid in order to protect the planting. In general, knowing all these conditions, even a less experienced gardener will cope with planting and caring for an orchid.