Lemboglossum

Lemboglossum: description and characteristics

Lemboglossum: photo of an orchid

Lemboglossum (Lemboglossum) is a tropical evergreen epiphytic plant belonging to the Orchid family. In the wild, it is ubiquitous in Central and South America.

In room conditions, with proper care, Lemboglossums grow up to half a meter. On elongated pseudobulbs, several lanceolate leaves are formed, reaching a length of about 15 cm. During the flowering period, which occurs in spring and summer, a pair of tall peduncles appears. Each of them blooms from 12 to 15 medium-sized flowers, whose diameter is about 6 cm. Lemboglossum bloom lasts about 5 weeks. Fragrant flowers delight the eye with a wide range of colors, including white, lilac, dark red, red-brown colors, as well as a variety of spots and stripes that create contrasting combinations. The structure of the flower is typical for an orchid: a large lip with a corrugated surface is adjacent to narrow petals located on the sides.

Lemboglossum: care

Lemboglossum: photo of an orchid

Compliance with the necessary recommendations for the care of the Lemboglossum orchid will help you grow this tropical orchid indoors without problems.

Air temperature

Like many tropical orchids, Lemboglossum thrives best at room temperatures between 22 and 24 degrees, especially if temperatures drop to 16 degrees at night. To this end, in the spring and summer, the plant can be taken out at night on an open balcony.

With the arrival of the autumn cold, Lemboglossum plunges into a state of rest. During this period, the optimum air temperature for him is 12 degrees Celsius. Lowering the temperature to 10 degrees is dangerous for orchids.

Lighting mode

An inhabitant of tropical forests with their diffused lighting, Lemboglossum and at home prefers not too bright light. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight during the height of the day during the warm season. At the same time, the place where the lemboglossum is located should be well lit.

Requirements for the composition of the soil

For a comfortable stay of Lemboglossum indoors, you can purchase a ready-made potting mix designed for orchids. Some growers prefer to make the substrate themselves. It usually includes sphagnum moss, fern fibers, peat and leaf humus. Also, coarse river sand is added to the soil mixture as drainage. The soil should be loose enough to allow air and moisture to pass through well. The best choice for Lemboglossum will be slightly acidic soils.

Fertilization

During the growing season, Lemboglossum needs additional nutrition, so it can be fed with complex fertilizers intended for orchids. At the same time, their concentration should be rather weak - no more than half of the dose recommended in the instructions. If this is not done, the concentrated fertilizer can burn the Lemboglossum root system. Top dressing should be applied at intervals of 14 days, until the orchid comes to rest. After that, fertilizers are no longer applied.

Air humidification

In the tropical forests of South and Central America, a humid atmosphere prevails, so the usual orchids at home need a fairly high degree of air humidification. For this purpose, you can purchase a room humidifier, or use simpler methods.For example, a pot of Lemboglossum can be placed on a tray filled with wet pebbles. You can also wrap the pot with a layer of damp moss or place it on a tray of water, after covering it with a wire rack. Whichever method of humidifying the air in the room is chosen, it is important to remember that excess moisture is dangerous for the orchid. The bottom of the pot must not come into contact with water. For the same reason, it is not recommended to spray: the ingress of water on the delicate petals of Lemboglossum flowers is fraught with the formation of unattractive white spots on them.

Watering rules

In the warm season, watering the Lemboglossum orchid should be quite frequent and abundant. At the same time, it is important to observe certain intervals between watering, during which the soil in the pot with the plant should dry by half. With the arrival of the cold season, lemboglossum should be watered less often. For irrigation, settled water at room temperature, or rain or bottled water is suitable.

Transplant rules

It is recommended to transplant Lemboglossum orchids no more than once every 2-3 years. This should be done in the spring, before the active growth and development of the orchid begins. Transplanting Lemboglossum during the flowering period is dangerous to the health of the plant.

Lemboglossum: orchid reproduction

Lemboglossum: photo of an orchid

The easiest way to transplant Lemboglossum is to divide an adult bush in the process of transplanting it. A part of a bush with a developed root system and several leaves can act as a delenka.

Pest control

The main reason for the appearance of harmful insects on the bushes of the Lemboglossum orchid is a violation of the recommendations for its relative maintenance in room conditions. Moisture deficiency provokes attacks by pests such as mealybugs or spider mites.