Orchis

The orchis is a wild orchid that is recognized as an endangered species in floriculture today. In gardens, it is very rare, but this does not mean that this plant is not worthy of attention. Orchis thickets are something that we often meet in forest areas, but even there it is gradually disappearing and is under threat of complete extinction. Therefore, you can enjoy it only in a certain, exceptional case. The orchis was listed in the Red Book, it is carefully guarded by people.

But still, we are interested in the description of this plant - it is a perennial plant that is distinguished by bright and abundant flowering. It is very actively bred in culture, they try to save it, breed varieties and varieties. The orchis is grown not only to beautify your site, but also to fully experience all the medicinal purposes of this plant.

If the gardener managed to breed the orchis, then it will further become the most real business card, the pride of any personal plot or any flower bed. Growing this plant is not such an easy task, but nevertheless, if the gardener takes some measures and efforts, then the result will definitely not disappoint him.

In this article we will tell you more about this wild orchid, about its features and variety of species. Also, we will devote part of the article to exactly how to plant a plant and take care of it, how to prepare an orchis for wintering, protect it from pests and diseases in order to get a decent and incredibly attractive planting. In addition, we will touch on the question of how to propagate the orchis correctly and what to do so that the plant reveals its decorative features and characteristics in full.

Orchis plant: description, variety of species

Orchis Dremlik: Photo of the variety

Wild orchid, orchis, cuckoo tears - these are far from all the names of the same plant, which will be discussed in this article. This is a truly regal plant that delights many flower growers in different parts of our country. Its beauty is amazing, and it is due to its external characteristics that the plant has become so popular.

The orchis is an integral part of the horticultural culture, which is one of the exotic plants. To understand how majestic this plant is, you need to try to grow an orchis yourself and examine it a little closer in such conditions. But one thing is clear for sure, and it remains clear - this is an ideal candidate for single plantings, since it is unlikely that any others will be able to stand out against the background of this plant.

But it should be said right away that this plant belongs to the category of endangered ones, and now it is very actively protected by gardeners all over the world. You cannot look for it for your own garden in natural conditions - it is better to purchase the orchis immediately in the nursery, because there gardeners take care of the plantings, create them in such a way that for them the environment of the garden or personal plot becomes, as it were, suitable, natural.

Orchard orchards are bred specifically to fulfill their decorative functions, and they are also excellent for industrial cultivation. Although it is impossible to find orchis in every garden, as happens with many other plants, seedlings and seeds, in principle, can be purchased in specialized stores and nurseries, or ordered through online stores.

If a gardener decides to purchase a plant from private owners, or on the market, then he should make sure that these planting materials were obtained in an honest way, and that they did not take part in the criminal reduction of the population of this plant listed in the Red Book.

You can usually ask sellers for certificates and additional information on how these materials were obtained in order to make sure that this is not criminal activity and that it complies with all laws.

Description of the plant

The plant does not exceed half a meter in height, but at the same time, even for such small dimensions, the orchis has very catchy and bright branches and, in general, an appearance that the plant can easily and simply overshadow many other neighboring plantings with its external characteristics.

Monkey orchis: Photo of the variety

The root system of the plant is very thick, ovoid, it is thanks to the roots that the orchis received such an unusual name. The leaves seem to hug around numerous shoots, which are absolutely straight. The leaves themselves are elongated, lanceolate, tapering closer to the cutting.

The type of greenery can show that orchis are akin to cereals, but they have many distinctive features, especially when we are talking about the growth pattern of the planting. The color of the deciduous part is very bright, and it is due to this that the orchis stands out among many other perennial crops.

The plant is very attractive precisely during flowering. On leafy, medium-sized peduncles, inflorescences rise in length from 15 to 20 centimeters, the inflorescences are in the form of spikelets. In them, a large number of incredibly attractive and complex flowers are located very tightly to each other, which, at the same time, are not the largest in size - they reach only two centimeters.

But at the same time, even this aspect does not at all interfere with comparing orchis flowers with orchid flowers. In orchis, the flowers, although they are not large in size, but this does not make them somehow unattractive or ineffective, so in general they are really very bright and beautiful.

The leaves are formed in two circles - in the outer and in the inner. Thus, they overlap and form an interesting helmet. The lip of the plant is tripartite, the leaves located on top differ from the lower leaves in that they have a slightly different shape and, accordingly, they also differ from each other in size.

In a wild orchid, the lip is decorated with bright spots, and the flower looks incredibly attractive and sophisticated also due to the spur, which has exactly the same size as the ovary.

The flowering of the orchis can take a long time. It usually begins in April, and can also begin in May, if we are talking about undersized varieties of orchis. If we are talking about large species, then their flowering begins a little later - in June, and the duration of flowering can range from two weeks to several months.

Usually this factor depends on the variety and variety of the orchid itself, on what caring measures the gardener provides for it, as well as on the area in which the orchis grows, and whether the gardener was able to create an ideal microclimate for the plant. Most plant species have absolutely no aroma at all.

But if you look very closely at the plant, then you can feel light vanilla notes, which may be familiar to all growers who already have experience in growing orchids and know what aromas can come from flowers.

Orchis species

In the genus of wild orchids, about a hundred of the most different species of orchis can be identified. All of them have similar features in terms of types and types of flowering. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that most orchis are plants that have incredibly attractive external characteristics, and therefore they have long been recognized as one of the most spectacular garden plants, with which, perhaps, no other plantings can match.

In general, in ornamental gardening, the most common type of orchis is the orchis. spotted. But with his belonging to the orchis, some are ready to disagree.

Spotted orchis: Photo of the variety

In this plant, the root system has a completely different shape, they are rather finger-separate, but not ovoid, which is usually formed in most orchis. So in this matter, many do not agree that the spotted species is precisely the orchid culture.

There are those gardeners who classify the plant as a different species - maculta, or in other words, this species is called spotted fingernail. But the difference between plants also lies in the fact that the leaves have a wider shape, and the colors can be much broader and brighter, but otherwise these plants have the same species characteristics, so you should still think more carefully about the belonging of the plants. ...

Moreover, the spotted orchis can still be counted among both varieties, so it is quite convenient in classification - it is difficult to make a mistake.

The spotted orchis, whatever species it belongs to, is a very colorful plant. It stands out effectively against the background of many other garden plantings. The herbaceous perennial has thickened roots in the form of fingers, the shoots of the plant can be from fifteen to sixty centimeters in height.

The shoots themselves are very catchy and, at the same time, they look unusual, intelligent, even a little impressive, due to which the plant stands out against the background of many other plantings. The leaves are ovoid, lanceolate, tapering closer to the petiole, they can also wrap around the stems, which creates a very slender and interesting-looking curtain. This is what attracts gardeners in this type of plant.

The flower stalks are at the very top of the majestic leafy shoots. Inflorescences appear on them in the form of spikelets, which are decorated with flowers that are original in their appearance. The flower has a three-lobed lip, and the color is really bright and decorative.

Flowers can be light purple, light purple, white or deep purple. They are always decorated with decorative freckles, and it is due to this feature that the plant received such a name - spotted orchis.

Variegated patterns may appear on the leaves, flowering begins in the second half of May, it lasts from two weeks to four weeks. It all depends on the conditions in which the plant grows, how favorable they are for planting, and what microclimate will be created by the gardener himself in order for the plant to get what it needs in open ground conditions, growing in the garden plot.

As for the orchis itself, in decorative horticulture today, several popular and common species are bred. Among them, we will highlight such as:

• orchis male - This orchis is very bright, its stems are covered with bright purple specks, and you can also see identical spots on the leaves. The inflorescences are also incredibly decorative, they are painted in a lilac-pink hue, the flowers are very attractive and delicate, and due to the generally pleasant appearance, the plant stands out so much against the background of many other perennial plantings. The lip has a decorative blur and many small specks of dark color. Flowering occurs from April to May, and this species is also one of the few that lends itself to selection and hybridization, and therefore it is often used to create new subspecies and varieties of orchis;

Male orchis: Photo of the variety

• orchis purple - this is a very unusual view. The flower stalks of the plant are brown in color, the leaves are bright, lily-of-the-valley, atypical for orchis. The inflorescence is very dense, most of all resembles an unusual fringe in shape. The lip of the species is flattened, large in size, and has a very deep dissection. The flowers are painted in perfect white color, but at the same time they are literally strewn with dark dots.Overall, the overall appearance of this plant is incredible, and it is very attractive to flower growers and gardeners all over the world. Such an unusual appearance is combined with the fact that this orchid is completely unpretentious, and this is an additional plus for this species;

Purple orchis: Photo of the variety

• orchis monkey - it differs in the unusual shape of the inflorescences - they are pyramidal, have some lace effect, this will not be seen in any other type of orchid anymore. The height of the bush usually reaches half a meter, the leaves are very long, and a pleasant honey aroma emanates from them. The flowers have elongated leaves, they are painted in an almost white shade, on which there are very cute and tactful specks and stripes at the very edge of the petals, which just resemble a monkey. This species is also worthy of attention for the fact that it is quite unpretentious, and even that florist who, it would seem, had absolutely no experience before, can cope with its cultivation. The main thing is to create a microclimate and conditions for the orchid, observe agricultural techniques, and then the plant will independently respond favorably to this.

Monkey orchis: Photo of the variety

Small-point orchis - it differs in that the inflorescences of the plant are of a very unusual yellowish-green color, and the greenery itself is very attractive, all this taken together looks very interesting and modern. Among the tallest orchis, the largest species of orchis stands out - its height reaches seventy centimeters, the inflorescences are very powerful and fragrant.

Small-spotted orchis: Photo of the variety

They are covered with specks, and the specks pass to the lip and the helmet of the plant itself. On the flowers, you can see stains from lilac and whitish mixing, which look great in the overall floral arrangement and distinguish the flowers from many other orchids. But today the largest orchis is not a separate, independent species - it is rather a variety of another orchis - purple, and this is how modern gardeners and breeders identify it.

Orchis pale - this plant stands out for its modest appearance. Its height usually reaches only thirty centimeters, the leaves are very wide, ovoid, their length reaches eleven centimeters.

Pale orchis: Photo of the variety

The inflorescence is dense, in the form of a spikelet, stands out with large bright yellow or pale orange flowers. Sometimes the flowers can be purple, the bract is lanceolate. The aroma from the plant comes from a unique and very original, which most of all with its notes resembles an elderberry rather than a typical orchid planting.

Orchis Provencal - its leaves are covered with specks, the flowers are very large, there are very rare inflorescences, which are mainly distinguished by their color - they can be light, yellowish-white, on which touching and modest specks are also located. But overall, this orchid looks incredibly interesting, it certainly attracts attention, even if it grows in a general floral arrangement.

Provencal orchis: Photo of the variety

Orchis green-brown Is a small plant that is one of the subspecies of Spitzel's orchis. Its height is thirty centimeters, the leaves are wide, have a marshy unusual color, and the flowers themselves are painted greenish-purple. The flower's lip is large, elongated; it also has a spectacular helmet. Inflorescences are very narrow and elongated, similar in shape to spikelets.

Another orchis is a fellow of this species - greenish-yellow. As we can see, from the name it becomes quite clear what external characteristics this plant has, and how it is colored.

Orchis slumber - this is a very small competitor of violets, since its height is very small - only fifteen centimeters, sometimes a bush can grow up to twenty centimeters, if you create the most suitable and comfortable conditions for it, of course.

Orchis Dremlik: Photo of the variety

The inflorescences are very short, the flowers are painted in a lilac-purple hue. The shape of the flowers is more reminiscent of the small muzzle of a bull terrier. The plant leads an underground lifestyle for two years, and only from the third year, leaves and peduncles begin to appear on the surface.

Orchis helmet-shaped - its flowers stand out due to the white-purple lips. The flower lobes are very thin, exceeding it in size with a light pink helmet. In general, this species also looks quite interesting, it stands out against the background of a group landing. Also, the helmeted orchis looks great in a single landing.

Orchis helmeted: Photo of the variety

It should be noted that today some species are cultivated, which are synonyms of the genus Anacamptim and Neotinea, which also belong to the large family of orchid crops. Let's talk about individual orchis that belong to these genera.

Let's start with a description of the plants that are part of the ornamental genus. Anacamptis:

• orchis bugbearing - it is incredibly attractive and effective, although the height of the bush is very small, from twenty to forty centimeters. The leaves of the plant are very narrow, lanceolate, elongated inflorescences stand out favorably against the general background of planting. The flowers have a pointed helmet, the lip is deeply dissected. The color is complex, because the petals show transitions from greenish and white at the base to bright purple-brown with purple specks. In general, the bug-bearing orchis is incredibly in demand in gardening precisely because of its color, so you should pay attention to it. External characteristics are combined with a very non-capricious disposition;

Bug-bearing orchis: Photo of the variety

• another type of orchis, which is very similar in appearance to the bug, but at the same time has a more pronounced and pleasant aroma - orchis vein. It is decorated with dark veins, due to which it bears this name;
• orchis odorous - a pronounced vanilla aroma emanates from it. The plant reaches a height of half a meter, the spikelets are openwork, the inflorescences consist of very atypical flowers, which are painted in a purple hue. The helmet looks incredibly attractive and interesting, the middle lobe stands out on the lip. The species is also quite unpretentious for itself, but nevertheless it needs to create some conditions for the plant to grow and develop completely normally in its natural habitat.

Fragrant orchis: Photo of the variety

There are also loose-flowered orchis (inflorescences are very loose, rare flowers in them are painted in purple), pseudo-flowered orchis (this is an early flowering subspecies of loose-flowered orchis. Its flowers are very bright, purple in color, which are quite widely spaced on fairly long inflorescences they are attached to the inflorescences quite tightly, so that flowering lasts a long time, and the flowers themselves do not fall off for a long time). Let us also single out the marsh orchis, Caspian, dotted, which differ from each other in the height of the bushes and colors, but in content they are exactly the same.

If we talk about the genus Neotinia, this includes the following plant species.

First, the orchis three-toothed - this is a plant on which light lilac, almost spherical inflorescences grow, in which the flowers are very tightly adjacent to each other.

Three-toothed orchis: Photo of the variety

Secondly, it is an orchis burnt - the spikelets of the plant are very dense, most of all in shape they resemble a pin.Spikelets are painted in a delicate pink color, the height of the inflorescence is thirty centimeters, no more.

Of course, in order to get a plant that will grow and develop correctly and demonstrate excellent decorative characteristics, the plant should be properly cared for. The next part of the article will be devoted to exactly this.

Planting and care, reproduction of the orchis

Let's start with the lighting characteristics of the plant. We must not forget that the orchis is, first of all, an orchid, but even despite this, it can perfectly adapt to growing in a garden, backyard plot.

It is the garden orchis that can show the brightest and most beautiful flowering. But in order for the inflorescences to turn out to be incredibly decorative and spectacular, it is necessary to treat with special attention to agricultural technology, and lighting is an integral part of it.

Lighting. It prefers to grow in partial shade, and the place should be secluded, the lighting in it should be diffused. But if in natural species the flowers begin to suffer in the bright sun, and in the shade the plant may not even give inflorescences at all, but for garden orchis, exceptional shading can be deadly, and therefore it must be avoided.

The plant can adapt much faster to sunny places with direct sunlight, so the sun is not at all scary to orchis. The more intense the lighting, the more difficult it will be to care for the planting, so here you should know when to stop.

WITH soil you should also be very careful, since orchis are quite demanding in this matter. They adapt and thrive best in moist and fertile soils, and they grow well in loose soils that allow oxygen and moisture to pass through.

Natural humidity - an equally important parameter that in no case should be ignored. Orchis does not relate very well to wetlands and similar soils in composition, but at the same time the plant takes root well in cool, loose and moist soils.

It is very important to maintain such characteristics in the hot summer period, when there is no precipitation, and it is the responsibility of the gardener to ensure that the plant develops well. Orchis do not tolerate dense soils, and it is also not recommended to add fresh manure to the soil, as it contains components that can "strangle" the root system of the orchis.

At landing plants in their holes are prepared in advance - to improve the soil in them manually, adding the same amount of peat and sand - it is required less than one and a half to two times.

If the orchid grows in a sufficiently open, sunny space, then it must be regularly water, you can even draw up an irrigation schedule and adjust it in accordance with external, weather conditions. Without watering, the orchis can slow down its growth and development, and the flowering will not be so bright and long.

Also, systemic irrigation should be organized for those species of orchis that grow in not the richest soil, which means that the fertility of the soil mixture can also be regulated in accordance with irrigation.

If the orchid initially grows on high-quality and enriched soil, then it does not need permanent soils. It is worth monitoring the weather conditions, and in drought, feed the soil with water.

The water should be settled, melt or rainwater is also suitable for planting. Also, the water should not be cold, as because of this, the root system of the plant will experience a real shock. The water must be brought to at least room temperature.

It is impossible for moisture to accumulate in the soil, especially in the area of ​​the root zone, otherwise it will lead to the fact that the roots will gradually begin to rot, and as a result they will die altogether.That is why it is recommended to irrigate in accordance with the schedule - this way it will be possible to track when the last watering was done, how much time has passed, how the weather conditions, the amount of precipitation or their complete absence affected the soil.

The orchid is not so positive about mineral fertilizers and fertilizing. The plant will bloom perfectly and will develop only when the soil is enriched. organic substances.

For orchis, substances and components such as needles and compost are ideally suitable. They are introduced directly when the orchis is planted in open ground, and the soil in the near-trunk circle is mulched twice a year, the soil layer should be about five centimeters.

Mulch for orchis - fertilizing, and create it in the middle of spring and at the very beginning of autumn. Also, mulch will allow you to warm the soil, slow down the evaporation of moisture and protect the plant from attacks from pests. So you should not save time and your own energy on mulch.

Orchis is not a thermophilic plant, and it is completely not afraid of frost. So the plant can winter quite calmly, without any shelter, even in the middle zone of our country.

But in order for excess moisture not to affect the quality of wintering in any way, it is best to prepare the plant for the cold weather.

When the orchis begins to dry out gradually, it is necessary to cut off all its shoots and stems to the very base. You should not expect that the stems will die off themselves in the near future, since this is not entirely true, and cardinal pruning will not at all affect the general condition of the plant - it will transfer it remarkably.

But even though the orchis is a typical orchid plant, it has high level of immunity and stress resistance. They perfectly resist fungal and viral diseases, and are also completely not attacked by pests. But the plant has no natural defense against such a pest as a slug.

Snails, slugs and other pests that love to feast on the leafy part of the plant are simply delighted with orchis. In order to protect the plant from them, you can place special traps around the bush, and also mulch the trunk circle with straw.

How to propagate an orchis

Let's talk a little about breeding. Seeds can be sown perfectly at any time of the year. Seeds germinate in the interval from one to three months, it all depends solely on the type of plant. Therefore, even crops in the summer are perfect for the plant, and this is great.

Seeds take root well in fertile and moist soil, which should also be quite loose. Seeds germinate only in a warm environment, but heat should not be confused with heat, since the plant will die in the heat. The optimum temperature is from 18 to 24 degrees.

Seedlings appear unevenly, they also develop at different rates. After the plant has several full-fledged leaves, they begin to be planted in new containers. Crops must not be damaged, otherwise they will no longer grow.

Orchis in the form of seedlings are planted in open ground at a distance of 10 to 15 centimeters so that the plants develop and do not touch each other, do not interfere with each other in such conditions.

Orchis can be propagated using a method such as division of the root part. This method is not only simple, but also reliable - it will be within the power of even a gardener who does not have much experience in such procedures.

In the autumn, after the wilting of the orchis has begun, you can dig up the plant and separate the replacing root tuber from it. You should definitely do it carefully. The separated parts are placed in separate wells, and some of the old soil is added there so that the plant does not experience too much stress from the feasible procedure. The more soil there is from the old place, the better for this plant.