Distinctive features and tips for growing doritenopsis indoors, recommendations for the reproduction of orchids, diseases and pests, interesting facts, species. Doritaenopsis is a plant belonging to the Orchidaceae family, or as it is called Orchids. This grouping of flowers is quite large, which includes representatives of the flora, which have extremely complex and beautiful flowers.
It was Doritenopsis that appeared as a result of breeding work and is a hybrid from the crossing of such orchids as Phalaenopsis amabilis and Doritis pulcherrima, as well as garden varieties of these forms.
Also, like the progenitors of orchids, there are tough roots here, well developed, covered with velamen, which is a dead hygroscopic tissue connected in several layers. This coating is inherent in many epiphytic representatives of the flora.
A basal rosette is assembled from the leaf plates, which includes up to 6-8 leaves. It is crowned with a short stem hidden under the leaves. Their length approaches 10 cm with a width of up to 4 cm. The shape of the leaf is oval, oval-elongated. The color is beautiful rich emerald or grassy green.
When flowering, the orchid has elongated upright flowering stems, which are abundantly covered with large flowers, the color of their elements is mainly in mauve. But there are lighter or darker varieties, the color of the shade can be both wine and dark (almost black) purple, there are delicate and bright yellow varieties. By the way the buds of this orchid bloom, it was noted that the size of the flower diameter is almost one and a half to two times smaller than the same phalaenopsis flowers. An inflorescence collected from similar flowers has elongated contours. The length of the peduncle can reach both half-meter indicators and be equal to 20 cm.
The flowering process occurs once or twice a year, but its duration reaches 4–5 months. The beginning can occur in both the summer and autumn-winter months. After the flowers dry up, multiple “babies” appear, which are suitable for further reproduction. Doritenopsis is perfect for indoor cultivation and does not require a lot of time. The flowers of the plant stand well in cut.
Agricultural technology for growing orchids indoors
- Lighting. This orchid loves good light, but only so that the sun's rays do not fall on it at midday. For this, window sills with an east and west location are suitable.
- Content temperature doritenopsis can be within 20 degrees all year round, and only in the autumn period it is allowed to slightly reduce it to 18.
- Watering carried out regularly and evenly throughout the year. The pot with the plant is placed in a bowl of water for 15–20 minutes and after this time is removed, allowing the liquid to drain well. Water is used only soft and warm (temperature about 20-24 degrees). The substrate in the pot should always be slightly damp, but in no case should it be poured or overdried.
- Air humidity should be increased, therefore, regular spraying is carried out in the spring-summer period, but if the temperature indicators decrease with the arrival of autumn, then spraying is done less often. Water for this is used free of impurities and room temperature.
- Fertilizers doritenopsis is applied every three weeks, using special preparations for indoor orchids. You can also use any other formulations of fertilizers for flowering indoor plants, however, their dosage is reduced by almost three times from that indicated on the package.
- Orchid transplant. You can use off-the-shelf orchid containers or clear plastic pots with multiple holes. The substrate is mixed from chopped rhizomes of osmunda fern, peat soil, fallen leaves, pine oak and crushed charcoal in a ratio of 3: 3: 2: 1: 1, respectively. When transplanting, you need to act very carefully so as not to damage the aerial roots of the flower, for this the old pot is cut or broken and, without destroying the clod of earth, the plant is moved into a new container.
Basically, this hybrid orchid is transplanted every two years, when the flowering process is completed. However, transplants are possible as needed, they are carried out in that case:
- when the root shoots no longer fit in the old pot;
- the leaf rosette has grown a lot and can turn the pot over;
- the substrate has become completely rotten;
- the growth of the orchid has stopped.
Since the plant can grow like an epiphyte, you can use not only pots, but also large pieces of bark or driftwood. In this case, the roots of the orchid are attached to the selected material with fishing line or wire and wrapped in a layer of sphagnum moss.
Self-breeding tips for a hybrid orchid
To get a young plant of doritenopsis, you need to divide the mother bush or plant daughter formations.
In the case of separation, this operation can be combined with the transplantation process. The orchid is carefully removed from the pot and divided into two parts using a sharpened tool. Each cut obtained should have its own roots. Parts of the orchid are planted in pre-prepared pots with a selected substrate. Until the hybrid flower shows signs of rooting, it is placed in partial shade conditions.
In the case when doritenopsis develops from the dormant lateral buds "children" - daughter rosettes, then reproduction is carried out with the help of them. To do this, you need to wait until the baby develops its own roots in the required amount. Then it is carefully separated from the mother bush and planted in small pots of orchid soil.
There is also the possibility of seed reproduction, such orchids begin to delight with their flowers as early as 2-3 years from the moment of planting.
There is another way of reproduction of doritenopsis - planting a flowering stem. After flowering is complete, the peduncle is cut off at the very base, and then it is divided into several parts so that the size of the cut is approximately 3-4 cm and has a dormant bud in the central part. All sections will need to be treated with activated charcoal or charcoal (possibly ash) ground into powder for disinfection. Then parts of the stem are laid out in a container filled with moistened sphagnum moss, and wrapped in a polyethylene bag to create conditions for a mini-greenhouse. The temperature during germination is maintained within 25-28 degrees and the humidity should be increased. We must not forget about airing and moistening the soil in the container.
Some peduncles are placed in a vessel with water and fertilizer diluted in it. Such a "stalk" is kept in a sunny place and is sometimes sprayed with "Doctor Foley". All dormant buds in this case should wake up and give rise to children, which are subsequently separated and planted.
Pests and diseases in the cultivation of doritenopsis
Usually, this orchid is affected by viral diseases inherent in their plants to their ancestors: phalaenopsis and doritis. As a result, spots of various configurations appear on the leaves and, alas, it is not possible to cure the flower - it is recommended to destroy it.
Fungal diseases can be distinguished: raw, brown or black rot, anthracnose - they affect leaf plates, and powdery mildew and measles rot are also detected. The last two troubles arise when the conditions of detention are violated, when the temperature in the room is lowered, and the humidity indicators are too high. It is necessary to dry the air in the room, remove the affected areas. It is also recommended to carry out treatment with copper sulfate as a preventive measure.
Anthracnose becomes visible due to the black parts on the leaf plates, which are covered with yellow or pinkish bloom. When treating, the affected areas should be cut out, and the sections should be powdered with ash. Most often, this type of fungus becomes active with increased dampness in the room and it is required to change the conditions for keeping doritenopsis.
If a whitish bloom has appeared on the leaf plates, then when measures are not applied, the plant soon takes on the appearance of being watered with a lime solution - all these are manifestations of powdery mildew, which is provoked by high humidity and high heat. It is required to spray with a colloidal sulfur preparation.
In the case when mucus, suppuration or spotting is detected on the leaves, these are signs of bacterial infections. It is necessary to remove the lesions and treat the sections with antibiotics, grind them to a mushy state, or use iodine, furacselin or chlorhexidine. The temperature also requires a decrease, and watering is reduced.
Scabies, worms, whiteflies, spider mites or thrips are considered pests of doritenopsis. To cope with them, it is necessary to spray the plant with insecticidal preparations.
Interesting facts about dorithenopsis
This family appeared on the planet in the late Cretaceous era, namely in the Cretaceous period, or as it is also called "chalk", it was the last period of time in the Mesozoic era. If we talk about chronology, then orchids began their existence on Earth almost 66 million years ago. The name of this period comes from "writing chalk", which can be mined in the sediments that occurred during this period. They were also formed by multiple clusters of fossil marine organisms without a backbone. The name "orchid", this wonderful flower is from the ancient Greek derivative - the word "orchis", meaning "egg" (either a person or an animal). This characterizes the outlines of the plant's rhizomes.
Types of doritenopsis
There are a number of hybrids that are distinguished by curious colors of flowers, only the most popular and famous ones are presented here:
- Doritaenopsis Purple Martin “Kung Sir”. The plant is a primary hybrid that was obtained by crossing Phalaenopsis violacea var. Coerulea and Doritaenopsis Kenneth Schubert “Fantastic”. This orchid has a purple-blue petal color. The flowering stem is growing, that is, the process of formation at the top of the buds is quite long. Several peduncles appear, and they vary in length. Shades of colors are different, but in the same bluish range. After 7 days, the flower begins to fade and if it is under the rays of the sun, then this process goes even faster. On one peduncle, buds bloom with petals ranging from snow-white to dark purple in color. Shows good growth under artificial lighting. Also, the flowers have a delicate pleasant aroma, but it becomes audible from 10 to 12 in the morning.
- Doritenopsis Asahi (Doritaenopsis Asahi). The plant is small. Its primary hybrid is Phalaenopsis Lindenii and Doritis pulchirrima. First, Iwasaki received her registration in 1923. It has flowers of a purple hue with a diameter of 3 cm. The color of the petals is saturated, the ebb at the lip changes to orange.
- Doritenopsis KB Charmer "1" has large flowers up to 4 cm in diameter. The color of the petals (sepals and petals) is orange on which burgundy speckles are scattered, the density of which is most of all in the area of the column. The lip shimmers in the same red and burgundy tone. Sepals and petals are elongated in shape.
- Doritenopsis hybrid Happy Smile x New Cinderella (Doritaenopsis Happy Smile x New Cinderella). In this variety, the contours of the sepals and petals are rounded. Their color is intense bright pink (shade of neon pink). At the lip and column, the color fades and becomes pale pinkish (opal).
- Doritenopsis hybrid Mountain x City Center (Doritaenopsis Hsinying Mount x Hsinying Downtown). The color of the petals (lateral petals) and the upper sepal (upper sepal) is whitish with a very slight pinkish tint. They are large in size, rounded outlines. In the lower lateral sepals, pinkish is more present in the lower edge of these elements, and it is formed by mottling. Their outlines are more oval, elongated. Lip and column with maroon tone.
- Doritenopsis Hybrid Purple Gem x Kyoto (Doritaenopsis Purple Gem x Kyoto ORCHIS) has elongated petals and sepals. The upper sepals and side petals are slightly elongated upward, while the lower sepals differ in the shape of the wings. The color of such elements is lilac-pink. Lip in this variety of raspberry color. On the column, which also casts a crimson tone, yellow specks are visible.
- Doritaenopsis Sogo Manager x Texas Jewel Joy - has a delicate pink-yellowish color. All parts (sepals and petals) are almost equal in size, large, rounded. On these elements, a beautiful pink shade is concentrated to a greater extent and without impurities at the column, and towards the top of each petal it turns pale and changes to pale yellowish. The lip is painted with a bright pink tint, there are two bright yellow spots on the column of the same pink shade.
- Doritaenopsis Acker's Sweetie Dragon Tree Maple it has a very interesting flower color. The petals are large, rounded outlines, whitish background, on which specks are scattered in a chaotic manner with various contours of bright cherry color. The reverse side of the petals is snow-white. Sepals are more elongated outlines and the spotting on them is more densely "poured". On the lip and column, the spots are already larger and there are inclusions of a yellow tint.
- Doritenopsis hybrid Always Spring Pioneer (Doritaenopsis Ever Spring Pioneer O-1) also striking in color of petals and sepals. The petals have a cherry red or wine color scheme. Their shape is rounded, large in size along the edge there is a white border and the column has the same color on the petal. The upper and lower sepals are more elongated, completely monochromatic, wine red. The lower lip and column are paler, the surface is whitish, covered with dense red speckles.
- Doritaenopsis hybrid Ever Spring Black Ruby. This hybrid orchid has deep purple to black petals and sepals. The shape of the petals is rounded. Sepalia more elongated outlines. A thin areola may be present along the edge, as if a "halo" of white tone (it happens that it is so small that it is only guessed). The lip and the column are cast in white color. The column contains yellow blotches.
- Doritaenopsis Fuller's Sunset. This orchid hybrid has rounded side petals and more elongated sepals. The color is bright yellow, and the lip and column are carmine red.
What doritenopsis looks like, see below:
