Blue orchid: technique for obtaining intense color, difficulties in caring for a “tuned” flower. How to paint an orchid at home

The blue orchid, meaning phalaenopsis, has long been sold in flower shops. However, this is a kind of deception, since the flower was originally white, and it was painted with blue dye.

The Japanese grew blue phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis lacks the gene responsible for the production of blue pigment. But in nature, blue flowers are not uncommon. For many years, researchers and breeders have tried to grow a true blue phalaenopsis orchid. After various experiments, it was successful genetic engineers from Chiba University, Japan. They used a gene from the Asian Commelina (native to Asia and Africa), which gives it a blue color, and took the phalaenopsis “Aphrodite” as a basis. The newly bred blue orchid has smaller flowers than its hybrid counterparts, only 5 cm in diameter, but many of them can bloom on a peduncle, up to 30 pieces. The miracle plant was named “Phalaenopsis Aphrodite - Royal Blue”. Naturally, it is not on general sale yet.

Blue Phalaenopsis for sale

The blue orchid standing on store shelves is a crippled plant. If you look closely, you can identify the injection site. In some plants that are relatively lucky, it is on the peduncle, in others, less fortunate, it is in the stem or roots.

Abroad, where blue orchids are “produced,” they are viewed as temporary, disposable interior decorations. After losing their original beauty, they are simply thrown away. And Russian flower growers are compassionate people; they always want to grow a diseased plant. And the fact that the next peduncle will be white does not stop them at all. There is a category of people who like the process of resuscitating plants; they are given dying specimens or they buy discounted orchids, and the issue is not only about money.

New orchid in the house

If you have a blue orchid, then it will need to be given some attention. First, inspect the roots. If the root system is good, then there is no need to replant. If there are few healthy roots, and the bulk are rotten, dry, damaged, then replanting is needed immediately.

Transfer

You can purchase special soil or mix pine bark with charcoal in a ratio of 5:1. The bark can be collected from fallen trees without rotting. Before use, it must be boiled and cooled. Carefully remove the plant from the pot. Cut out all dry, rotten (to healthy tissue) roots. Sprinkle the cut areas with ground cinnamon. If there are almost no healthy roots, then it is better to cut off the peduncle; it will last in water for a long time. Rinse the pot thoroughly and disinfect. It is advisable to make holes in the walls to facilitate air access to the roots. In phalaenopsis they participate in the process of photosynthesis. Pour drainage into the bottom, immediately install a support for the peduncle, and add the prepared soil. Place the treated plant and add soil.

Conclusion

If the peduncle was cut off, then the blue orchid turned into a phalaenopsis mix. She needs care appropriate for her species.

The blue orchid is a rare and very attractive flower. The plant is found in India, Thailand, and Southern China. The flowers have a diameter of 9 centimeters. The shades of the petals are varied - from blue to red-violet.

An orchid can also turn blue when the petals are stained with chemical dyes or as a result of the dye being introduced into the stem. But such flowers cannot be called real. In nature, a prominent representative of blue orchids is the Vanda variety. Cattleya should also be noted. And Phalaenopsis is painted, - blue flowers this species does not.

Looking for the blue orchid

Features of the Vanda variety

Royal flower looks attractive, and care for it should be appropriate. If you do not have knowledge of growing the plant, Wanda is unlikely to take root. The flower has many hybrids that are convenient to cross.

Is Phalaenopsis blue?

Blue specimens of the Phalaenopsis species are not found. But you can buy a blue flower, which is easy to care for. In the photo the plant looks very attractive, the smell is weak, not spicy. Phalaenopsis blooms for six months; the color of the petals may vary.

Features of the Cattleya orchid

Cattleya receives only positive reviews, as she is not too capricious, special care she doesn't need it, the plant looks charming. At home it blooms well, the palette of petal shades is varied.

Care depending on window location

• East window. In order for a blue plant to feel good on an eastern window, it should be placed in this place in the summer - from May to September. In winter, it is better to move the orchid to the south side. If you decide to leave a flower on the east window, winter time it is necessary to provide it with additional lighting.
• North window. The blue snow leopard orchid and other types of the blue palette, located on the northern window, will not grow without artificial lighting, since partial shade is observed here all year round. It is lighting that has a direct impact on how the plant develops.
• West window. Caring for a flower located on the west window is the easiest. It's sunny here, but not too much. Some lighting problems may arise in winter, but most often there is enough light.
• South window. Royal Phalaenopsis feels good on a south-facing window, but since the plant placed here is always in the active growth stage, it may get sick. Sometimes burns may occur on the leaves, so it is recommended to place the plant behind a curtain.

Royal flower: Vanda orchid (video)

Basic cultivation methods

When growing at home, it is important to choose the right container and substrate for the orchid. It must be remembered that the plant appreciates free breathing.

According to reviews, the flower whose roots were not damaged during transportation has a better chance of taking root. Even if the humidity in the room is low, if everything is normal with the roots, the plant will not die.

Improper care in the form of too frequent watering may cause rotting of roots and stems. According to statistics, this error is the most common cause why orchids die at home.

Suitable for growing flowers different ways:

1. You can plant an orchid in a pot or coconut.
2. If there is no pot, you can place the flower in a black plastic basket, while the roots of the plant will hang freely. The presented method is suitable for growing in an apartment; it is often practiced in greenhouses and conservatories.
3. It happens that an orchid is planted in baskets made of twigs, slats, bamboo sticks, or in flowerpots.
4. You can place the plant on a block and decorate the roots.
5. It is allowed to place the flower in a regular glass vase.

What substrate will be required

As soil you can use sphagnum moss, bark coniferous trees. The choice of substrate is determined mainly depending on the location of the orchid. The more light a plant receives, the more moss it needs.

How to deal with temperature

The orchid will look like the picture if you provide it with the right temperature regime. It should be chosen depending on the type of hybrid. The optimal regime for keeping the flower is +14 degrees at night, +25 degrees during the day. However, even in 40-degree heat the plant will not die.

Spraying

The orchid should be watered and sprayed, since it is grown mainly without a substrate. The outer parts of the plant, its roots, should be sprayed. The procedure should be actively carried out in the summer, when the air in the room is quite dry.

In winter, plants are sprayed once every couple of days. Moisture should only reach the roots. When liquid gets on the leaves and cores, these parts of the plant begin to rot and the leaves fall off. Rotting of the core leads to the death of the plant.

After each spraying, wipe the orchid with napkins. Instead of spraying, you can water the flowers in the shower. The water temperature should be about 40 degrees.

Features of care during the rest period

In fact, blue orchids only have periods of rest when creating optimal conditions. First of all, this concerns lighting. How do you know if a plant has enough light? The easiest way is to look at the roots. If there is enough light, the roots will be in a state of active growth, and the flower will look bright and healthy.

If there is not enough light, the color of the leaves will not be as bright, and the tips of the roots will begin to shrink or become covered with white skin. This is how the orchid tells you that it has entered a period of rest and its metabolism has slowed down.

What to do in this case? If you notice that the flower begins to enter a sleepy state, provide it with artificial lighting in the evening from 18 to 22 hours. Such lighting will prevent the plant from “falling asleep” and reduce the risk of infections.

If you want to purchase a blue orchid of extraordinary beauty, be on the lookout. The price of such a plant is at least three times higher than the prices of other species. But what secret is hidden behind this amazing color?
Check out the information about this species to not only make right choice, also provide your beauty with decent care.

The truth is not comforting for those who want to admire the unusual color of the blue phalaenopsis. Behind this color lies ink or a special dye that does not leave marks on your hands. At least when purchasing. And with watering it is very possible.

If the dye remains, and your beauty is not poisoned by the dye, be prepared for the fact that the next new buds will be white. In fact, Japanese breeders have already bred blue orchid. But you won’t find such a plant for sale in the post-Soviet space.

What types of blue orchids are there?

Wanda

Those who still really want a blue orchid, after reviewing the photographs that are replete with the World Wide Web, can purchase the queen of this species - Wanda. It should be noted that she is quite capricious and requires special care. It will take root without problems, perhaps, only in experienced florist. The flower has many hybrids because it lends itself well to crossing. All of its “twins” have rather unusual colors. Therefore, Wanda is worth the effort spent courting her. The popularity of this species is beginning to gain rapid momentum.

Cattleya

Of the blue orchids you can choose less moody look, for example, Cattleya. It has very large, fragrant flowers with a fairly diverse palette.

Phalaenopsis

And for the really lazy – blue or blue phalaenopsis. The most unpretentious, easy to care for species. It is bred specifically for home use. Blue phalaenopsis will be especially suitable for those for whom spicy odors are contraindicated. The aroma of of this flower almost absent, but it blooms for up to six months, distinguished by a large presence of tones.

It cannot be said that blue or blue orchids have exactly these colors. Rather, we are talking about subtle shades. However, you will definitely be satisfied with their variety!

Features of care

Lighting and temperature

You should care for indoor flowers based on their appearance. What are general features care?
All species of this plant are thermophilic. Therefore, they need to be placed on sunny side apartments: best option– absent-minded sunlight.
Best temperature+25/+30 degrees. At night – +16 degrees. For excellent flowering, a large difference in day and night temperatures is useful - up to 10 degrees. Still important high humidity and good air circulation.

Substrate and dishes

A flower needs a high-quality substrate, since its health and ability to bloom depend on it. The soil should be loose, not crumpled, with a large amount of pine shavings and good drainage. You can use crushed stone and pieces of foam plastic as it. Most of it should occupy the center of the pot.
The dishes should have many large holes for good ventilation. The substrate should fit tightly to its walls.

Top dressing

Feeding should be constant, at least once a month. Fertilizer is well balanced, this directly affects flowering. From large quantity nutrients the top of the stem becomes soft. If there is not enough of it, it blooms poorly.

Watering

The peculiarities of watering a plant are as follows: the higher the air temperature, the more often it needs to be watered. Due to stagnation groundwater The root system may begin to rot and the plant may die. It is necessary that the water drains completely after each watering.
Unlike Vanda, it is better not to spray the blue phalaenopsis orchid. The structure of the leaf of this species is such that water can accumulate at the base.

Diseases

You need to monitor the health of the plant. The disease can be seen by a radical change in leaf color, rotting roots, and lack of flowering. If you notice something like this, then the flower needs urgent transplantation and treatment.
Among the diseases are:

• fungal, viral infections;
• mite infestation;
• sheet cracks;
• burns;
• bacteriosis;
• fusarium wilt.

Transfer

It is important to carefully examine the roots of the flower before replanting. Remove rotten parts, leaving them dry. The orchid should be replanted with young roots as planned. If they are very long, then taking root in the new soil will be difficult.

We hope you can now make the right choice.

In nature, there are more than 3,500 thousand species of orchids.

They grow on all continents except Antarctica. There are more than 60 varieties of phalaenopsis alone. Their color amazes the imagination with its variety and brightness: lilac, green with purple veins, burgundy, white, cream... any except pure blue.

It is not surprising that the blue orchid, which appeared in flower shops some time ago, created a sensation, instantly becoming extremely popular. At first it never occurred to anyone that the flowers were simply painted. Is this really so, let's find out.

Painted flowers

If you brought home a blue phalaenopsis not from an exhibition, but from an ordinary flower shop, congratulations, you have become the owner of a colored orchid. And it’s not a fact that she will survive.

And yet, if you suddenly want something exotic, then you can try to color the flowers yourself. This is quite easy to do - special dyes are injected into the roots or peduncle of the white phalaenopsis.

Dyes do not always penetrate exclusively into the flowers; very often the leaves are also colored, which gives a certain artificiality and makes the plant less aesthetically pleasing. However, the result has been achieved - during the first flowering the petals amaze the eye with a stunningly rich deep indigo.

Unfortunately, the shade of subsequent generations of colors becomes weaker - the paint is gradually washed out. The fourth time, orchids, as a rule, bloom with completely white flowers, returning to their native color.

Saving injured flowers

It’s not the worst thing if the flower turns white after six months - it’s much worse when the plant, unable to bear the stress, begins to die.

If you notice that after some time the “blue” buds have begun to fall off, you need to first examine the roots of the flower. Obvious traces of injections found on the roots or peduncles indicate that the likelihood of a sad outcome is high, but if paint was injected into the peduncle, then the orchid can still be revived.

To resuscitate a phalaenopsis with a colored peduncle, we cut off the stem overflowing with dyes. Next, we take the plant out of the pot and, being careful not to damage root system, wash it warm water. We inspect the roots for traces of injections.

If bluish areas and traces of rot are clearly visible on the roots, cut off the damaged areas, and sprinkle the sections with ash or cinnamon and dry them properly.

After this, the flower is placed in a new substrate with a special composition suitable for its life. The environment in which the orchid was located will have to be thrown away, since it contains too many chemically active harmful substances.

Do blue orchids exist in nature?

So, are there really no blue orchids and this is just a clever trick? marketing ploy, to increase sales?

Partly. Blue-lilac color does occur and it is quite possible to purchase a flower of such an unusual color. Finding out whether this is a fake is quite simple: you need to find out the type of orchid that the seller will offer you.

There are no blue or blue phalaenopsis in the wild or for free sale. Blue phalaenopsis can now only be found at large orchid exhibitions. If you meet a blue phalaenopsis in a flower shop, rest assured, you are being scammed.

Natural spotted bluish petals are found only in orchids of the genus Vanda. This genus belongs to the orchid family, and includes about 60 epiphytic and lithophyntous species. The name given to the plant by the inhabitants of India has remained unchanged to this day.

Among the variety of flowers of the Vanda genus - from orange and red to variegated, there are also those with lilac-colored petals with light spots. This type is called - and if you want to get a natural orchid blue color, you need to ask for it in stores.

Well, if someone did congratulate you with a “blue” orchid, monitor its condition more than carefully. Caring for this child is the same as for ordinary phalaenopsis.

Breakthrough of Japanese breeders

The dream of getting a pure blue orchid - let us remind you that even Vanda Blue has lilac-spotted petals - did not leave gardeners. And after many years of experimentation, a miracle happened.

In 2013, at an exhibition in Okinawa, Japanese scientists demonstrated to the world new variety Phalaenopsis orchids in a rich blue hue. To obtain it, they needed to introduce into an orchid of the Aphrodite species the gene of another flower - the Asian commelina, since the phalaenopsis found in nature does not even have a gene capable of producing a blue pigment.

The new species was named "Royal Blue". This orchid blooms profusely with small flowers - up to 30 pcs. with a diameter of 5 cm. This is a completely exclusive plant, which, alas, is not on sale yet.

As you can see, there are several ways to add an extraordinary blue orchid to your home! It is enough to choose one option and every morning will begin with a look at an extraordinary beautiful flower.

I wish you good and honest shopping in flower shops, beautiful flowering purchased orchids and a great mood!

Your Elena Skopich

Blue orchids amaze with their beauty and rare, unusual coloring of the petals. These flowers appeared in flower shops relatively recently, but have already gained popularity. However, not all buyers know the secret of the amazing color of these plants.

What's behind the color?

Often, the happy owners of orchids with blue or light blue flowers are surprised to discover that the next time they bloom, the buds no longer become a bright, saturated color, but dirty blue, or even completely white. This is due to the fact that plants are colored using a chemical dye. Many stores do not hide this and place appropriate warnings on color labels. But this information is not actively disseminated among buyers, so often owners of dyed flowers are subsequently left disappointed.

Flowers are most often painted white, since they are the easiest to achieve uniform coloring on. Over time, the dye washes out and they return to their original color.

How did blue orchids appear?

In 2011 at the exhibition tropical plants The world's first blue phalaenopsis was introduced in Florida (America). The cultivation farm made it "Silver Vase" from South Florida.

Only 3 months have passed, and it became known about the appearance of another blue beauty - Phalaenopsis Royal Blue (Royal Blue Phalaenopsis). This time the action took place in Holland at the annual flower competition FloraHolland. Exotic flower with blue petals was presented by the Dutch nursery “Geest Orchideeën”, for which it received an award in the “Sales Concept” category. One of the competition jury members predicted that plants would become extremely popular among buyers in the future.

Interesting fact: manufacturers do not hide the fact that blue is not natural, and also that the next flowering will be white. They do the coloring using patented technology, the details of which have not been disclosed. According to the manufacturers, its essence is this: the plants are placed in a special environment, the creation of which uses elements of natural origin, so the procedure itself does not harm the orchids.

We can conclude: the blue color is not a natural species and not a hybrid bred by breeders. This is just a marketing ploy, and, I must say, a very successful one.

Flower in the house: care features

The problem lies in the fact that some unscrupulous sellers Wanting to earn extra money, they take on coloring themselves. They present the result of their work as Phalaenopsis Royal Blue and sell it at a price three times higher than ordinary white flowers.

Naturally, we are not talking about any technology here. Coloring is sometimes easy barbaric methods. The dye, often ink, is injected into the peduncle, stem, or root. This procedure greatly weakens the plant, being a source of stress for it. Poisoned harmful substances, the flower may simply die.

When you buy or receive a blue plant as a gift, inspect it carefully. If the injection mark is visible on the peduncle, then the plant has a greater chance of survival. If the injection was made into the root, then there is a high probability of death.

Sometimes phalaenopsis is colored by watering it with colored water, in which case a blue tint can be observed not only on the flowers, but also on the leaves and roots. Whether the plant survives or not depends on the degree of damage caused to it.

Did the orchid produce buds that were not blue, but white? There is no need to try to paint it yourself, pour blue or ink on it. From this plant may get sick and die. It’s better to enjoy her natural, no less beautiful outfit.

Do not rush to replant a painted plant immediately after purchase - it may not withstand another stress. Otherwise, the care requirements are the same as for ordinary orchids, but you need to carefully monitor its condition.

If after purchase the flower begins to lose buds, it means that it has not coped with negative influence coloring matter. In this case you need take urgent measures to save him. To do this you should:

Japanese miracle

In 2013, Japanese breeders presented the result of their many years of work - a transgenic blue orchid. Scientists took as a basis the white phalaenopsis Aphrodite, which itself is very prolific and can produce up to 30 flowers in one flowering. The plant was introduced with a gene responsible for blue color from a Commelina flower.

However, due to its exclusivity, the plant remains inaccessible to a wide range of amateur gardeners.

Do blue orchids exist in nature?

Fans of exotic flowers will be disappointed: blue flowers do not exist in nature. This species simply there is no gene responsible for this pigment.

If you liked the blue flowers in the photographs, of which there are so many on the Internet, do not rush to get upset. You can choose not a painted phalaenopsis, but Vanda - another species of the family. This is a flower of amazing beauty, a real queen. But she requires proper treatment and is quite capricious in terms of care. A novice gardener may have difficulties with it. If Wanda takes root in your home, she will delight you with luxurious flowers. Their coloring will not be inferior in beauty to the deep indigo with which phalaenopsis is painted.

Another example of a blue orchid is Cattleya. Compared to Wanda, she is less demanding in care. This species flowers are large and fragrant, and their colors are varied.

This is the most unpretentious appearance among blue flowers. However, in nature you will not find that rich of blue color, which occurs in colored buds. These will be subtle shades of blue or pink-blue, blue with a lilac tint. But this color is rare. Their flowers are small, but natural in color.

Should I buy flowers? with blue or light blue petals? Everyone decides for themselves...