Orchid brassia has long spread in our latitudes, although its homeland is the American tropics. Most often, the plant lives on hills up to 1.5 km. It feels great in a humid forest and regularly releases flowers. Small and very elegant buds resemble striped spider legs, for which brassia is often called a "spider orchid".
Orchid Description
Orchid brassia is a flowering perennial of the Orchid family. At the base of the plant are pear-shaped bulbs, of which 2-3 corymbose leaves grow. The edges of the leaves gradually narrow and resemble a lancet. Leaves are dense, smooth, saturated green. Foliage forms a fan-shaped outlet. Bulbs grow sequentially, as one dies, a new one begins to form. The creeping stalk of brassia is very short, so the bulbs are located close to each other. Sometimes a ladder is formed from several bulbs pressed to each other.
An unbranched inflorescence with several consecutive buds develops in the axils of the leaves. Typically, about 15 buds are revealed on the peduncle, although low-flowering varieties are also found. The length of the peduncle ranges from 15 to 50 cm. In each flower there are several narrowed sepals. Their length can be up to 15 cm. The edges of the sepals are very thin, almost filiform. The petal is shortened, has a more rounded shape. The large lip does not connect to the pillar.
The color of the flowers may vary and may be white, lemon, purple or brown. Over the entire surface of the flower, brown-burgundy spots are scattered. Flowering is accompanied by an intense aroma, often reminiscent of the smell of daffodils.
Types of brassia
In the genus of brassia, there are more than fifty varieties. In culture, the most common are:
- Warty brassia. The most common and unpretentious look. A plant up to 50 cm tall produces an inflorescence with greenish-yellow pale flowers. The narrowed petals have a glossy surface. Flowering occurs at any time of the year.
Warty brassia - Spotted brassia. The buds of this species are slightly larger than the others and have a rich yellow color with purple dots. The aroma of flowers is dominated by vanilla notes.
Spotted brassia - Brassia tailed. Has elongated, curved peduncles with pale lemon flowers. Flowering is accompanied by an intense aroma.
Tailed brassia - Royal brassia. Flowers resemble small stars, they abundantly cover the plant.
Royal brassia - Brass Summer Dream. Orchid with pale yellow flowers, the size of which reaches 15 cm.
Brass Summer Dream - Brassia unnoticed. The orchid is distinguished by elongated inflorescences with small yellow flowers covered with brownish dots.
Brass undetected
There are also hybrid varieties of orchids:
- miltassia (a mixture of brassia and miltonia) - has arachnid lilac flowers with shortened sepals;
Miltassia - bakerara (hybrid of brassia, miltonia, odontoglossum, oncidium) - a plant with very bright, variegated flowers;
Bakerara - brassidium (a mixture of brassia and oncidium) - flowers also have the form of motley spiders with short paws.
Brassidium
Reproduction and transplantation
You can buy a brassia orchid in a flower shop, but you can also propagate an existing plant. Brassia propagates only in a vegetative way; for this, a branched adult orchid is used. The procedure is carried out in the spring, when the development becomes more intense. The bush is cut into several parts, the place of the cut is sprinkled with crushed charcoal and planted in a prepared substrate. It is important to leave at least three mature bulbs in each new bush.
The first watering is carried out after four days by immersing the pot in a container of warm water. The first processes are unscrewed or cut off, the place of the cut is also sprinkled with charcoal crumbs.
As the soil for brassia, a prepared substrate of the following components is used:
- sphagnum moss;
- pine bark;
- riding moss;
- charcoal.
Self-prepared soil mixture must be decontaminated by boiling in a water bath for 10 minutes.
If the pot with brassia has become too small for the plant and the bulbs are outweighed over the edge, a transplant is necessary. So that the bark in the substrate does not begin to rot, it is better to use the transshipment method, that is, transfer the entire lump to a new container. This helps to avoid injuries of the root system, because transplantation is a lot of stress. New bulbs usually grow on one side, so it’s better to immediately displace the plant from the center and leave more space. The soil is poured into the pot by 2/3, as new bulbs appear above the previous ones.
When the root system is damaged, you need to thoroughly clean the roots of the old substrate. First, the rhizome is soaked in warm water (about 30 ° C), and then the affected areas are checked and cut. After transplantation, brassia requires more careful handling for 1-2 weeks.
Plant care
The brassia orchid does not need careful care at home, it is attributed to unpretentious plants. The best place for Brassia will be the windowsill on the east or west side. Orchid loves bright light, but the direct rays of the midday sun can burn it.
The optimum temperature for the orchid is from + 20 ° C to + 25 ° C, but cooling to + 15 ° C is not critical. A resident of humid forests does not tolerate dry air. Regular spraying will help save her from drying out. In winter, it is recommended to provide the brassia with a rest period of 2-3 weeks. At this time, the temperature is reduced by 3-5 ° C and the frequency of watering is reduced.
Watering the plants is done by immersing the pot in a basin with water for 15-30 minutes. After watering, make sure that all excess fluid is removed. Wrinkles on bulbs serve as a signal of excessive watering. In this case, watering for a week is stopped.
In order for the brassia to grow actively and even bloom in winter, additional lighting will be needed. The following techniques will help make the brassia orchid bloom:
- provide a long daylight hours (at least 12-13 hours);
- fertilize regularly for orchids (a special complex of fertilizers with phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen is added monthly);
- provide a temperature difference from + 17 ° C at night to + 25 ° C during the day.
In May and September, it is recommended to place pots on an unheated balcony. In such conditions, Brassia will have everything necessary for the proper development and formation of flower buds.
Possible difficulties
The most annoying parasite for brassia is the spider mite. If signs of infection appear, the shoots can be washed under a hot shower (about 45 ° C). In the axils of the leaves, one can also find a scabbard and a mealy worm. Spraying the plant with chemicals (kalbofos, fozalon, actellik) will save all pests. Regardless of the method chosen, re-treatment is carried out after a week.
The main problem of orchids is the decay of the bulb and roots. Excess water and low temperatures can provoke the disease. It is important to prevent fluid stagnation in the soil. It is better to pick up a transparent pot with drainage holes and periodically clean the holes.
