How to grow the monkey face orchid? Detailed guide to cultivation methods
The monkey face orchid, also known as the monkey face orchid, is a small epiphytic plant of the genus Dracula in the orchid family. Its flowers are peculiarly shaped and large, with rich colors in many places. It is mostly used for potted, hanging basket or hanging basket cultivation, and is very suitable for green decoration in front of windows, on balcony walls, in shop windows of commercial buildings, at exhibition hall entrances and other places. Let us take a look together at the cultivation methods for the monkey face orchid!
Growth habits of the monkey face orchid
The monkey face orchid requires a cool growing environment, fears intense heat, is difficult to overwinter in summer, and is not tolerant of frost and cold. 10-25°C is the suitable cultivation temperature. In warmer areas of the south, it can be placed outdoors in semi-shade all year round or cultivated in plastic greenhouses. In the Yangtze River basin or areas to the north, it should be cultivated in intermediate-temperature or high-temperature greenhouses. In late autumn, winter and early spring, when temperatures are not very high, direct sunlight should be given to help the plant form flower buds, bloom and set seed. If high-temperature weather occurs or in summer, humidity should be increased and shade nets used to lower the temperature. When the temperature is below 10°C, heat preservation and heating should be provided.
Propagation methods for the monkey face orchid
1. Division: Division of the monkey face orchid is generally carried out in early spring before new buds sprout. First take the mother plant out of the pot, remove excess substrate, separate the tangled root system as much as possible, and cut open from the base of the stem with a sharp knife. Each new plant should retain two or more shoots and have a certain amount of roots. Use a brush dipped in sulfur powder or carbendazim powder to apply to the wounds to prevent infection by pathogens. New plants after division can bloom in the same year.
2. Sowing: The monkey face orchid can self-pollinate, but the seeds scatter easily, so they should be harvested in batches at the right time. Because monkey face orchid seeds are very small, greenhouse cultivation usually uses autumn sowing, with flat trays or plug trays for seedling raising. The seeds do not need to be covered with soil, and after sowing they should receive sufficient light. Seedlings generally emerge in about 25 days. During the seedling stage, do not water too frequently; keeping the substrate moist is enough. At the same time, spray a fungicide once a week. When 2-3 true leaves have grown, transplant once. When seedlings are more than 10 cm tall, plant them in pots. Seed-grown seedlings can bloom in 1-2 years.
Cultivation methods for the monkey face orchid
1. Substrate: The monkey face orchid prefers a slightly acidic substrate and requires loose, breathable, well-drained material that can keep the roots moist without waterlogging. Generally, orchid cultivation substrate can be used. When potting small seedlings, first place 2-3 cm thick coarse-grained substrate or expanded clay at the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer, sprinkle some Osmocote granular controlled-release fertilizer on it as base fertilizer, applying 2-3 grams per pot, and cover with a layer of substrate about 1-2 cm thick, then place the plant in, so as to separate the fertilizer from the roots and avoid burning the roots.
2. Water: The native environment of the monkey face orchid is relatively dry, and long periods of rainy and cloudy days make it prone to pathogen infection. Therefore, during the growing period, relative humidity should preferably be kept between 50-75%. When the temperature is around 20°C, maintaining the indoor natural environment is sufficient. When the summer temperature reaches above 25°C, artificial humidification should be carried out, generally using fans and wet curtains or a high-pressure misting system, but avoid spraying water on the leaf surface. When humidity is too high, ventilation should be increased, otherwise pests and diseases are likely to occur. The water needed by the monkey face orchid generally depends on the substrate used. If sphagnum moss is used, water less; when the substrate is 70% dry, water promptly.
3. Fertilizer: The monkey face orchid needs relatively little fertilizer. The general fertilizer concentration is a 3000-fold solution. During the growing season from May to October, fertilize once every two weeks. Liquid fertilizer is suitable for watering the root zone and spraying the leaf surface. During the growing period, the monkey face orchid mainly uses nitrogen fertilizer and balanced fertilizer, commonly N:P:K=30:10:10 or 20:20:20 mixed fertilizer. During the flowering period, N:P:K=10:30:10 mixed fertilizer is commonly used. Fertilization is best done in the evening, followed by watering once with clear water early the next morning. At the same time, during the flower bud stage, spray the leaves once a week with orchid-specific flowering fertilizer, Hua Bao No. 3, monopotassium phosphate and other phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to make the flower spikes thicker and the flowers brighter.
Pest control for the monkey face orchid
1. Aphids: They often damage tender leaves, flower buds and so on in groups, with nymphs and adults sucking sap. If there are only a few, they can be brushed off with a brush. For treatment, spray 1000-fold wettable powder of pirimicarb, or 2000-3000-fold 2.5% deltamethrin emulsifiable concentrate, or 1000-fold 40% methomyl, or 1500-fold acetamiprid emulsifiable concentrate, etc.
2. Scale insects: Adults and nymphs suck sap on leaf stalks, leaf bases and leaf surfaces, causing yellow spots. In poorly ventilated environments, scale insects reproduce and cause damage easily. Ventilation and air exchange must be ensured. Once scale insects occur, promptly spray 1000-fold 25% buprofezin wettable powder or 800-1000-fold 40% methidathion emulsifiable concentrate, once every 7 days, for 2-3 consecutive times.
3. Snails and slugs: They mostly gnaw on new buds, new leaves, flower buds and roots at night. From June to October, in humid environments, timely control is needed. Spread lime powder on the ground, or use 8% metaldehyde granules scattered in places where they appear, or spray the leaf surface with trichlorfon and other pesticides to kill them.
Disease control for the monkey face orchid
1. Wilt disease: It mostly occurs in hot and humid seasons, especially after summer rain when the disease develops quickly. Plant leaves turn yellow and wilt, and the whole leaf rots. Cut off dead diseased leaves and note that the planting material must not be too wet. Choose 2000-fold hymexazol solution or 2000-fold 25% propiconazole emulsion to spray the base or drench the roots. Or spray 1000-fold 50% benomyl wettable powder, or 500-fold 40% thiophanate-methyl suspension, or 2000-fold 2.5% fludioxonil suspension, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive times.
2. Anthracnose: It mostly occurs in the plum rain season. In the early stage of the disease, round or oval reddish-brown spots appear on the leaves. Later the lesions turn dark brown, and in severe cases the lesions show necrosis. Cut off dead leaves and pay attention to ventilation. Spray 600-1000-fold wettable powders such as chlorothalonil, thiophanate-methyl and mancozeb, once every 5-7 days, for 2 consecutive times. Before the disease occurs or in the early stage, spray 600-fold 50% anthracnose-ling emulsifiable concentrate, once every 10 days, for 3-4 consecutive preventive applications.
3. Southern blight: It mostly occurs in the high-temperature and rainy season from August to September. In the early stage, the base of orchid leaves turns brown and rots, producing white silky mycelium. In severe cases, the entire leaf cluster dies. Greenhouses should be ventilated, and potted flowers should not be spaced too densely. When the disease occurs, use 800-1000-fold Lan·Bingbizhi solution, or 1000-fold 50% fudoning, or 2000-fold 75% miepuning, once a week, for 3-5 consecutive times. A 1% copper sulfate solution can also be used to drench the roots of seedlings thoroughly. Infected potted flowers should be removed from the greenhouse and buried for destruction.
4. Leaf blight: It mostly occurs under high temperature and high humidity, with small black spots appearing near the leaf tip or at the front end of the leaf. The lesions gradually expand to the entire leaf, and finally the leaf withers and falls off. When symptoms are found, immediately cut off the diseased leaves and spray 800-fold chlorothalonil solution or 500-fold mancozeb solution.
5. Tillering rot: It mainly occurs on tiller buds, followed by leaves. In the early stage, a water-soaked lesion the size of a mung bean appears at the base of the bud. Under high temperature and high humidity, it easily infects the leaf surface, producing dark brown water-soaked large lesions. In summer with continuous rainy days, if fertilizer and water management is improper, the potting soil is highly wet, and fertilizer is heavy, the disease occurs easily. Soil moisture content should be controlled. When new buds emerge 4-5 cm high, spray 1000-fold 0.01% boric acid solution or shakujing, and 1000-fold agricultural streptomycin can also be used for control.
6. Root rot: Part or all of the root system rots and turns black, and the plant grows poorly. The main causes are blockage of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, waterlogging of the substrate and poor aeration, excessive watering, cold weather or damage from concentrated fertilizer. Clear the drainage holes. During the new seedling growing period, do not water over the top. After spraying water on the leaves, ventilate promptly to keep the leaf base dry. During the growing period, avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer. When the disease occurs, use 1000-1500-fold 50% root rot-ling wettable powder or 600-800-fold 15% hymexazol aqueous solution to drench the roots, once every 7-10 days, for 3-4 consecutive times.