Useful information

Stangopey, or "bull orchid"

In kind stangopea (Stanhopea) there are about 50 species that are widespread in the tropics of America - from Mexico to Brazil and Peru. The genus got its name in honor of F. Stangoup, president of the London Medical Botanical Society. Because of the two outgrowths on the lip of the flower, resembling bull's horns, the stangopea received a second name - "bull orchid".

These epiphytic orchids have ovoid, ribbed pseudobulbs, each bearing one oblong-oval, folded leaf, with clearly protruding longitudinal veins. Peduncles are formed at the base of pseudobulbs and grow obliquely downward or sideways, therefore stangopea are grown in hanging baskets, in a loose substrate based on sphagnum moss. Their only drawback is a short flowering, which, however, is compensated by the originality of the flowers and their pleasant, strong aroma characteristic of the most popular species in culture.

The most famous stangopea - stangopea tiger (Stanhopea tigrina)... And although the article will focus specifically on her, many tips on agricultural technology and care are applicable to other species and hybrids. The tiger stangopea blooms in July-September. Peduncles are formed on last year's growth after the end of the dormant period. As a rule, there are several large, fleshy and fragrant flowers in the inflorescence. Duration of flowering is 2-4 days. For novice florists, stangopeias may not be very simple, orchids that do not bloom for a long time in culture. You should be aware that until the plant gains a certain biomass, or at least does not grow several pseudobulbs, the size normal for this species, there will be no flowering. Since the dormant period for many stangopaea is forced, under certain conditions they can give two increments per year, which makes it possible to relatively quickly obtain a flowering plant from the back (older) pseudobulbs. This matters if the grower has just such a division without roots.

From May to August-September, the young plant is actively developing. At this time, it should be shaded and watered regularly, directing the stream closer to the edges of the basket, after which it is imperative to dry the substrate. The need for the next moistening of the sphagnum substrate is easiest to determine by touch. Do not replace traditional watering by dipping orchid baskets in water. First of all, this applies to young specimens with an underdeveloped root system, which, under conditions of excessive moisture, ceases to develop, and after 5-6 months sphagnum begins to emit a rotten smell.

In the tiger stangopea, the thickness of the protective layer of the velamen root, which is only 4 mm in diameter, can reach 1 mm, since this orchid grows in conditions of unstable moisture. In nature, stangopeans settle in forks in trees or on rock ledges. Some of their roots are directed to the sides and upward, thanks to which they trap leaf litter and other organic debris, from which an environment is formed for the further development of the root system. Under natural conditions, such a super-friable substrate is blown by all winds and dries quickly, and a thick layer of velamen protects the roots from water loss.

When watering, water should not get inside young, not yet unfolded leaves, covered with a cover of covering scales. This can lead to decay of the leaves, a sign of which is their yellowing. In this case, it is necessary to immediately remove the entire cover, and then the sheet, otherwise the developing pseudobulb may also rot in the future. If rotting has affected the pseudobulb, it must be removed, and the place of cut on the rhizome should be disinfected with alcohol, and then sprinkled with activated charcoal or sulfur and dried well.

A leaf with a pseudobulb can also die due to the "bulging" of growth. If the conditions of detention are violated, the cover covering the young shoot stops growing in sync with the leaf.In this case, the tip of the leaf gets stuck at the exit from the cover, and the leaf itself, continuing to grow, gradually crumples into an accordion. Since the outlet of the cover is tightly clogged with the tip of the leaf, ventilation is disturbed and humidity rises inside the cover, and the young leaf rot. If the cover and leaf are not removed in time, the entire shoot will die. This can happen in hot summer with insufficient watering and low air humidity, as well as during autumn-winter growth, when it is relatively cold, which is why watering is rarely necessary, and the plant is not equipped with artificial lighting.

In weak specimens, no more than one shoot per year should be left from each "active" pseudobulb, otherwise new growths will be small. You can deviate from this rule only once, for 2-3 years of the life of an orchid, if in the future you want to have a large collection plant. However, this will delay the first flowering. It may take 5 years to get a flowering specimen with 20 pseudobulbs from a delenka with two pseudobulbs.

During the period of active growth, the daytime temperature should not be higher than + 25-27 ° C, however, stangopea can withstand a significant short-term increase in temperature with appropriate watering of the plant. Usually in August, pseudobulbs are already formed, and root growth begins. It is accompanied by slight wrinkling of previously smooth pseudobulbs. In stangopea, tiger roots can continue to grow in the autumn-winter period, if the temperature does not drop below + 16 ° C at night. With additional lighting at temperatures above + 20 ° C, tiger stangopea will grow normally all year round. By March-April, the next growth will end and a new development cycle will begin.

Normally, the size of pseudobulbs increases from growing season to growing season, and in 2-3 years you can get a blooming plant of 3-4 pseudobulbs. With excessive moisture, small pseudobulbs are formed, flowering is delayed. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to carefully monitor the dynamics of plant development and choose an irrigation regime based on the moisture capacity of the substrate.

For mature plants, agricultural technology should be different. After a period of active growth, the orchid must be brought to rest in the fall. This is achieved by reducing watering and lowering the temperature (it should be slightly below 18 ° C). If the orchid finishes growing in early autumn, then it can be transferred to the windowsill in the coldest and most dimly lit place. For the transition to the dormant state of the stangopee, a decrease in the ambient temperature before the start of the heating season is sufficient. After that, the orchid can be moved to a lighter, but always cool place. In winter, at night temperatures no higher than + 16 ° C, in conditions of low illumination and low moisture, tiger stangopea does not grow. If the growing season ended in August, when it is still warm, you should reduce watering and take the plant out to the balcony in a low-light place, and thus provide a cool content at least at night.

In large specimens, shoots can be in different stages of development. In this case, transferring the plant to a dormant state is fraught with additional hassle. The orchid must be placed in such conditions where the "belated" pseudobulbs will normally finish their development, and those that have already formed will not give a new growth. For stangopea tiger, such conditions are daytime temperature not higher than + 20-22 ° C, nighttime - up to 16 ° C and not very bright lighting (the light source should not be above the orchid). Here, growth usually ends in November-December, and the pseudobulbs reach normal size.

In winter, the dormant stangopea are watered moderately, depending on the humidity and air temperature. In orchids that winter in natural light, leaves often turn yellow and fall off on old pseudobulbs. To avoid this, at the beginning of winter, you can feed the plants 1-2 times with a weak (0.5%) solution of fertilizers. However, the age of the leaf may also be the cause of the yellowing.

In the spring, depending on the weather, you need to take the stangopea to the balcony for 2-3 weeks to ensure the required temperature difference (orchids can withstand drops at night to + 7 ° C). Watering for this period should be reduced. In May, after the establishment of warm weather, it is better to keep the stangopea in such conditions when the daily temperature fluctuations are 4-6 ° C. Watering during this period should be moderate, otherwise the orchids will not bloom, but will begin to grow actively.

Quite often, in spring or early summer, secondary branching of roots is observed in stangopeans. For a flowering specimen, a well-developed root system is vital, since the buds grow very quickly during the last week before flowering. A day or two before the flowers open, the orchid should be watered abundantly. This will prolong the short flowering by one day and, in addition, will help maintain the decorative effect of the flowers until the end of flowering.

Stangopia may not grow until the end of flowering, and then release many shoots. In very large specimens, some of the pseudobulbs may bloom, and some may give new shoots.

The peduncle appears unexpectedly, as it grows very quickly in the substrate (2-3 weeks). Having appeared outside, it slows down development, and 1.5-2 months pass before the flowers open. The peduncle located in the substrate is not pigmented, and only after emerging into the light after a few days, it turns green. If within 3-4 days it does not stain, then, most likely, the peduncle will die. A common mistake for novice orchid lovers is to increase watering and top dressing after the flower stalk appears. In this case, a young shoot often wakes up next to it, and the peduncle dries out. At the initial stage of peduncle development, there is no reason to change the plant maintenance regime. In large specimens, flower stalks can appear one after another within a month. If the leaves of such plants begin to turn yellow (a sign of nitrogen starvation), you can feed the stangopea once with full mineral fertilizer (NPK 10:30:20) at a concentration of no more than 1 g / l, at the moment when the buds begin to develop on the first peduncle. An increase in the amount of nitrogen interferes with the flowering of the rest of the pseudobulbs. For plants with a single peduncle, a slightly higher dose of nitrogen can be given.

During the period of active growth, adult specimens are fed with a complete mineral fertilizer in the NPK ratio of 30:10:10 at the rate of 1.5 g / l. Usually 6-8 such weekly dressings are enough for the normal development of plants on low-nutrient substrates. Various substrates are used to keep stangopias, the main requirement for which is looseness, so that the growing peduncles are not damaged. The thickness of the substrate should not be more than 15 cm, otherwise the peduncle can "steam up" and die, being in wet conditions for a long time. Most often, a mixture of sphagnum, fern roots, fibrous peat with the addition of rot and dry leaves is recommended. Another option is a mixture of coniferous bark, semi-rotten leaves, sphagnum and charcoal (2: 2: 1: 0.5). Some replace sphagnum with forest mosses, but the latter decompose faster. You can use only one sphagnum. With its annual replacement, the plant practically does not need feeding. Before planting, the moss must be scalded with boiling water to destroy possible pests (slugs). The use of sphagnum alone facilitates transplanting, since the roots do not "stick" to the moss, and the basket can be simply disassembled. Only a part of the peripheral roots adherent to the basket is damaged, but if the root system is well developed, this does not affect the general condition of the plant.

A basket for stangopae is made of 12-15 cm thick wooden planks or square plastic tubes. The latter are preferable as they do not rot. The bottom of the basket can also be made from plastic tubing or coarse mesh sink grates.Sometimes the peduncle can rest against the plastic lattice and cannot get around it, so it is advisable to inspect the bottom of the basket daily by the time the peduncle leaves the substrate.

S. Rakitsky,

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