How long does an orchid live at home, how to find out the number of its years, is it possible to rejuvenate a flower, and how to renew it?

Orchid is an unusual and amazingly beautiful flower.

As you know, this is a perennial plant, but many, having acquired it in a store, are wondering: how long does such splendor live at home?

It depends on the conditions of detention and on the variety of the flower itself, but even an old plant can extend its life.

So let's find out how to do this, so that our orchid will please us even more.

What does it depend on?

There are several versions in this regard, and therefore it is worth considering each of them in more detail.

By type and variety

Sympoidal orchids easily give children, but monopoidal orchids are not predisposed to such reproduction. Varieties such as Wanda, Phalaenopsis at home can not be pollinated, and therefore collect seeds for reproduction, as well as children from sleeping buds in a pot do not appear without human help.

Now orchids at home are represented mainly by hybrids obtained by breeders. Such breeding affects life expectancy in the most unpredictable way, even if they belong to the same variety - one flower can live for tens of years, and another die in five.

Learn more about the types of orchids in a separate article, and about which varieties of the flower are unusual, you can read here.

Transfer

For a long and good life, any exotic flower requires certain conditions. Orchids need a transplant at least once every 2-3 yearsbut at the same time it is dangerous for the flower. Damage to the roots or leaves is very easy, to which the plant reacts extremely negatively, up to death.

But keeping in one substrate for five years is also harmful, because the organic elements of the soil need updating - they rot and lose their beneficial properties. Orchids need a constant supply of nitrogen, potassium and other substances for proper growth and flowering, therefore it is necessary to transplant even despite the danger of damage.

Top dressing

All necessary trace elements must be strictly dosed.Otherwise, it will certainly affect the health of the flower. It should be understood that before the first flowering, the orchid needs at least a year - for this period it is actively fertilized.

In stores, plants are often fed with growth and flowering stimulants, because home buds are very different in brightness and quantity, and even size. But such a method of obtaining beautiful and bright inflorescences is harmful to the plant, because this is one of several reasons why even a young and healthy plant will die earlier than it should.

ATTENTION! An orchid with three to four peduncles is the result of oversaturation with phosphorus. This condition is unnatural for a flower.

There are specimens with lots of greenery. Long. fleshy leaves grow one after another, become dark - this is the result of a supersaturation with nitrogen. To extend the life of the plant. should approach the issue of fertilizing wisely.

How many years is life expectancy on average?

The life cycle of this flower is ambiguous only at home, and in the wild, the orchid lives a very long time - 60-80 years, and individual varieties can stretch and more than a hundred. The thing is that in nature the plant receives all the necessary substances in the right amount, other conditions are also observed, which makes the life of an orchid comfortable.

Domesticated species and varieties often live in a state of complete or partial non-compliance with living conditions. Of course, at home it is practically impossible to recreate, for example, the high humidity that a flower requires - this is achieved by an artificial method, but still does not reach the natural balance in quality. In connection with such factors, life expectancy is reduced, which in home specimens is from 4 to 10 years.

Variety Dependence

Not only the abundance of flowering and the form of reproduction, but also the life span depends on the plant variety. So, Phalaenopsis will live on average five years. This is due to the fact that it does not have the ability to breed independently at home, but with proper care, this variety can be propagated by children, and not by seeds. Opinions about life expectancy vary, especially when it comes to hybrids, because someone believes that Phalaenopsis will live at home for twenty years, while others say no more than ten.

The smallest life span of the Venus shoes. This variety in a pot will live from three years, and the upper bar will depend on the conditions of detention. The minimum lifespan of a Dendrobium is two years longer and is five years. Cattleya is ambiguous in this matter - her life expectancy varies, as in Phalaenopsis.

How to find out her age?

Accurate it is impossible to determine the age of the flower, but it is quite possible to find out how young or old it is. Particular attention should be paid to this before acquiring the plant (for how to choose the right orchid when buying, find out here).

If the purchased orchid does not bloom, it is likely that it is still too small for this - it usually begins to bloom at the age of one and a half years, but sometimes the ripening period is delayed by 3 years.
Also, a short trunk will testify to youth. The flower has not yet managed to increase its length. The same can be said about the leaves - they are short in a young plant and their number is small (about four leaves grow in a year). The exception is orchids overfed with fertilizers.
Another sign of the old flower will be the stumps and the remains of cut branches - this suggests that it has already blossomed and probably more than once.

Care for young and old plants - is there a difference?

Care for young orchids is necessary the same as for old ones. A flower at any age requires certain conditions of detention and periodic top dressing.

TIP! The only thing that does not need to be done with young specimens is replanting, because this procedure is usually performed after the orchid begins to bloom.

Flowering period and period of existence - what is the difference?

Many people confuse these two concepts, mistakenly believing that the flowering cycle and the life span are one and the same. To understand the difference, you need to become familiar with what each definition means.

Flowering period is the period during which inflorescences appear and wilt in an orchid. It can last six months, but in most cases it is limited to 2-3 months. During this period, the plant shoots an arrow, on which the flowers are formed, and after some time they fade - the duration of flowering depends on the variety and conditions.
Shelf life is the years that a plant can exist., regardless of the flowering period. The life cycle of an orchid is not limited to several months, but stretches for many years a feast of proper care.

Is it possible and how to rejuvenate?

If the orchid is already several years old, then it will not be amiss to resort to rejuvenation. This will help the plant extend its life and also look more decorative, because over time the trunk of the flower becomes elongated and not always visually attractive. Through rejuvenation, you can also save a dying plant, in which the lower roots have dried or rotted.

Step-by-step instructions on how to update

The flower is removed from the pot and the roots are gently brushed off from the substrate.
Carefully inspect for the presence of root bends on the trunk.
With a disinfected knife, cut off the upper part, leaving a stump (lower part) in the old pot.
ATTENTION! The cut off (upper) part should have several leaves and aerial roots on the trunk.
The top should be planted in a separate pot and provide standard care for a particular grade.

The lower part can also become a full-fledged flower, so you should not throw it in the trash. The only difference in caring for two parts of a divided plant is the amount of moisture that hemp requires in much smaller quantities. Therefore, watering the mother plant must be reduced.

Watch a video on how to rejuvenate an orchid.

Conclusion

The life span of an orchid largely depends on the efforts that a person makes, to achieve comfortable conditions. But it also happens that the acquired flower dies very quickly with all efforts - this is already a marriage of a single hybrid, so do not lose heart. Next time, it’s better to buy an orchid in a safe place with which you previously had a positive experience.