Grammatophyllum

Grammatophyllum: a description of the orchid

Orchid Grammatophyllum: photo

Grammatophyllum (Grammatophyllum) - representatives of the Orchid family, belonging to the largest tropical flowering plants. This article will tell you about the secrets of caring for these spectacular exotic flowers.

The homeland of grammatophyllums is the jungles of Southeast Asia. These large orchids grow everywhere in the humid forests of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, as well as in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand.

Grammatophyllum: characteristics of an orchid

Grammatophyllum is a tall plant, the average height of which is 2 m. There are specimens with peduncles several meters high. Most of these impressive orchid species are epiphytes - i.e. grow on other plants, although there are terrestrial varieties. All parts of the grammatophyllum are rather large: the length of the leaf plates can be from 0.5 to 1 m, and the width is about 3 cm. The arrangement of the leaves is two-row, they are characterized by a drooping shape at the base. Pseudobulbs are yellow and are of two types: long and short, rounded.

The flowers of the grammatophyllum orchid, as a rule, are very large, flattened, have a diameter of about 10 cm. Most often there is a light yellow and greenish color, the petals are covered with numerous brown specks. The flowers are characterized by a pleasant and bright aroma. The peculiarity of the flowering of grammatophyllum is that it occurs irregularly - once every 2-4 years. This period is quite long - about 2 months, it falls on the period from May to July. Often, the lack of water in the soil becomes the reason for the abundant flowering of grammatophyllums.

Grammatophyllum: application

Grammatophyllum orchids are grown as pot plants, including hanging containers. These orchids successfully take root on woody blocks. Since the plant belongs to rather large specimens, an important condition for its successful cultivation is a fairly large space in the room or on the balcony.

Grammatophyllum: orchid care instructions

Grammatophyllum: video about growing an orchid

The large size of grammatophyllum is the main reason for all the difficulties associated with their cultivation. Owners of small spaces cannot afford to own this giant orchid, as it needs a fairly spacious habitat. Growing grammatofillum will require adherence to certain recommendations. A prerequisite for its maintenance is regular pruning of pseudobulbs that accumulate excess moisture in plant tissues, as well as the removal of dry and wilted leaves.

Temperature regime

Like many tropical plants, the grammatophyllum orchid needs daily temperature drops. During the daytime, the thermometer should be between 24 and 30 degrees, and at night the air temperature in the room should drop to 13-15 degrees. Grammatophyllum can withstand a short-term cold snap up to 10 degrees, as well as a short heat up to 38 degrees.

Lighting mode

Since the homeland of Grammatophyllum is shady rainforests, in indoor growing conditions, it needs to be provided as close to natural light as possible.Avoid direct sunlight on the petals of its flowers, it is better if the light is diffused. Observing the color of the leaves will help to adjust the lighting mode: yellowing of greenery indicates excessive illumination, and darkening of the leaf plates is a sign of excessive shading.

Soil composition

To grow grammatophyllums, you can use ready-made orchid mixtures purchased in specialized stores. To prepare a nutritious substrate at home, you need to mix the following ingredients:

• pine bark - 4 parts;
• pumice or perlite - 2 parts;
• charcoal of wood origin - 1 part.

Fertilization

Orchid Grammatophyllum: photo

During the growing season, grammatofillums need to be fed: this should be done quite often, but not too abundantly. It is enough to apply top dressing every week with a concentration of 50%, otherwise salts will begin to accumulate in the soil, negatively affecting the state of the root system of the orchid. In the autumn-winter period, the frequency of fertilization decreases - the grammatophyllum should be fed no more than 1 time per month. For fertilization, you can use ready-made mixtures for orchids, but Grammatophyllum responds well to the introduction of organic matter.

Air humidity mode

Unlike other tropical orchids, grammatofillums do not need a high degree of air humidification, however, you should not refuse to use a room humidifier. In the summertime, maintaining the required level of air humidity is especially important. In this case, it is imperative to ensure good air circulation in the room through regular ventilation.

Watering rules

During the growing season, grammatofillums need frequent and abundant watering. At the same time, excess water in the soil can negatively affect the health of orchids, therefore, the accumulated liquid should be poured out of the pan. The best solution would be to observe certain intervals between waterings, during which the soil in the pots will have time to dry out. Watered grammatofillums should be warm, well-settled water. With the arrival of the cold season, the frequency and volume of irrigation decreases significantly.

Grammatophyllum: orchid transplant

Grammatophyllum: video about growing an orchid

Unlike many exotic plants, grammatofillums tolerate the transplantation procedure well. It is important to choose the right time for its implementation - this should be a period when flowering has already ended, and new growth has not yet begun. In order to facilitate the process of removing the grammatophyllum from the pot, it should be well watered and left for 10 minutes to absorb the moisture into the soil and make it softer. After that, the plant can be removed from the container without difficulty and the risk of damaging the root system. For particularly large specimens, the best solution is to grow in hanging baskets with a wide bottom, since the rapid growth of the root system of the grammatophyllum can destroy a normal pot.

Grammatophyllum: reproduction

Orchid Grammatophyllum: photo

The most popular is the reproduction of the grammatophyllum of the methods of dividing the bush. As a result of this procedure, full-fledged divisions should be obtained, each of which should have at least 4 pseudobulbs. Young bushes of grammatophyllum should be transplanted into containers with a nutrient substrate and placed in a warm corner located in partial shade.