Sobralia

The collection has about 120 different species, belongs to the Orchid family and grows in South America. Moreover, tourists claim that, for example, in Cuba or Costa Rica, collected can be found literally at every step.

These are mainly terrestrial plants, although there are epiphytic specimens.

The flowers harvested are stunningly beautiful, and despite the fact that they live no more than one day, the plant is becoming more and more popular among connoisseurs of orchids.

Collection description

The genus of the collection is represented both by plants of short stature (35-40 cm), and by real giants, the size of which can exceed several meters. The stems of the plant are quite thin, but over time they become covered with brown bark. The flowers are very large (their diameter can reach 15 cm) and very beautiful. Their color is striking in its variety: different shades of lilac and pink, brown and burgundy, white and yellow. Often two or more shades are combined in one flower. Flowering sometimes lasts less than a day, but in the place of a wilted flower, the next one immediately blooms.

The leaves of the collectedia are very dense, depending on the type of plant, they can be narrow or wide and colored in dark or light shades of green.

The collection is easy to maintain, but you will need to set aside enough space for the plant.

Sobralia care

Once you have brought the collection home, the plant will take time to adapt to the new environmental conditions. Gradually accustom her to sunlight and a new watering regime.
In their natural environment, they harvested grow well in direct sunlight, but indoor plants are more delicate, so they need to provide diffused lighting, but always a long daylight hours. If you are placing a flower on a windowsill, then the east and west direction, as well as the south, but with shading in the daytime will do.

The air temperature should be moderate, in the warm season + 20 ... + 25 degrees, in autumn you can gradually lower the temperature and in winter provide the plant with a period of rest with an air temperature of + 14 ... + 16 degrees.

Since the plant is native to the tropics, it is necessary to maintain air humidity above 60%. In this case, it is extremely important not to forget to ventilate the room, since without fresh air there is a high risk of developing fungal infections.

The collection should be watered abundantly enough, especially during the flowering period. Dried substrate is the most common cause of orchid death. In winter, when the temperature drops, watering is not stopped, but it is made more moderate.

In addition to watering and fresh air, the collection needs regular feeding throughout the entire flowering period. You can use any complex fertilizer for orchids, such as Biomaster, Bona Forte, Compo Sana or Flower Paradise. It is recommended to reduce the dosage by about half, otherwise the stems and leaves begin to actively grow in the sabralia, and the flowering gradually fades away.

Sobralia transplant

Surprisingly, the most delicate and fragile part was collected not by flowers, but by the root system. If in the process of transplanting you accidentally damage it, then this can affect not only the appearance of the plant, but also its viability. Therefore, the collection is transplanted very rarely and only if the roots have completely filled the container and the transplant is inevitable (no more than once every three years).

It is necessary to replant the plant in the spring. If at this time the sabralia is blooming, then it is better to wait until the end of flowering.

Pick up a special container for orchids with a lot of holes, fill the drainage at the bottom.Transfer the plant to the prepared container and cover with fresh orchid substrate.

Reproduction methods

In the process of transplanting, you can divide the harvested bush - this is the most common breeding method. The problem is the fragility of the roots, which we talked about earlier, so the result of such a process can never be predicted. Sometimes in the process of dividing a bush, you lose your plant, as all parts die. But if everything went well, then in two or three years you will have several blooming gatherings.

Possible problems and solutions

Houseplants, unfortunately, are not immune to the invasion of harmful insects. Mealybug, spider mite, scale insect - you can encounter these parasites, and it is almost impossible to get to the bottom of the truth (where did they come from ?!). The affected plant should be immediately isolated from other indoor flowers, and then treated with an insecticide (Aktellik, Aktara and others). It will be possible to return the plant from quarantine only after the complete destruction of the parasites.
If we talk about diseases, then the most likely will be various types of rot, which can begin to develop with high humidity and lack of fresh air. Special fungicidal preparations such as Fundazol, Topaz, Vitaros or any other suitable preparations will help you cope with the problem. But after treatment, it is imperative to establish an irrigation regime and regularly ventilate the room.

If leaves fall off a collection, there can be very different reasons for this:

• it is part of a natural process and is related to the age of the plant.
• there is a draft in the room, and almost all flowers react to it in a similar way.
• a similar reaction can be obtained due to overheating or hypothermia of the harvested.

One of the most common questions that beginner growers have is related to the lack of long-awaited flowering. Flowering does not occur for the following reasons:

• too low humidity in the room.
• poor watering and, as a result, drying out of the roots.
• overdose of fertilizers, in connection with which all the forces of the plant are aimed at building up green mass.
• adaptation period after transplantation or reproduction.

As you can see, it is not difficult to care for the collection, it is safe to say that it is even less capricious than other orchids.