Psychopsis orchid also called as butterfly orchids, is a genus of orchids native to northern South America, Central America and Trinidad. They grow as epiphytes on stems and branches of trees at an altitude of 300 to 1000 meters above sea level, where they dry out quickly although they do not like to dry out completely and do not require a rest period.
Psychopsis orchid also called as butterfly orchids, is a genus of orchids native to northern South America, Central America and Trinidad. They grow as epiphytes on stems and branches of trees at an altitude of 300 to 1000 meters above sea level, where they dry out quickly although they do not like to dry out completely and do not require a rest period. This genus was accepted in June 2014.
IDENTIFY PSYCHOPSIS ORCHID PLANT
Psychopsis orchid are epiphytic sympodial orchids with pseudobulbs. The rhizome is short, the pseudobulbs are small, flat and round shaped, bearing single leaf, the plants are small to medium sized. Some species have red to purple dots on leaves and pseudobulbs, giving the species attractive appearance even while not blooming.
Flowering occurs at intervals throughout the entire year and well grown plants will have many inflorescences with more than one flower per inflorescence. The flowers of this genus look like large, reach up to 15 cm in diameter, bright-colored butterflies. They have long, stretched petals, that look like antennas and large, wing-like sepals that are yellow- and brown-spotted. The pleated lip is large and quite remarkable. The flowers look like an exact replica of a butterfly – the lip mimics wings, while column, sepals, and petals form some sort of a head resembling an insect. When a wind blows, flower behaves exactly as butterflies do, and bees identify this behavior like an act of aggression, so they start to attack the flower, transporting pollinia.
PSYCHOPSIS ORCHID PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Psychopsis orchid loves bright sunlight and is able to calmly endure the direct morning and evening sun, however, on a hot summer afternoon (especially on the windows of the southern orientation), the orchid should be protected from direct sunlight: put behind a curtain (for example, on a table near the window) or in the shade of other plants, otherwise the plant may get sunburn. In order for the plant to grow well and bloom regularly, the lighting must be not only bright, but also long. Throughout the year, the duration of daylight hours must be at least 10 hours. Bright sunlight is the main prerequisite for the flowering of this type of orchid. In case of insufficient lighting, the orchid will simply not bloom.
Temperature:
Psychopsis orchid belongs to the moderately warm temperature regime, and throughout the year it is recommended to grow orchids under the following conditions: Summer temperature in the afternoon to 25 ° C, and at night 18-20 ° C. Winter temperature is not below 15 ° C. For successful cultivation at home, it is necessary that the night temperature is always 5 ° C lower than the daytime.
Humidity:
This type of orchid is not demanding for extremely high air humidity, 60-70% will be enough for a normal growth and development of a plant. Too dry air has a negative effect on the development of the plant and its growth is inhibited. To increase the humidity of the air, you can use a humidifier, water saucers or wet clay. For this, a large pallet is taken, inside of which expanded clay is poured, a grate protecting the wetting of the roots is placed on top and pots with orchids are set up. The higher temperature, the higher the humidity should be, and the higher the humidity, the more often and longer it is necessary to ventilate the room where orchids are contained, otherwise there is a high probability of rotting and leaves of various kinds of fungal diseases.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
This type of orchid is cultivated both in the substrate and without it, placed on the blocks. The substrate should be very breathable, so large pieces of the bark of coniferous trees are best suited for its quality.
It is recommended to repot the plant at least once every 2-3 years, since the substrate during this time has time to lose all its beneficial properties. The best time for transplanting is the period when new sprouts reach a size of 5 cm and begin to grow their own roots.
Watering:
Throughout the year, Psychopsis needs frequent and abundant watering. Excess water during irrigation should flow freely from the pot, since stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pan can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant. The substrate between waterings should dry well.
Fertilizer:
Throughout the year, this orchid is fertilized once every 2-3 weeks in the usual concentration of fertilizer indicated on the package. In the early fall months, you may want to switch your fertilizer to higher phosphorus and lower nitrogen mix to promote healthy growth and blooms in the spring. Cut back your feeding to once a month until you begin to see new growth.
Rest period:
Psychopsis orchid does not need a well-defined rest period to stimulate flowering. However, if you have problems with flowering of this type of orchid, then in the period when new young shoots reach the size of old ones and start turning into pseudobulbs themselves, try to keep the plant at a temperature not higher than 18 ° C and water less often. If, in spite of this, the orchid will not bloom anyway, then the lighting is not enough for it and it should be moved to a brighter place or, in addition to natural light, use artificial light lamps.
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