The blue orchid is not a natural miracle, but marketing ploy flower distributors. Many buyers are delighted with the azure phalaenopsis. They simply dream of replenishing their home flower collection with such an unusual representative of exotic plants.

The Blue Orchid first appeared at the 2011 Tropical Plant Show in Florida and then as a Royal Blue Phalaenopsis in Holland at a flower competition.

The fact that this is a painted flower, no one hid. But everyone was delighted with the appearance of an orchid of this color. The method of coloring the flower blue is patented and kept in strict confidence. Manufacturers only shared the general essence of the coloring process: the flower is immersed in a special environment where elements of natural origin are used, which ensures the safety of the procedure and does not harm the plant.

Gallery: phalaenopsis orchid in nature (25 photos)

Plant features

It is better to buy a blue or blue orchid at specialized exhibitions. Shops are taboo, because they often offer unscrupulously colored flowers, which have leaves and roots of a blue tint. Such plants should be avoided: most likely, a flower of this kind will soon die.

Only a pure white flower can be dyed blue, as it is most susceptible to color changes. Therefore, do not be surprised at the appearance of white flowers over time on the blue orchid you bought. If there is a royal phalaenopsis in the house, then you should not wonder how to paint the orchid blue yourself. The blue or ink used will only harm the plant and it may die.

Orchids in nature cannot be blue in any way, because phalaenopsis does not have the corresponding gene responsible for this pigment. Although in 2013, Japanese scientists made a breakthrough in the field of floriculture and bred a blue flower by introducing the gene of another flower, the Asian commeline, into the orchid of the Aphrodite species. This is how the royal blue orchid of rich color turned out. It's not on sale yet. The flower can only be seen at the exhibition.

If such exoticism really appealed to you, then you should not make independent efforts and mock the flower. It is worth paying attention to representatives of other species, and there will definitely be that very beauty, remotely resembling a blue beauty in color, from which it will be impossible to look away.

A natural orchid in nature does not have a rich blue hue, but epiphytic plants remotely resembling a blue color exist:

Home care

When purchasing or receiving a royal blue phalaenopsis as a gift, you need to know some of the features of caring for it. You should be prepared for the fact that beautiful inflorescences of an unusual shade will fade, and new ones will no longer appear. But so that the plant does not wither, but continues its vital activity and produces buds, even if of a different shade, you need to protect the orchid from new stresses, because it has already endured one and not the fact that it will endure the next ones. Painted orchids need more scrupulous care, as they will be susceptible to disease at first.

Carefully inspect the roots of phalaenopsis. If the flower was given a blue color by injecting a dye into root system he has no chance of survival. In the absence of traces from the introduction of the dye into the root, the plant will continue to exist.

In no case should you transplant a new inhabitant of the house immediately: this is stress for the plant. You need to take care of him in the same mode as any other flowers.

If the blue orchid began to rapidly shed its buds, then the plant is experiencing the negative influence of the coloring matter. You need to do the following immediately:

• remove the peduncle with blue inflorescences;
• cut off rotten and blue roots;
• treat the sections with ash or cinnamon and dry the roots of the flower;
• fill a clean pot with new soil intended for orchids;
• put a flower there.

The main components of blue phalaenopsis care are light, moisture and heat. The flower needs periodic washing from a spray bottle with water at room temperature.

Lighting is of great importance for orchids. They cannot stand direct sunlight, but a small amount of light is detrimental to them. It is not advisable to put it on south-facing windows in summer; in winter time it is better to create additional lighting for the plant using fluorescent lamps.

Blue orchids, like any other, need the right balance of lighting and watering. The brighter the light, the more you need to water the plant. You should be guided by the state of the substrate in the pot: if it is dry, there is no condensation on the inner walls of the container and the roots of the orchid have acquired a light shade, then watering is necessary. This can be a warm shower or lowering the pot into a tray of warm settled water. The second option is more convenient. Its duration should be 30-40 minutes. The usual way of watering for orchids is detrimental.

After all the flowers on the blue orchid have faded, you need to pay attention to whether the green bud remains at the top. If there is one, then there is no need to rush to cut the peduncle. In case of blackening of the top, it can be cut off or not touched at all, because there may be dormant buds that can still turn into “butterflies” of amazing beauty, but no longer blue.

A variant of the presence of traces of the introduction of blue paint at the base of the orchid peduncle is possible. The very condition of the plant is important here. If it is satisfactory, then nothing is worth doing. It is necessary to take care of the flower, as before. The arrow must be cut off in the situation when the phalaenopsis has dropped all the buds on its own. This means that he is under stress. It must be protected from harmful dye getting into other parts of the flower.

Orchids should be fed at least once a month with specially formulated fertilizers for these flowers. This has a beneficial effect on the flowering of the plant.

Long-term non-blooming of phalaenopsis indicates insufficient illumination of the room in which it is located. The orchid does not yet tolerate drafts.

The disease of the flower is manifested by a change in the shade of the leaves, rotting of the roots, lack of flowering. This can be caused by a viral disease, the appearance of a tick, bacteriosis, burns, fusarium wilt. Any manifestation of the disease requires a plant transplant and its treatment.

Blue orchids look beautiful and unusual. They appeared on the shelves of stores quite recently, but have already managed to gain popularity. Experienced flower growers know that blue orchids are not typical. How to determine a painted flower or not? How to take care of her? Can I paint the plant myself? Will it harm the culture?

Exotic lovers are in for a big disappointment - most of the blue orchids on store shelves are artificially dyed. There are some hybrid varieties blue color, but it is not so bright and saturated.

Special grades

There are only two varieties of orchids with an unusual blue color - these are Wanda and Cattleya. Wanda is a capricious flower, it requires increased attention. The color is not quite blue - with a purple tint. But Wanda looks no less impressive than painted flowers.

Cattleya is less demanding in care. Differs in large bright colors. The colors are different, among them there are varieties with pale blue flowers. Orchids do not have a rich blue color in nature. Flowers are dyed by watering or dye injection. Keeping the blue color will not work - the next flowers will be slightly bluish or completely white.

All intense blue orchids in the store are dyed phalaenopsis. When buying a plant, carefully inspect it. If the flower is flaccid, a bluish tint appears on the roots and leaves, and there is noticeable damage on the stem from the introduction of the dye - do not buy it. Such a plant will die very soon.

Actions after purchase

Care is complicated by the weakened state of the plant. The introduction of artificial dye is a powerful stress for the flower. He will need increased attention, enhanced care so that he can adapt to new conditions.

Do not rush to transplant the orchid into new pot. This is additional stress. It is too likely that the flower will die soon after transplantation.

If too much chemical dye has been introduced, the flower will gradually drop buds. He needs to be revived urgently. Carefully inspect the plant from the peduncle to the roots. Look for injection marks. Finding them on the roots is a bad sign. There is no guarantee that the orchid will be saved. The paint was injected into the peduncle - the plant has more chances to survive.

Resuscitation of a painted flower

1. Find the injection site. And carefully, with a sharp knife, cut off the peduncle filled with paint.
2. Remove the orchid from the pot. Release the roots from the substrate. Rinse the root system with warm water.
3. Examine the roots. If you find bluish, rotting areas, cut them out. Treat the cut areas with cinnamon or charcoal powder.
4. Dry the roots. During few hours.
5. Transplant. into a new sterile substrate.

Basic care

A painted flower will need more careful care. Breaking the rules will result in death.

• Lighting. Sunny places are not suitable. On the south side they put it on a table a little away from the window. Preference is given to the northeast, west and east side. At midday hours, they are sure to shade.
• Temperature . In light shade, at moderate temperatures of 18-25 ° C, flowering will last longer. In summer, a short-term increase in temperature up to 35˚С is allowed. Prolonged heat leads to dropping of buds and lethargy of leaves. A plant weakened by dyes may not be able to tolerate the heat. In winter, the temperature is reduced to 15-25˚С. Withstands short-term cooling down to 12˚С.
• Humidity . The normal humidity level is in the range of 30-40%. high humidity and poor ventilation of the room leads to rotting of the roots and the appearance of spots on the leaves. At humidity below 20-25%, the leaves lose turgor, the flowers fall off. Careful spraying is beneficial. But try not to allow water to accumulate in the axils of the leaves.
• Watering. It is necessary to water taking into account the present variety of the plant. Most often, white phalaenopsis are stained, so watering should be regular. Complete drying of the soil is not allowed, but waterlogging too. In phalaenopsis, wet roots become green in color.
• Top dressing. It is better not to feed a painted orchid or use a minimum amount of low concentration fertilizer. One of the most successful fertilizers is Kemira Lux.
• Root care. Aerial roots are not buried in the substrate. They are needed to obtain additional moisture and nutrition from the air. Old roots gradually die off - turn brown, dry out. The dried parts are carefully cut off with a sharp knife.
• Priming. The main component of the substrate for most orchids is pine bark. In dry rooms, sphagnum is added to the substrate - it retains moisture well. You can add some crushed foam and charcoal. Before planting, the bark is soaked for two days, washed with clean water and only then mixed with the rest of the components.
• Transplant. Don't rush to transfer. It is worth doing this if the roots are damaged or the substrate is in poor condition. Transplanted after flowering at intervals of two to three years.

Do not be surprised if the blue orchid changes color during the next bloom. The paint is gradually washed out of the plant. Freshly dyed flowers are intense blue, the next time they bloom they will be white with blue streaks or slightly bluish. Further, ordinary white flowers form on the peduncles.

Coloring at home

It is undesirable to paint orchids, as any coloring matter poisons them. In extreme cases, use special paints for flowers. They can be purchased at large flower shops or ordered online. The algorithm of actions includes four stages.

1. Dilute the paint with water. In accordance with the instructions.
2. Take a sterile syringe. And fill it with dye.
3. Carefully pierce the peduncle. And enter the dye solution.
4. Treat the puncture site. Coal powder.

At first, carefully observe the condition of the plant. Keep it in a cool room, with moderate lighting, keep an eye on the condition of the soil. If the flowers turn blue, do not wilted, the plant looks healthy - the experiment was a success.

It is not recommended to introduce a coloring solution into the stem and roots of the plant. Orchid from this may die. Use only special dyes for flowers. Food will not give the desired effect, the ink will destroy the orchid.

Consequences of color change

Any paint contains aggressive chemical substances. Their introduction into the peduncle does not pass without consequences.

• Violation of gas exchange. The capillaries are clogged, the plant cannot fully breathe.
• Diseases and pests. Natural immunity is lost, resistance to diseases and pests is lost. Ulcers and rot may appear at the injection site. When the dye is introduced into the roots, they inevitably rot.
• Plant death. This is the most common outcome of the experiment. At best, it partially recovers, but still remains weakened.

Care after flowering for a painted orchid will differ slightly. It is better to cut the peduncle immediately, without waiting for the re-formation of buds or children. More recovery time will be needed. The flower needs to provide the most comfortable conditions.

Coloring does not affect the genetic code of the plant. This is a temporary change, from which there will be no trace of the next flowering. If you want to diversify your collection with a blue orchid, look in stores for a vanda or cattleya.

Reproduction methods

If you bought not a vanda or cattleya, but a painted orchid, be guided by the phalaenopsis propagation method. It propagates mainly by children and cuttings.

cuttings

Cuttings are an effective, fairly simple way. Cuttings are cut only from a healthy plant, not affected by pests and diseases. Take a side shoot.
Cut it into several pieces. On each leave two knots with axillary buds. The container is filled with wet sand or sphagnum moss. The cuttings are laid horizontally. The container is covered with a film on top.

The land in the greenhouse is regularly moistened, the film is removed daily for ventilation. In about a month, full-fledged children will form on the segments of the escape. They are separated and seated in separate containers after the formation of their own root system.

Growing up from kids

Babies develop from dormant kidneys. Formed on the stem, peduncle. Babies rarely develop on their own. Usually their development should be stimulated. Several methods of stimulation are used.

• Division of the main plant. The method is risky, suitable only for completely healthy plants. In the case of a painted orchid, it is better not to use it. The essence of the method - the top is cut off and rooted. Behind bottom continue to care until the appearance of children with roots.
• Reduced irrigation and temperature fluctuations. Watering is stopped for 15 days, daily temperature drops of 7-9˚С are achieved.
• Hormonal stimulants. Flower shops sell a special hormonal paste. With its help, you can quickly wake up a sleeping kidney, stimulate the formation of a baby from it. The covering scale is removed from the upper bud of the peduncle. Work carefully, use a sharp blade and tweezers. Every four days, a sleeping kidney is treated with a paste. The orchid is kept in a warm room at temperatures up to 30 ° C. In the cool, instead of children, a bud is formed. Grown up children are separated from the peduncle and planted.

As cuttings, you can take pieces of the peduncle. After flowering, it is cut, divided into pieces of three to four centimeters and planted similarly to cuttings from a side shoot. On each segment, one sleeping kidney is left.

Frequent illnesses

The probability of disease of a painted orchid is much higher. At the slightest sign of illness, treatment begins immediately. The chances of surviving a weakened plant are much less. Below is a table with the symptoms of major diseases and how to treat them.

Table - Orchid diseases and methods of their treatment

Common pests

Weakening of the orchid as a result of painting, violation of the rules of care often lead to mass damage by pests. They draw juices from the plant, lead to the addition of a secondary infection and death. The table shows the most common orchid pests and how to deal with them.

Table - Pests of orchids and ways to deal with them

print

Blue orchids amaze with their beauty and rare, unusual color of the petals. In flower shops, these flowers appeared relatively recently, but have already gained popularity. However, not all buyers know what is the secret of the amazing color of these plants.

What is behind the paint?

Often, happy owners of orchids with blue or blue flowers are surprised to find that the next flowering, the buds are no longer bright, saturated, but dirty blue, or even completely white. This is due to the fact that plants are stained with a chemical dye. Many stores do not hide this and place appropriate warnings on the labels for the colors. But this information is not actively disseminated among buyers, so often the owners of dyed flowers are subsequently disappointed.

Most often flowers are painted white color, since it is easiest to achieve uniform staining on them. Over time, the dye is washed out and they return to their original color.

How did blue orchids appear?

In 2011, at the Tropical Plant Exhibition in Florida (America), the world's first blue phalaenopsis. Made it a grow farm "Silver Vase" from South Florida.

Only 3 months have passed, and it became known about the appearance of another blue beauty - Phalaenopsis Royal Blue (Royal Blue Phalaenopsis). This time the action took place in Holland at the annual FloraHolland flower contest. An exotic flower with blue petals was presented by the Dutch nursery "Geest Orchideeën", for which it received an award in the "Sales Concept" category. One of the jury members of the competition predicted the huge popularity of plants among buyers in the future.

An interesting fact: the producers do not hide the fact that the blue is not natural, as well as the fact that the next flowering will be white. They do the coloring by patented technology, the details of which were not disclosed. According to the producers, its essence is as follows: the plants are placed in a special environment, for the creation of which elements of natural origin are used, so the procedure itself does not harm the orchids.

We can conclude that blue is not natural look and not a hybrid bred by breeders. This is just a marketing ploy, and, I must say, very successful.

Flower in the house: features of care

The problem lies in the fact that some unscrupulous sellers, wanting to earn extra money, take on the coloring on their own. They pass off the result of their work as Phalaenopsis Royal Blue and sell it at a price three times higher than ordinary white flowers.

Naturally, we are not talking about any technology here. Coloring is sometimes easy barbaric methods. The dye, often ink, is injected into the peduncle, stem, or root. This procedure greatly weakens the plant, being a source of stress for it. Poisoned by harmful substances, the flower may simply die.

Having bought or received a blue plant as a gift, carefully inspect it. If the injection mark is visible on the peduncle, then the plant has more chances of survival. If the injection was done at the root, then the probability of death is high.

Sometimes phalaenopsis is stained by watering with colored water, in which case a blue tint can be observed not only on flowers, but also on leaves and roots. Whether a plant survives or not depends on the degree of harm done to it.

Orchid released buds not blue, but white? No need to try to paint it yourself, water it with blue or ink. From this plant can get sick and die. It is better to enjoy her natural, no less beautiful outfit.

Do not rush to transplant a painted plant immediately after purchase - it may not withstand another stress. Otherwise, the care requirements are the same as for ordinary orchids, but you need to carefully monitor its condition.

If, after the purchase, the flower began to lose buds, it means that he could not cope with the negative influence of the coloring matter. In this case, you need take immediate action to save him. For this you should:

Japanese miracle

Japanese breeders in 2013 presented the result of their many years of work - a transgenic blue orchid. Scientists took as a basis the white phalaenopsis Aphrodite, which in itself is very prolific and can produce up to 30 flowers in one bloom. The plant was introduced the gene responsible for the blue color from the Commeline flower.

However, due to its exclusivity, the plant remains inaccessible to a wide range of amateur gardeners.

Are there blue orchids in nature?

Fans of exotic colors will be disappointed: blue does not exist in nature. This species is simply there is no gene responsible for this pigment.

If you liked the blue flowers in the photographs, of which there are so many on the Internet, do not rush to get upset. You can choose not painted phalaenopsis, but Wanda - another type of family. This flower is amazing in its beauty, a real queen. But she requires a proper attitude and is quite capricious in terms of care. A novice gardener may have difficulty with it. If Wanda takes root in your home, she will delight you with luxurious flowers. Their coloring in its beauty will not be inferior to the deep indigo that phalaenopsis is painted with.

Another example of a blue orchid is Cattleya. Compared to Wanda, she is less demanding in terms of care. In this species large, fragrant flowers, and their colors vary.

This is the most unpretentious appearance among the blue flowers. However, in nature you will not find that rich blue color that is found in colored buds. These will be subtle shades of blue or pink-blue, blue with a lilac tint. But this coloring is rare. Their flowers are small, but natural in color.

Should I buy flowers with blue or light blue petals? Everyone decides for himself...

The buyer comes to the store hoping to find a quality product. The variety of orchid colors will surprise even experienced florist. But some flowers are simply not found in nature, and then it would be logical to ask the seller if he knows how to paint an orchid and if he does not use it in practice. Unnaturally blue colors have not yet been bred in nature. If you look closely at the stem of such a plant, sometimes you can see a kind of bruise from an injection. By such a barbaric method, the plant is given an unnatural color for it. It is enough to imagine that the dye spreads through all the veins of a delicate flower, filling every cell of the plant. This method not only does not make the plant more beautiful (but everyone has different ideas about beauty), but also ruins the health of the flower.

If, nevertheless, such a plant has already been bought, it is important to know how to revive the orchid and try, if not completely, then partially restore the lost health to the flower. First, you need to get the orchid out of the pot and pay attention to its roots. All rotten and dry shoots must be removed. Live orchid roots will be dense and hard to the touch. Young roots are light in color when dry and turn green when wet. Old roots have a light brown tint. Rotten roots will always be brown (light to dark) and feel hollow or slimy to the touch. When you click on such a process, water will flow and a semblance of a thread will become bare. Circumcised places must be disinfected with activated charcoal (crushed tablets) or cinnamon. If the exact cause of root system rotting has not been established, then it will be imperative to soak the bottom of the plant (the place where the roots used to grow) for 10-15 minutes in fungicide or foundationazole, not forgetting to reduce their dosage by about half. Finally, the plant is treated with growth regulators. They are presented in sufficient quantities in a store where a novice gardener will be helped to pick them up. Now, it is known how to treat an orchid if there are problems with the root system of the plant.

If the plant is saved and shoots have appeared, it is important to know in advance how to plant orchid babies. Usually, it is accepted to plant children when their root length reaches about 5 cm. Until this time, flower growers plant such a process in a glass with bark, without cutting it off from the main plant. When the plant has grown and been cut off, a fresh cut is dried for 2 hours, then its roots are placed in a warm saucer for about half an hour. Next, the roots go deep into a transparent pot and fall asleep with bark as much as possible, but so that the growth point and stem are not in the bark. Important! All fresh cut points must be processed crushed charcoal to prevent the development of infection. Now, a novice florist knows not only how to feed an orchid, but also how to choose it, avoiding the barbaric treatment of flowers. It is important to remember that we are all part of nature and the task of man is to protect and lovingly accept her gifts.

A blue orchid will decorate any window sill, how to paint an orchid blue at home.

Blue orchids are grown in limited quantities, since the process of dyeing them is not easy, and it is quite difficult to obtain evenly colored flowers of the plant.