How to choose an orchid when buying in a store, which flower should I pay attention to?

The once outlandish plant in our area, the orchid has long become an integral part of flower shops and shopping centers, you can buy it at any time of the year and at any time of the day.

It would seem that buy yes rejoice, but no, after the purchase a lot of annoying surprises often appear, the plant is painful, or even dies. To avoid these troubles, you need to seriously approach the choice of flower, take into account the many small and large nuances, and the very first thing you should pay attention to is the place of purchase.

Features of care in the sales department

IMPORTANT: When buying a plant in a store or in a supermarket, you need to be extremely careful, because in these places orchids receive illiterate care from unskilled sellers.

And plant hygiene is not up to standard there, all kinds of pests and fungi are constantly present in the internal flora and if the orchid has been in this place for a couple of weeks, it can not be called healthy. Therefore, in order to buy a healthy plant, you must know the date of delivery and look at the conditions in which the flower is located.

The shelf with flowers in the store should be clean and dry, there should be no water in the pallets under the pots, and the pots themselves should be transparent and with ventilation holes on the side walls. Orchid roots are clearly visible through transparent potswhich is convenient for inspection before purchase.

Buying orchids is better not watered, with a dry substrate, so they are easier to tolerate moving and adapt faster to a new place.

Another important detail is the presence of a tag with the name and conditions of the plant. Knowing the type and name of the orchid, it is easy to double-check the care information received from the seller. Together with orchids, it is better to immediately buy a substrate for transplantation, since plant breeders often put foam rubber or moss pieces in pots for better transportation, which hold moisture for a long time and subsequently cause root and trunk decay.

What season is the best time to make a purchase?

Orchid is a delicate plant, so it will not survive the transportation in the cold season, it will be cold or freeze. If you still need the orchid in the cold weather, it is advisable to take care of the transportation in advance, and take insulation with you, for example bottles of warm water and thermal packages, then there is a chance to bring the flower home unscathed.

Before March 8, orchids are often sold on the street, and you should definitely not buy there. At home, such a flower will die quickly, unable to withstand a sharp temperature drop.

Inspection of roots and leaves

There is nothing complicated in choosing a healthy orchid, the main thing is to know what you need to pay attention to. The beauty and abundance of flowers attract buyers, but these are not the main indicators of health. An important organ of a plant is the root system, and first of all, it needs to be examined:

The green and long tips of most of the roots indicate active growth, which means that the orchid is developing normally and everything suits her in care. If at the end of the roots there is simply a green dot (a rooting root) and the leaves are not sluggish, then the orchid is in a resting period or has recently woken up.
Roots without a green dot at the end should alert you, this is called dull pupping, and its main causes are a lack of moisture, or vice versa, its excess. If all aerial roots are tightly crowded, and the roots in the substrate are black or gray, you do not need to buy such a plant.
A viable root is hard and elastic, it does not push when pressed, but even a small necrotic area on it can become a source of infection for the entire plant, so you need to examine the roots very carefully.

The leaves of a healthy plant are dense, bright green, with a smooth glossy surface, which is especially noticeable on the upper young leaves. The old lower ones gradually lose their luster, but they do not lose their density. A new leaf growing from the middle of the rosette indicates an active phase of plant growth, and this is a sign of good conditions. For the normal growth and development of orchids, it is necessary that there are at least 3-4 leaves.

Too bright and large leaves indicate an excess of fertilizers, which will affect the flowering of orchids. Overfed plant will not bloom for 2-3 years, and it also becomes vulnerable to diseases and pests. Dull, shriveled, moist-stained leaves are not necessarily a sign of illiteracy. It is possible that the plant is affected by a bacterial or viral infection.

Watch a video about choosing to check the roots and leaves of an orchid when buying in a store:

Should I buy a flowering plant?

Orchids strewn with flowers are very beautiful, but you should buy them with great care. At first glance, the decision to purchase a blooming orchid seems sound and logical, because you can immediately see what color it is, and you don’t really want to wait how long before the first flowers appear.

It is important to know that flowering takes a lot of strength, and it can last for several years in some species. So it is very likely to buy an old, depleted plant, long standing on the store shelf.

TIP: It is better to take a blooming orchid if most of the buds on it have not yet blossomed, which indicates a recent beginning of flowering, after checking the peduncle for pests.

Development features

In nature, flower stalks in orchids grow from leaf axils, but for mass sale they brought microcloned orchids (they are also called orchids of instant distillation), the peduncle of which appears from the growth point. After flowering, this rosette will no longer grow and develop, and after 2-4 months it will give babies.

Repeated flowering is quite possible, but undesirable, as it will delay the appearance of children. Therefore, the peduncle should be cut from the growth point without waiting for the end of the first flowering.

Signs of illness or pests

Most susceptible to diseases and pests weakened by improper care plants. Low temperature and high humidity are the causes of different types of rot caused by both fungi and bacteria, as well as ideal conditions for harmful insects. Signs of the disease:

fluffy coating on the leaves;
black or brown spots of different sizes;
wet sores;
softened brown roots;
rotting point of growth.

Special attention should be paid to viruses that are in a dormant state for a long time and are actively manifested in the winter, when a lack of lighting occurs. First, light dots appear on the leaves, which grow with time and become depressed stripes, circles or ovals.

Plants infected with viruses are contagious and must be destroyed.. Since there is no effective medicine for them.

Signs of damage by harmful insects:

tubercles and growths, under which scale insects live;
thin cobweb woven by a spider mite;
silver film and strokes on the underside of leaves damaged by thrips;
young roots joined by polytails;
holes on leaves gnawed by wood lice;
cotton-like substance on peduncles and in a pot, which is secreted by mealy bugs.

The consequence of the wrong choice of orchid is its long-term treatment and often an unequal fight against diseases and pests.

Where and at what price can I buy?

Healthy plants are sold in specialized greenhouses, in which competent sellers work, who know their business. Professionals help you choose an orchid suitable for your specific home environment., and explain in detail how to care for her.

Flowers grown in greenhouses are stronger and more viable than imported ones, from birth, orchid children receive proper care in an environment as close as possible to its natural habitat. Another plus of greenhouses is a wide variety of species that are never sold in shops and shopping centers (what types of orchids exist?).

ATTENTION: The price of a greenhouse orchid depends on its type and method of delivery, and ranges from 890 to 4,000 rubles.

How to get home?

Orchid is afraid of drafts, both cold and hot., so you need to take her home carefully packed. For protection, wrapping paper or a newspaper folded in several layers is suitable. Heat is no less dangerous for this plant than cold, and it is worth considering the time of purchase and the method of transportation.