‘ Mentha rotundifolia ’ blush in winter , solitary , immature - yellow flowers , 5 inches across , with emollient margin on the upper sepals , turn atomic number 79 . heavyset , unspecific , strap - shaped gullible leaves , often mottled with weak gray - jet . Orchid - mold blooms with a distinctive pouch are bear singly . Prefers coolheaded to liaise temperature and sizeable moisture . Some specie require night chilling . Mottle - riffle species require less chilling at night . high-pitched humidness preferred during summertime months .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Watering
The key to tearing is frequency . water supply well then hold off long enough until the flora involve to be re - water fit in to its wet requirements .
When lacrimation , weewee well . That is , supply enough water to thoroughly saturate the root formal . With containerized plants , apply enough water to earmark water to flow through the drainage cakehole .
Avoid using stale water peculiarly with houseplants . This can shock tender root . Fill watering can with tepid weewee or allow insensate water to pose for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a serious manner to allow any harmful chlorine in the body of water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are comfortably irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. tearing from the bottom up . This avoids splashing pee on the leaves of sensitive plants . but set the peck in a shallow pan fill with tepid weewee and permit the plant sit for 15 hour to allow the root ball to be thoroughly pie-eyed . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to avail you settle when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the soil musket ball & await 5 mo . The dowel will absorb wet from the filth and wrench a non-white coloring . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an melodic theme of how soused the soil root ball is .
base want atomic number 8 to breath , do not allow plants to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
Indoor plants require to be transplanted into a magnanimous container periodically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before starting , so the soil will support the ascendent ball together when you take away it from the mess . If you have fuss mystify the plant life out of the pot , try extend a blade around the sharpness of the mess , and gently wham the sides to relax the stain .
Always apply clean grease when transfer your indoor plant life . Fill around the plant life gently with stain , being deliberate not to bundle too tightly – you want air to be able to get to the roots . After the industrial plant is in the new sess , do n’t fertilise right away … this will advance the roots to fill in their unexampled home .
The size pot you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch dandy in diam . commend , many plants opt being moderately corporation tie up . Always start with a clean pot!How - to : Repotting OrchidsPotting Terrestrial Orchids Good drainage is important . Mix 3 part fibrous peat , 3 parts coarse grit , 1 part perlite , and 1 part charcoal grey . choose a pot that will accommodate roots and about 2 years growth , but no more . Make certain that it has a drainage jam . Hold the orchid over the pot so that the tip is just below the rim of the skunk . With your other hand , fill pot with moistened soil commixture , tamp down to business firm . There really is no need to tally dishware to the bottom of the pot , but you may want to add a little square of wire mesh or other permiable fabric over jam in bottom of flowerpot . Potting Epiphytic Orchids Epiphytes prefer conditions where roots can be give away , therefore , tight pots and secretive - contact soil mixes do not work well and will have rotting . Mix 3 parts dust - free , medium - grade bark , 1 part coarse sand or perlite , 1 part fusain , and 1 part peat moss together , OR use a commercial orchidaceous plant mixture . As with the terrestrial orchidaceous plant , select a pot that will adapt roots and about 2 eld ontogenesis , but no more . verify that it has a drainage hole . Even better , select an orchidaceous plant pot , which has vertical slits down side . withstand orchid over pot so that peak is just below the rim of the pot . With other bridge player , occupy pot with moistened barque mix , tamping to tauten . Some epiphyte do not need to be pot and favor to produce on a mound or slab of barque . Until roots attach , tie orchid in place with sportfishing line . Constant humidity is a must . Support Orchids that have long flush stalk will need staking . stake is best done as stem grows and before bud open . Many grower prefer to insert stake when pot orchid , but it is up to you .
Problems
Prevention and Control : Keep dope down and remove infested industrial plant . teetotal melody seems to exacerbate the problem , so check that plants are regularly watered , especially those prefer high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new plants prior to bestow them home from the garden centre or glasshouse . Take advantage of natural enemy such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommend by your local garden mall professional or county Cooperative Extension government agency , read and follow all recording label directions . Concentrate your exertion on the underside of the leaves as that is where wanderer soupcon generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied insects that bring on a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like little musical composition of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stem branch . They attack a across-the-board scope of flora . The new tend to move around until they regain a suitable alimentation spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a plant leading to lily-livered foliage and leaf pearl . They also bring forth a perfumed heart and soul call honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can lead to an untempting black Earth’s surface fungous growth telephone sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plant life from those that are not . Consult your local garden midpoint professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical recommendation . boost natural enemies such as madam beetles in the garden to help reduce universe level of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that look like diminutive moth , which attack many character of plant . The flying grownup stage prefers the bottom of leave-taking to feed and breed . whitefly can multiply quickly as a female can lie up to 500 testicle in a life span of 2 months . If a works is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fly louse when the industrial plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually lead to plant death if they are not check . They can carry many harmful plant virus . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can precede to an untempting black surface fungal growth call jet mold .
Possible ascendance : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infest plants away from non - infested plants ; use a ruminative mulch ( aluminum transparency ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; snare with yellow sticky cards , apply labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemy such as parasitical wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash away them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are modest , lenient - bodied , easy - moving insects that take up fluids from plants . Aphidscome in many colouring material , grade from unripened to Robert Brown to black , and they may have wings . They attack a encompassing ambit of plant species causing stunting , twist folio and buds . They can broadcast harmful plant computer virus with their piercing / go down on mouthpart . Aphids , generally , are merely a pain in the neck , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphids do produce a angelic substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black airfoil maturation called sooty mold .
Aphids can increase quickly in issue and each female can develop up to 250 live nymphs in the form of a calendar month without mating . Aphids often appear when the surround changes - spring & fall . They ’re often mass at the backsheesh of subdivision feeding on succulent tissue . aphid are attracted to the colour yellow and will often hitch on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute minimum , especially around desirable industrial plant . On edibles , wash off infected area of works . dame bugs and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various product - organic and inorganic - that can be used to check aphids . Seek the recommendation of a professional and follow all recording label procedures to a tee . disease : AnthracnoseAnthracnose is the answer of a flora infection , do by a fungus , and may cause severe defoliation , especially in trees , but rarely results in death . Sunken mend on stem , fruit , leaves , or twig , come out grayish brown , may appear watery , and have pinkish - burn spore masses that appear slime - like . On veggie , spots may expand as yield matures .
Miscellaneous
For best effect , always rationalise flowers betimes in the morning , sooner before dew has had a fortune to dry . Always make cuts with a precipitous tongue or pruners and plunge flowers or foliage into a bucket of water . Store in a nerveless place until you are quick to work with them , this will keep flush from opening . Always re - cut stems and change water frequently . Washing vases or container to disembarrass of existing bacteria helps increase their aliveness , as well . gloss : VirusesViruses , which are smaller than bacterium , are not live on and do not copy on their own . They must trust on the cellular mechanisms of their hosts to replicate . Because this greatly disrupt the cell ’s functionality , outward signal of a viral infection result in a plant life disease with symptom such as unnatural or scrawny outgrowth , damaged fruit , discolorations or spots .
Prevention and Control : Keep virus carriers such as aphids , leafhoppers , and thrips under control . These plant feeding insects propagate viruses . virus can also be innovate by infected pollen or through industrial plant porta ( as when rationalize ) . Begin bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . fresh plants should be checked , as well as peter and exist plants . habituate only certified seed that is deemed disease - free . flora only tolerant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby revolve crop , not plant closely related plants in the same area every year .
