Лудизия

Family: Orchids. Genus of terrestrial sympodial orchids from Southeast Asia and Indonesia, living in the litter under the canopy of the tropical rainforest.

Лудизии are cultivated for their velvety dark-green or purple leaves with light veins, and, together with анектохилусами and макодесами, are called "variegated jewels". The genus includes only one species, but in nature there are many forms with diverse leaf coloration.

Температура: belong to plants of cool culture, in summer daytime +24+26°C, at night +16+18°C, in winter on average about 2 degrees lower.

Освещение: diffused light; artificial lighting (daylength - 12-14 hours). With excess light the leaves droop and the plant loses its decorative appearance; with insufficient light they become elongated.

Полив: with soft, slightly warm water, removing excess from the leaves and from the axils; the substrate should be constantly moist (do not allow to dry out), but not waterlogged.

Влажность воздуха: High.

Влажность: prefer elevated (60-80%), frequent misting of the air around the plant is beneficial. In general they also feel fine at 50-60%.

Подкормка: when grown on complex substrates - do not fertilize.

Размножение: throughout the year, but the best time is spring. Propagated by cuttings; pieces of stem with 2-3 nodes are placed in water until roots appear, then transplanted into prepared substrate. Alternatively, when cutting the stem into pieces, dry the cuts for two hours, after which place them with the roots or nodes onto moss.

Пересадка: as needed, preferably in spring.

Субстрат: the simplest option is pure moss (sphagnum). For a more complex mix use a blend of coarse sand, fern roots, pieces of peat and moss. When planting in a pot, place drainage and the coarse fraction of the substrate at the bottom, decreasing the particle size toward the surface.