Ludisia or hemaria is an unusual houseplant from the orchid family. Unlike other orchids, it is valued not for the flowers (they are rather plain-looking), but for the extraordinary beauty of the foliage.
Ludisia Orchid Essentials
The homeland of Ludisia is the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, where it grows on mossy rocks and land. Because of this, its root system branches strongly to the sides, often forming lateral processes, but does not differ in length.
A thick curved stalk is covered with many small villi. Its height rarely reaches more than 15 cm - the plant prefers to grow in breadth.
Large velvety leaves are collected in sockets. Their color is from dark green to burgundy, and the surface is painted with a pattern of silver or reddish veins. Size reaches 7 cm in length and 4 cm in width.
The life of one leaf is several years, after which it falls off, leaving a brown belt on the stem.
Hemaria blooms in late autumn and early winter with small (up to 2 cm) white flowers that are strewn with long peduncles growing from the leaf sinuses. These inflorescences are compared with scattering of pearls, which is why this species is also called the "precious orchid".
Types and varieties of orchids ludisia
In the natural environment, ludisia is represented by only one species - Discolor (Colorless). This is a plant creeping on the ground, the stem of which ends with a rosette of leaves and a long peduncle. The leaves are bicolor: dark green on the front side and reddish on the back, and five bright veins stretch along them.
Based on this species, several decorative varieties for home cultivation have been bred.
| Grade | Leaves | Veins |
| Dawson | Dark, big. | Longitudinal, clear, reddish hue. |
| Odin | Very dark. | Longitudinal, with lateral branches from the central vein. |
| Alba | Bright green leaves without red tones. | Branching light network. |
| Tletae | Almost black. | Orange-pink, longitudinal, sometimes intermittent. |
| Tanlaniana | Narrow and elongated, dark green. | Thick golden net. |
| Velveteen | Dark green, fleecy. | Longitudinal, reddish. |
Rules for growing ludisia at home
Ludisia is a shade-loving plant, but at the same time it is very demanding on humidity and temperature.
To ensure her proper care at home, you need to remember that she loves plentiful watering, is afraid of direct sunlight and hot, dry air, and begins to bloom only in the conditions of cooling.
| Parameter | Favorable conditions | Unfavourable conditions |
| A place | Northeast and northwest windows. | Southern windows without shading. The proximity of the radiators. Cold drafts. |
| Lighting | Scattered light for at least 12-13 hours per day. In periods of lack of sunlight - additional lighting with phytolamps. | Direct sunlight at the height of the day. |
| Temperature | In the summer, + 22 ... +25 ° C during the day and + 17 ... +20 ° C at night. During flowering + 18 ... +20 ° С. | Below +15 ° С and above +30 ° С. Sharp changes. |
| Humidity | Humidity 75-80%. If necessary, use an electric air humidifier, place a cup of water or wet moss nearby. | Humidity below 70%. Spraying with a spray gun. |
| Watering | The substrate is slightly moist. Use filtered room temperature water as the top coat dries. As an alternative - watering through drainage holes by immersing a third of the pot in water for 15 minutes. Mandatory removal of excess water from the sump. | Waterlogging or drying out. Use raw or cold water. |
| Fertilizer | Special complexes for orchids, adding them to water for irrigation. In spring and summer - once every three weeks, in autumn and winter - once in five. The frequency can be increased, while reducing the dosage. | Overdose with fertilizers (leads to damage to the leaf pattern). |
| Pruning | Removing peduncles immediately after flowering. Trimming peduncles too early in young plants. | Peduncles remaining after flowering (give extra lateral shoots). Flowering of young ludisia (takes too much strength). |
Soil and transplant rules
Hemaria transplant is performed in spring when active growth begins. It must be carried out as necessary, as soon as the root system becomes closely in a pot. Signs are root tips protruding from drainage holes. This usually happens every two or three years, sometimes less often.
Another reason for transplantation is damage to the substrate (caking or decay), plant disease.
As a soil, it is recommended to choose specialized substrates for orchids or mix the soil components yourself in a ratio of 4: 4: 4: 4: 1: 1, respectively:
- sheet earth;
- high peat;
- pine needles;
- crushed sphagnum;
- birch charcoal;
- Styrofoam.
When choosing a pot, you should take into account the peculiarities of the root system: in Ludisia, it grows more to the sides than in depth, which means that the capacity needs a wide, but shallow one.
A prerequisite is the presence of large drainage holes in the bottom and walls, providing proper air exchange.
Transplantation is carried out in several stages:
- Drainage (expanded clay or gravel) and a layer of soil are filled up at the bottom of the pot.
- The roots of the plant are removed from the pot and carefully cleaned of the substrate, and then washed in clean water at room temperature.
- Ludisia is placed in the center of the pot and covered with a substrate at the level of the previous soil.
- Around the stem, plants are laid out pre-soaked in warm water moss.
- Watering immediately after transplantation is not carried out, the soil is moistened in advance.
Breeding methods
It is most convenient to propagate ludisia by cuttings, segments of the stem or division of the bush.
Cuttings are recommended during active vegetation - in late spring and summer. At this time, the shoots are more likely to root.
Algorithm:
- Cut off the top of the stem with two or three points of growth.
- Treat wounds with activated carbon.
- Stick the stem into moistened moss so that the leaves lie on the surface of the moss.
- After rooting, transplant into a pot with a substrate and look after an adult plant, at first cutting off the appearing peduncles.
Reproduction by stem segments is also an easy way. To do this, take a segment of the stem with five to six points of growth, cleaned of leaves and placed horizontally on wet moss. You can gently deepen the segments, but the top should remain open. After the appearance of the roots, it is planted in a pot.
The division of the bush is combined with a transplant. It should be borne in mind that only those fragments of a plant that have at least two processes are viable.
Florists usually do not practice growing hemaria from seeds, because this is a very time-consuming and unreliable process.
Pests and problems of growing ludisia
Ludisia is a plant susceptible to disease and pest attacks. If you find the following problems, you must immediately take measures so that the flower does not die.
| Signs on leaves and other parts of the plant | Cause | Treatment | Prevention |
| Withering and yellowing. The smell is rotting. Darkening of the roots. | Root rot. | Extract the roots from the pot, cut off the damaged areas, rinse with water and potassium permanganate, and dry. Transplant into a completely renewed substrate. Do not water for several days. | Observe the correct watering regime. |
| Wet brown spots, including on the stem. | Stem rot. | Clean the damaged area, treat with activated carbon. Transplant the plant into a new disinfected substrate. In severe cases, cut off the tops not affected by rot, and root them by the cuttings method. Throw away the rest of the plant. | |
| Withering of the tops, blanching, sometimes - a white coating and mucus on the roots. White formations on sections of stems. | White rot. | It is usually not treatable. It is recommended to throw the plant along with the pot. | Water, maintain the necessary level of humidity, systematically apply fertilizer to the substrate. |
| Thin web on the back. | Spider mite. | Treat with a soft cloth dampened in soapy water. If there is no effect, use insecticides (for example, Mospilan, Fitoverm or Aktaru). In advanced cases, repeat treatment every week for a month. | Maintain the required level of humidity. |
| Yellowing and falling. Adhesive formations resembling cotton wool, including on stems. | Mealybug. | ||
| Yellowing and falling. Brown growths on the stems too. | Shield. |
