2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Makodes (lat. Macodes) - indoor plant; plant of the Orchid family. Under natural conditions, makodes grows in the tropical rainforests of the Malay Archipelago, New Guinea, the Philippines and Oceania. The plant got its name for the peculiarities of the structure of the lip on the flower.
Characteristics of culture
Makodes is an epiphytic or terrestrial plant with a sympodial growth type. Part of the group of precious orchids. Makodes is appreciated for the special decorativeness of the leaves, velvety over the entire surface and covered with a beautiful pattern of sparkling veins of various colors. The veins can be golden, silver, bronze or copper in color, and the leaves can be green, olive, black-green, or brown. The flowers are small, located on short peduncles.
In indoor conditions, Makodes petola (lat. Macodes petola) is most often grown. This species has fleshy shoots, velvety emerald green leaves with bright golden veins. Peduncles reach a length of 7-8 cm. Flowers are small, red-brown, with a white lip directed upwards, collected in erect racemes.
Conditions of detention
Makodes prefers rooms with diffused light, has a negative attitude to direct sunlight, needs shading, otherwise the leaves get severe burns, turn yellow and fall off. In winter, plants require additional lighting with fluorescent lamps. The optimum temperature for normal development is 22-25C during the day, 18C at night. At temperatures below 18C, the leaves acquire a burgundy hue.
Air humidity is no less important factor for the growth of makodes, it should be 80-90%. At low humidity, plants develop more slowly, the leaves lose their attractive color, and their tips begin to dry out. In this case, the plants can be saved by regular spraying from a spray bottle with soft water. Hard water is not suitable for these purposes, as salt stains appear on the leaves.
Reproduction and planting
The culture is propagated by cuttings and by dividing the rhizome. Apical cuttings can be cut throughout the growing season, although this should not be done during dormancy. Sections of cuttings are powdered with crushed activated charcoal or charcoal, then the planting material is buried at the base of the leaf in moist sphagnum. Often, makodes are propagated by leafless stem segments, which are placed horizontally in a substrate.
Transfer
Transplanting makodes is carried out in the spring or immediately after flowering, but as needed, when the roots of the plants are tightly wrapped around the substrate. For the plant, use low, spacious containers with a nutritious and moisture-absorbing substrate, which can be purchased in a store or compiled on your own.
A mixture of chopped fern roots, leafy soil, peat, charcoal and pieces of pine bark is ideal as a substrate. A larger fraction of the substrate is laid at the bottom of the pot, and a smaller fraction is placed closer to the surface. The surface can be covered with sphagnum moss, it will not harm the plants. Immediately after transplanting, the plants are transferred to a warm and well-lit room with high humidity.
Care
Makodes need systematic and abundant watering throughout the year; stagnation of water in pots should not be allowed, since this will adversely affect the root system of the plant. For makodes, it is recommended to use bottom watering, on the leaves, and even more so it is impossible to get into their sinuses. It is impossible to water plants in a room with an air temperature below 17C, since their roots do not absorb water and rot.
During the period of active growth, the plants are arranged with a warm shower, the water temperature should be about 35C. After bathing, the leaves of makodes are soaked with paper napkins and only after that they are transferred to the room. With insufficient lighting in autumn and winter, plants enter a dormant phase, as a rule, this occurs from October to February.
Top dressing is carried out only during active growth; for this, special mineral fertilizers for orchids are used. Fertilizer is applied no more than once a month; when overfeeding, the plants lose their decorative effect.
