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If you look for another term for orchid bulb in the crossword puzzle, then the solution here is salep. But what is this all about? Drinks or medicines are made from salep, which are said to help against many ailments. The tuber originally comes from Turkey and Greece and has been a popular remedy since ancient times. Salep is obtained from the wild orchid Orchis mascula, but this is usually not asked in the crossword and the question is asked more generally for an orchid bulb.
orchid bulb
Even if Salep is the correct answer to the question about an orchid bulb in today's crossword puzzle, this is only the bulb of the wild orchid. The genus Orchis mascula or male orchid or man orchid is a herbaceous plant that grows mainly in the impassable areas of the Turkish and Greek mountains. The tuber of the graceful plant was dried early on and processed into powder and recognized as a remedy and is still used as a drink in these countries today. Already Hippocrates and Asklepios knew about the healing effect on the following ailments:
- relief from asthma
- Relief from cough and bronchitis
- against stomach pain
- against diarrhea
- to strengthen the heart
notice: Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician who is credited as the father of modern medicine. Asclepius was the Greek god of medicine, although it is reported that he was actually alive and was born in 1247 BC in Greece in what is now Trikala, Thessaly.
powder from Salep
The orchid bulbs of Orchis mascula, wild orchids, are first washed well before use, then boiled and then dried. Only then are they ground to a fine flour. In Greece this powder is boiled into tea, in Turkey it is used in hot milk. If ginger or cinnamon is added, the healing effect is said to be even stronger. It is sweetened with honey or sugar for taste.
Tip: Since the tubers contain glucomannan, it has the healing power.
Look
The Orchis mascula does not have the appearance of an orchid like the noble cultivated varieties that should be kept in indoor culture. Experienced orchid fans can recognize the plant from afar. As the name suggests, the man orchid grows very herbaceously. So, this variety has the following characteristics:
- dark green fleshy leaves
- irregularly spotted
- also varieties without spots
- sprout in spring
- fall off immediately after flowering
- many flowers on a narrow inflorescence
- starts exactly halfway up the plant
- Stems reddish in color just below flowers
- red-violet flowers
- Height up to 25 centimeters
notice: The orchid variety flowers at the end of April, which is still much too early for many other orchid species.
Care of the orchis mascula
The man orchid is also suitable for cultivation in the local gardens. In contrast to other types of orchids, it can be planted in the garden bed and overwinter here. Due to its origin in the Greek and Turkish mountains, where it can get very cold in winter, the plant is used to the cold temperatures and has adapted well. Since the plant reproduces itself via the seeds, care should be taken that it cannot spread unhindered in the garden.
soil conditions and location
The soil should correspond to the soil that exists where there used to be sea. The orchid ideally grows particularly well on calcareous soil. Nevertheless, the soil should be well drained, because waterlogging is not tolerated. The location should be sunny, the tuber-forming orchids tolerate this better than if it is too dark. So the ideal location might look like this:
- in a natural garden
- Sheltered from the wind by a southern wall/hedge/fence
- strong winds could break inflorescences
- can also be cultivated in tubs
fertilizing and watering
Like other orchid varieties, Orchis mascula does not tolerate organic fertilizer or compost. Therefore, fertilization should be done sparingly. It is important that the plant with the orchid bulb always gets enough lime. Therefore, you can also water well with tap water here. When watering, too much should not be given. Therefore, when fertilizing and watering, the following should be observed:
- water in hot periods
- in spring and autumn the falling rain is enough
- from the summer the plant has a rest period
- do not fertilize
- in the spring before the orchids sprout little fertilizer
plant
The ideal time for planting is between October and November, depending on when the first frost is expected. Once you have cultivated a few plants in a garden bed, they will multiply here by themselves via the seeds. When planting, proceed as follows:
- plant in groups
- always in threes, fives or sevens
- looks better visually
- Dig a planting hole
- on ground drainage of stones or gravel
- Mix mushroom substrate under soil
- insert plant
- fill in prepared soil
- press well and water
Immediately after planting, Orchis mascula needs a lot of water and has to be watered daily so that it can still grow before the first frost.
notice: If you are looking for the right location for the man orchid, then you should proceed carefully. Because a transplant should not necessarily take place, since the orchids do not tolerate this well. Only after about two years are the plants properly established at the location and only then do they begin to bloom.
wintering
Man's orchid, which grows from the Salep orchid bulb, doesn't actually need any precautions in winter because it is absolutely frost hardy. But exceptions confirm the rule and in the first year after planting in autumn you should protect the plant. The winter protection for the newly planted orchids is as follows:
- Tubers are in the ground
- above the ground only small bushes
- cover with sticks or leaves and mulch
- remove in spring
- in the first year there are no flowers