Why do orchid buds fall: the main reasons for dropping

Today more and more exotic orchid flowers appear in homes as “green favorites”; they can even be bought in a supermarket. One of the most beautiful and popular species is the Phalaenopsis orchid. With proper care, it can delight the owner with lush flowering almost all year round. A variety of beautiful flowers bloom from the buds located on the flower stalks ejected by the plant. However, it happens that the bud falls off or dries up without even blooming.

The main reasons for falling buds

Novice flower growers often ask themselves: why do their favorite orchid flowers fall and what to do to help the flower.

Wonderful orchid flowers bloom from buds

There may be several reasons for this phenomenon, many of them lie in improper flower care before and during flowering.

An orchid can simply grow old, like all life on Earth. If the stem approached the border of the average life span of a plant, then it simply will not have the strength for the flowering process. Reinforced feeding and other care procedures will not help.

The situation when the orchid has gathered buds but they do not bloom can develop as a result of a sharp change in the microclimate, for example, when buying a plant, as well as in case of a poor-quality substrate that does not allow the roots of the orchid to fully feed or, due to density, blocks the access of oxygen.

A plant can shed unblown buds due to damage by various infections, primarily gray rot and mealybugs, as well as other fungal diseases. Improperly organized ventilation and excessive feeding of the orchid with nitrogen-containing compounds make Phalaenopsis more vulnerable to these misfortunes.

The most common causes of bud fall are as follows.

Improper watering

This is especially the case for novice orchid collectors. It seems to them that the pet is "underdrinking", as a result, due to excessive watering, the roots rot, and the plant may lose not only flowers, but also foliage.

Room temperature

Given their distant tropical origin, all orchids are very sensitive to cold. The main flowering in the northern hemisphere occurs just in the winter period, therefore, the acquisition of an orchid at this time requires additional preparation.

Too high a temperature is also unfavorable for a blooming orchid. For example, when it rises to 30 degrees (for example, during the summer heat), first the old buds of a blooming orchid fall off, then new ones that have just started.

Falling orchid buds

Not only the summer heat provokes problems with the health of the flower, in winter the substrate with the roots in it (and then the leaves and flowers) dries up due to the fact that the pots are often placed on the windowsills above the heating radiators.

Drafts, especially those with cold air, are also detrimental to buds that are about to open. They either fall off or bloom for a very short time.

Lack of lighting

In the fall, the reason why the buds of an orchid fall off may be a reduction in the length of daylight hours: a light-loving flower simply lacks light. Experienced florists get out of the situation with the help of additional lighting lamps, the period of their work is not less than half a day. At the same time, you do not need to worry about already blossoming flowers.

In summer, remember that direct sunlight from the window can scorch delicate unopened buds.

Flower processing options

One of the main reasons that an orchid can throw off unblown buds are various diseases that manifest themselves as spots and bumps on the leaves: they can turn yellow and dry out. It is possible to fight them by carrying out processing of flowers to prevent the development of pathologies and the reproduction of parasites on them.

Supplementing orchids with lamps

There are many types of pest treatment products on sale, both special chemicals (including numerous fungicides against fungal infections), and biological products, organic compounds. In addition, you can use the centuries-old folk floriculture experience.

Chemicals

These are means of a quick and very effective response. They are divided into 4 hazard classes, they must be used strictly for the intended purpose and the dosage must be observed, otherwise you can harm both yourself and the green pet. The most popular among orchid lovers are drugs such as:

• Fitoverm;
• Inta-Vir;
• Aktara;
• Tanrek;
• "Confidor".

More effective, but also more toxic are "Actellik", "Karbofos", "Vertimek".

"Fitoverm" - a chemical preparation for the treatment of orchids

Fungicide "Fitosporin" works well against fungal infections of orchids, which can also be used for prophylaxis during plant transplantation and subsequent pruning.

Along with chemicals, bio-preparations for protecting flowers are produced. Plants do not accumulate them, pests do not develop resistance. In addition, biological agents serve to enhance the immunity of orchids. Florists recommend fast acting preparations:

• "Bicol";
• "Bitoxibaccillin";
• "Lepidocide";
• "Verticillin";
• "Aversectin C";
• "Nemabakt".

"Lepidocid" - a biological product for processing flowers

Folk remedies

If you don't want to resort to chemistry, you can stop at folk remedies for processing flowers:

• Soap solution: from 1 liter of water and 1 tbsp. spoons of liquid soap (or grated household soap), with which the stems and foliage are wiped.

• Tobacco tincture: for 1 liter of water, take up to 40 grams of tobacco, ground into dust, insist for 24 hours, then strain and spray Phalaenopsis from a spray bottle.
• Infusion of an onion, mashed and poured with 1 liter of boiling water, insist for 7 hours and apply to the leaves and stem. The course is 3-4 days, you should not get carried away, otherwise the plant may dry out.
• Dried citrus peels (100 grams) are poured with a liter of water and infused for a couple of days, with this infusion the diseased plant is sprayed every few hours for a week. Dry orange and tangerine peels can be used to cover the soil in a pot.
• The well-known hydrogen peroxide is used to treat orchids and other indoor plants in order to disinfect foliage and substrate from microbes, mites and insect pests.

Correct orchid bloom

Orchids bloom with numerous inflorescences, up to 8 dozen flowers on each plant. The range of colors and aromas is very diverse. Flowering begins at the moment when the bud is ready to bloom. It opens gradually within 24 hours, starting from the lateral upper petals.

The first to bloom are the buds at the ends of the orchid peduncles. The flower grows actively for several days, after which the orchid is considered fully ripe.

Hydrogen peroxide is a popular folk remedy for treating orchids.

With proper care and favorable conditions, the flowering of Phalaenopsis lasts 3-4 months: new inflorescences open, old ones wither, after which the plant "rests" for a couple of months and again throws out the buds.

Flower care in the future

Having determined the reasons why the orchid sheds its buds, it is necessary to find out what to do so that the situation does not repeat itself, the flower is healthy and pleases with its flowering.

Caring for a blooming orchid includes ensuring normal lighting, optimal watering, and suitable temperature conditions of 22-26 degrees. The need to moisten a flower is judged by the presence or absence of condensation on the walls of the pot. In this case, watering is carried out by placing a flower pot in a container with water.

The air around the orchid should also be humidified with a spray bottle, it is recommended to keep the air humidity at 45-60 percent.

Top dressing is a very important point in the care of this exotic flower. Orchids should be fed during intensive growth and ejection of flower stalks, while using special feeding specially designed for this type of plant. The flower is soaked directly in the pot, the concentrated mixture is added to the water and left for 10-20 minutes, after which the excess liquid is drained. It is advisable to carry out such manipulation once every fortnight.

Orchid flowers are pleasing to the eye and smell wonderful. However, under the influence of some factors (usually from blemishes in care), normal flowering does not occur. Having found out why unblown buds are drying up in an orchid and what to do, growers should improve the care of the plant in order to avoid mistakes in the future, but to enjoy the blooming of buds on their favorite flower.