Orchid leaves: main diseases and methods of dealing with them

The orchid, especially its Phalaenopsis variety, is a rather capricious plant that requires care and a lot of attention. Novice flower growers often face such a problem as the dropping and wilting of the leaves of this tropical plant. In most cases, the problem can be quickly resolved by changing the conditions in which the flower is contained. This may require industrially produced "drugs" or home-made drugs.

Possible problems

Leaves are the most vulnerable spot of an orchid, especially in the Phalaenopsis species. The most common problems are:

• Partial or complete subsidence;
• Sudden yellowing or wilting;
  

  Phalaenopsis requires special attention and care

• Drying, twisting and other types of deformations;
• Cracking.

Each of these cases requires an individual approach.

Orchids often have leaf problems.

Sinking

Sometimes orchid leaves suddenly begin to fall off, they can spontaneously separate from the stem at any time. If all the leaves of orchids have fallen off, what to do depends on the condition of the root. If the root is affected by a fungal or viral infection (this usually happens with excessive soil moisture), it is unlikely that it will be possible to revive the flower. Shedding can be caused by poor feeding. In this case, the situation can be easily corrected by regular application of complex mineral fertilizers.

Wither and turn yellow

If the leaves of an orchid turn yellow and wither what to do, not everyone knows. Most often, this problem is caused by the fact that it is too hot in the room (on the balcony). The plant stops blooming, peduncles are deformed, sometimes the stem turns black. At temperatures from 27-28 degrees, Phalaenopsis spends all its energy to adapt to the heat and absorb water droplets from the air, this has an extremely unfavorable effect on the state of the leaves: they turn red, turn brown or turn yellow. The plant experiences air starvation and nutritional deficiencies. When it gets colder indoors or outdoors, the leaves will regain their healthy appearance.

The yellow tinge of the leaf blades can be caused by a lack of nutrients and poor soil.

Desiccation

The question of why orchids dry leaves is easy to answer. The plant lacks moisture. In this case, increased watering will save the situation. After watering, do not forget about loosening so that the water does not stagnate in the soil. When the leaf blades are healthy again, the moisture supply to the plant can be reduced.

Regular watering will help prevent drying out

Other

Not all growers know why the leaves of an orchid crack or become soft in the middle. However, this problem is quite common. Most often, cracks in sheet plates, like drying out, are caused by dehydration. However, there may be other reasons: bacterial or viral infections. Also, mechanical damage can be left by pests: aphids, scale insects, spider mites. Because of this, the turgor of the leaf plates changes, they soften and darken. The leaves may even rot, mold, or a sticky moss-like coating, and the flower will stop growing. In severe cases, the leaf plates are completely covered with a white bloom so that even the venation is not visible, the leaf resembles a pattern made of white opaque paper.

The main causes of diseases

It is rather difficult to identify the most likely cause of Phalaenopsis disease. Most often, the problem is caused by a whole complex of different reasons. The most common ones are:

• Insufficient humidity in the room;
• Lack of effective drainage and stagnation of water in the soil;
• Lack of feeding or incorrect (irregular) feeding;
• Intervention of insect pests and parasites.

Infection with dangerous fungal, viral, bacterial infections can be caused by transplanting a plant into a pot filled with soil brought from the street. Therefore, in order to prevent wilting or yellowing of the tips of the leaves, it is recommended to use only a special soil for indoor plants purchased from a specialized store.

Drying and wilting of leaves are very often caused by sunburn.

Choosing top dressing, you should give preference to preparations with a high concentration of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. It is these substances that the orchid needs for a set of green mass, proper development of leaves, active growth and long flowering.

The causes of diseases are sometimes pests and parasites: scale insects, spider mites, nematodes. In this case, to resuscitate the plant, it should be treated with insects. When the pests disappear, the leaf plates will become healthy again. The invasion of voracious aphids especially weakens the vitality of the orchid; you can fight it at home with the help of spraying.

Most often illnesses are caused by improper care

Resuscitation methods

The most popular methods of dealing with orchid diseases are folk remedies. Their main advantage is that there is no need to spend a lot of money on the purchase of expensive drugs and poison the diseased plant with "chemistry". However, the "grandmother's" methods will not give an immediate effect. They act much more slowly than commercially produced drugs. With regular processing, folk remedies can be very effective. It is recommended to use them exclusively in the early stages of the disease.

Folk remedies

You can try folk remedies for orchid resuscitation without a growth point and leaves. The easiest way is to transplant with partial root pruning. This requires:

• Carefully dig the flower out of the old pot;
• To clear the roots from the old soil, cutting off all the treated areas with a sharpened knife;
• Move the flower into a new vessel with a previously prepared soil and nutrient mixture with the addition of a natural absorbent - charcoal and a drainage layer;
• Put a support, as in the first time after transplanting the flower may lose stability.

After this procedure, the main task of the grower is to provide the flower with a large amount of daylight, to protect Phalaenopsis from sudden changes in temperature and drafts.

The procedure will be effective only if the room temperature is above 25 degrees.After 2-3 months, new roots should appear. However, this can happen in six months.

Time-tested folk remedies give a good result

Chemical

Florists often think about how to revive orchids without leaves but with roots. If the fall of foliage is caused by fungal diseases. Only chemical agents will help - industrial fungicides. They quickly kill the fungus and prevent it from reoccurring. Good results are given by the drugs "Gaupsin" and "Vitavax". During the preparation of the solution, you must strictly follow the instructions. For all products, it is approximately the same - the powder is diluted in half with liquid:

• Warm water slightly to dissolve the medicine faster;
• Pour the liquid into a plastic bottle of mineral water or lemonade, filling the vessel halfway;
• Pour the powder from the bag into the same place, shake and stir until completely dissolved;
• Add the required amount of water.

After that, the finished solution can be used to treat the plant at home. As a rule, two to three times are enough. However, if the fungus is started, and the roots are badly damaged, it will be necessary to carry out the treatment for a long time. Then new roots will gradually appear to replace the affected ones.

Biological methods

If all the leaves of orchids have fallen off, how to save a flower, experienced indoor plant lovers know. Phalaenopsis responds well to biological resuscitation methods. In order to revive the flower, you can use biologically active additives - growth stimulants. The most popular of them is Fitosporin. It restores the vitality of the plant, promotes active regeneration of the root system of the orchid, and helps the flower adapt to adverse environmental influences. You need to prepare the drug strictly according to the instructions on the package. The main advantage of phytosporin is that it does not contain harsh chemicals. After processing, the flower leaves will no longer fall off.

Further care of the orchid

If the plant has been reanimated, further care must be properly organized, otherwise the weakened flower will get sick again. To do this, it is necessary to prevent waterlogging of the soil and regularly feed Phalaenopsis. Good illumination is of great importance. For the prevention of new diseases, it is necessary to carry out a visual inspection of the orchid leaves as often as possible. Such an examination will help in time to identify any symptoms of trouble: yellowing, wilting or the appearance of cracks. Do not forget about a timely transplant. If the foliage at the base of the stem begins to fall off, wrinkle or burst, urgent action must be taken, otherwise the orchid may dry out.

The main thing is not to repeat the mistakes that led to the plant disease.

Experts say that most of the problems in caring for Phalaenopsis are caused by the improper microclimate in the room. Therefore, if it is not possible to create suitable conditions for an orchid, it is better to choose a plant that is less capricious and demanding to care for. Phalaenopsis and other varieties of tropical "guest" need careful and delicate treatment.

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