Orchid diseases are of great concern to collectors of these beautiful indoor plants. If an orchid is sick, the first thing to do is isolate it from the rest and immediately begin diagnosis and treatment. Smart advice comes to the rescue. We will show you orchid diseases in the photo and tell you how to deal with them.
A Quick Guide to Orchid Diseases and Their Treatment
If your collection of orchids is valuable and important to you, then the first thing you should take care of is to isolate your favorite flowers from access to various pests and diseases. And they may appear:
- from a new indoor plant brought into the house;
- a bouquet of flowers located nearby;
- poor-quality contaminated substrate during transplantation;
- inappropriate water for irrigation;
- with overfertilization and lack of fertilizers;
- from storing nearby contaminated (and this is not always visible) fruits and vegetables:
- damp cold air and mold;
- draft, etc., etc., etc....
So who will say after this that the orchid is an unpretentious houseplant, as many gardeners say.
Signs of orchid diseases associated with flowering
Of course, we grow orchids for long-lasting, lush and unusually beautiful flowering. But what to do if problems arise with flowering.
Flowers wither and fall.
- Reasons: lack of lighting, too hot, dry air, draft, low temperature air, temperature changes.
Dark spots and dots on flowers.
- Reasons: rot, poor ventilation, dampness at low air temperatures.
Lack of flowering.
- Reasons: the temperature regime is disturbed.
Diseases and pests of leaves and peduncles
Green plaque
Reasons: colonies of microscopic algae have settled, constant high humidity. Most often, the disease appears in greenhouses, winter gardens, and greenhouses.
Struggle. Removing plaque from leaves with a piece soft fabric(gauze), moistened with oxen, at home - with laundry soap or a weak solution of potassium permanganate and subsequent bathing.
Cracks, most often along the midrib.
Causes: mechanical damage as a result of transportation or movement.
The base of the leaf (most often the apical one) turns yellow, the leaf withers and falls off.
Causes: Fusarium disease, or otherwise Fusarium wilt, appears when there is excessive waterlogging, watering at relatively low temperatures.
Remedy: Remove the affected leaf or peduncle to a healthy location. Pruning is carried out with a sterile instrument. Reduce watering and treat the cut area with Fundazol.
Dark sunken spots (black, brown)
Causes: bacterial rot.
Elimination. Trim leaves to healthy tissue, making each cut with a sterilized blade. Treat the sections with one of the fungicides (Maxim, Fundazol, Topaz).
Brown spots with a yellowish or whitish rim
Causes: bacterial spotting.
Treatment. The orchid must be isolated from the rest, cut off the affected tissue or entire leaves, and treat the sections with antibacterial drugs (sulfur powder, activated carbon, wood ash, potassium permanganate solution). Watering is moderate.
Dark streaks on the leaves quickly merge into stripes.
Cause: virus.
Elimination: immediate isolation and destruction of the plant. Viruses multiply very quickly and can affect all orchids.
White spots.
Cause: – sunburn.
Remedy: early spring and in summer, shade the plants, do not spray them in direct sunlight, water droplets become small lenses.
Wilting of leaves.
Reasons: rotting of the root system.
Elimination. Carefully remove the orchid from the pot and inspect the roots. Remove soft and blackened ones and treat the sections with antifungal drugs.
Uneven coloring, sheet deformation.
Reasons: lack of mineral nutrition.
Remedy: regular feeding complex fertilizers for orchids.
Diseases of the root system of orchids, treatment
Drying of aerial roots
Causes: fracture, mechanical damage.
Remedy: cut a little above the fracture, sprinkle with activated carbon powder. If the roots do not have visible damage, but dry out, it is likely due to insufficient watering and low air humidity. Watering and humidifying the air with a humidifier will help.
Drying of roots in the substrate
Reasons: insufficient watering.
Elimination. Place the pot for 30 minutes in a container with warm water, take it out and let it drain. Healthy roots are clearly visible in a transparent pot; they are saturated with moisture and have a greenish tint.
Root rotting
Causes: excessive watering. At first, the roots become covered with spots, then become wrinkled, soft, and brown.
Remedy: removal of damaged roots, disinfection of cuts with solutions of fungicides diluted by a third with water (relative to the norm), replanting into a fresh substrate. Watering is weak, the substrate dries out completely between waterings.
Orchid pests - description and control
Aphids and thrips
Description. Very small leaf-sucking insects. Aphids settle in colonies and resemble small droplets in appearance. The color is greenish, yellowish or black. Adult Thrips are very small flies, have wings, an elongated body, black or yellow, the larvae are whitish or transparent.
Insects attack young tender parts of orchids: buds, flowers, growing shoots.
When affected by aphids and thrips, the flowers fall off, silvery stripes and spots are visible on the leaves, and the surface becomes bumpy due to dead cells.
Struggle. Removing severely affected parts of orchids, spraying with Aktara insecticide, washing with laundry soap.
Repeat the treatment procedure 2 more times with an interval of 5 days to destroy the larvae hatched from the eggs.
Mealybug
Description. Small insects that resemble pieces of cotton wool. It feeds on the juice of leaves. Usually introduced with new plants. When affected by mealybug, the leaves turn yellow and wither.
Struggle. Mechanical removal with a cotton swab dipped in vodka or alcohol. Subsequent treatment with Aktara 2 times with an interval of 10 days.
Snails and slugs
Description. Orchids kept in greenhouses, greenhouses and winter gardens are susceptible to attack. It may also appear on the windowsill. the source of infection is a poor-quality substrate.
The mollusks hide in the substrate, where they eat the roots. Crawling out, they gnaw leaves, young shoots and flowers. Signs of obvious presence of snails are bitten edges of leaves and round holes in the ground.
Control measures. Collection and destruction.
Scale insects and false scale insects.
Description. Pests look like small, hard growths on stems and leaves. Easily removed. Color brown or black. They leave sticky marks after their stay.
Control measures. Mechanical removal with a cotton swab dipped in vodka or alcohol. Then wipe the plant with a soapy pad, leave for 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Treatment with Aktara - 2 times with an interval of 7 days - will not hurt either.
Prevention measures: increase humidity.
Spider mite
Description. A very small insect of a reddish color, difficult to see with the naked eye. Moves slowly. Attacks orchids in low humidity. It is detected when there are thin cobwebs on the plant. The leaves become covered with a silvery coating and die.
Struggle. Rinsing with warm water, treatment with acaricides, e.g. Aktelik.
Prevention. Quarantine new plants, eliminate drafts blown in by the wind, spray with warm water.
Leaves and flowers of a healthy orchid for a long time pleasing to the eyes of its owners. From a glance experienced gardener spots on orchid leaves, which sometimes appear for no reason, will not be hidden. Why did these white dots appear and what to do to treat the spots that are visible on the leaves of the phalaenopsis orchid?
Any depigmentation of a plant always indicates the presence of certain disturbances in its life. These may be white spots, watery spotting, which over time turns into necrotic black spots, dry brown spots, at the site of which the plant tissue crumbles and breaks off. Spots that may appear on the leaves of phalaenopsis indicate illness or impaired mineral nutrition of your pet.
Depending on the cause of the spots, they will have to be treated differently. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between signs of diseases and physiological problems of the plant. Let's take a closer look at why spots appear. different colors, and the worst thing is white spots on the leaves of the orchid.
Phalaenopsis diseases
There is a large list of diseases whose symptoms are spots on the leaves. They can be divided into two categories - diseases caused by fungi and diseases caused by bacteria. Among the fungi, spots on the leaves are caused by late blight, fusarium, cochliobolus, pseudocochliobolus, pathogens of septoria and cercospora.
Bacterial pathogens of spotting mainly belong to the genus Bacillus, but there are exceptions. Basically, all these diseases manifest themselves on initial stages in the form of the appearance of whitish or yellow spots Over time, the lesions turn black from the center. Sometimes the spots merge and form massive necrotic areas with dark edges.
Hives
Urticaria is caused by the fungus Uredo Japanika. Dark spots up to 3 mm in diameter appear on the leaves. Over time, the entire surface of the plant is affected, which is why it dies. Typically, the occurrence of this disease is a consequence of poor control of the plant's environment. Phalaenopsis plants that are located in a room with low temperature and high humidity are most often infected.
Bacillus Cypriped
This bacterium is the causative agent of wet rot of orchids. This is a very dangerous disease that cannot be adequately treated. At the first signs of disease, it is recommended to remove the affected leaf.
The manifestation of the disease is very characteristic and begins from the edge of the leaf blade. First, a dark watery spot appears there, which quickly spreads down the tissue. The affected area becomes sluggish, the leaf becomes limp, and an unpleasant odor characteristic of bacteriosis appears.
Rot develops literally by the hour. The light affected spot darkens to yellow within a few hours, and then to brown. On the second day the whole plant turns brown.
Dry spots
The causative agent of dry spots is Cladosporium Orchideorum. Small spots of brown color and dry consistency appear on the plant. Quite quickly they cover the entire surface of the photosynthetic organ, forming black sporulation on it.
Late blight
The causative agent is Phytophthora palmiala - fungal in nature. This pathogen causes black rot of the leaf base. An extremely dangerous disease. The pathogen spores can survive in the soil for a long time. It begins with the appearance of small black spots on the leaves of the orchid. Progresses rapidly, infecting and killing the entire plant. There is practically no cure. Phytophthora loves damp, cool conditions and infects a flower only in the presence of dripping moisture.
Mesophyll collapse
A disease called leaf cell death. The causative agent has not been determined. It looks like single brown pits on the surface of phalaenopsis. The development of this disease is associated with watering the leaves with cold water.
Bacterial spot
This term most often refers to spotting caused by a fungus of the genus Cercospora. It appears as white, concentric spots on the top of the leaf. From the bottom side you can observe the development of the mycelium. The disease will spread quickly if the appropriate conditions are present - high temperature and high humidity.
Phyllostictina Pyriformis
Yellow leaf spot caused by a fungus. It develops slowly, but on a large scale - the fungus quickly spreads through spores, infecting the entire plant. The spots are initially yellowish and later darken. The fungus is an aggressive necrotroph and quickly kills the leaves of a living plant.
Chlorosis
Destruction of chlorophyll in plant cells. It looks like an uneven, light striped spot on the surface of the affected organ. It is a consequence of a huge range of problems ranging from insufficient moisture or minerals(nitrogen, phosphorus) ending with the presence of root rot. Chlorosis is a symptom of the disease
Burkholderia gladioli
Unusual for our latitudes, wet bacterial rot. The pathogen Burkholderia gladioli lives in plant cells and causes local darkening of tissues due to the destruction of mechanical structures. The affected area becomes slimy and jelly-like in consistency.
Treatment
Treatment of spotting comes down primarily to prevention. Treat your plants in a timely manner, prevent them from freezing and stressing, and make sure that there is no dripping moisture on the leaves. At the first sign of disease, remove the affected leaf to save the whole orchid. Having accurately determined who is the causative agent of your disease - a fungus or a bacterium, use the necessary drug
Video “Orchid diseases”
From this video you will learn about mistakes in care and the causes of diseases.
Today, the orchid is not such a rare plant in the indoor flower garden. However, it is subject various diseases and demands special care. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find any complete information about the contents of the flower, orchid diseases and their treatment.
Therefore, we tried to cover common problems and difficulties in growing orchids.
Problems with orchid flowering, ways to eliminate them
This indoor plant is quite demanding and capricious. Therefore, if you just brought it home after purchasing it and it begins to wither, this is not unusual. You just need to choose one for him suitable place and care for it properly.
Orchid doesn't bloom
In order not to worry about the flowering of an orchid, even at the time of purchase you need to clarify what kind of variety it is and what its flowering period is. The point is that different types flowers bloom at different times. But it happens that the expected flowering does not occur, while the green mass continues to grow. The main reasons for the lack of buds are the following:
- sudden changes in temperature;
- improper watering;
- violation of rest mode;
- lack of light.
Did you know? The most common reason for the lack of flowers on a plant is a lack of light, which is why the plant itself begins to wither. Most varieties of orchids do not do well even in partial shade, but varieties such as Paphiopedilum and Phalaenopsis can bloom in such conditions.
The lack of light is indicated by the color of the leaves: they become bright green, whereas their natural color is light green. If the leaves turn yellow, this indicates an excess amount of ultraviolet radiation, that is, excess lighting. Control measures: the flower should be placed in a more illuminated place or removed to partial shade.
Another common problem when there is no flowering is root diseases. It's difficult to define. Sometimes, even when the roots rot, the orchid continues to bloom.
But if it has not bloomed for a long time, and everything is fine with the lighting, you should check the root system. Most often, it begins to rot due to excessive watering.
In this case, replanting the plant and removing damaged parts of the rhizome will help. Periodic replanting is, in principle, beneficial for its development.
Orchid buds fade
As a rule, in this case the problems turn out to be the same as those described above. But there may be additional reasons. First of all, the orchid reacts very sensitively to a change of place of residence. If you recently bought it and brought it home, it is not surprising that the orchid buds wither and fall off.
Important! Lighting plays a major role in this process. It is logical that in the greenhouse it was suitable and sufficient, but in your home it may not be enough or, conversely, there may be too much. Please note that there are shade-loving and light-loving varieties of orchids; this point must be clarified when purchasing a plant. So, on northern and northeastern windows you can grow cambria and phalaenopsis. Angrecums cymbidiums, laelias, cattleyas, vandas and others are considered light-loving.
In addition, there may be problems with hypothermia of orchids. These are very heat-loving plants, so you need to make sure that in winter the temperature in the room does not drop below 22°C. Please note that air humidity must be at least 70%, otherwise the flowers will also begin to fall off.
The orchid loves good air circulation, but does not tolerate drafts. She also reacts sharply to presence of different food products nearby, especially fruits and vegetables that emit ethylene. It provokes accelerated ripening of buds, which can wither and fall off without even opening.
Another reason for the wilting of buds can be pests. In particular, the mealybug feeds on their juice, leading to the premature death of the bud.
Do not forget that withering and falling of flowers is a natural process. Duration of flowering different varieties also not the same. Some delight with variegated flowers for several months, others for several weeks. It is likely that you bought the plant after flowering.
Dark spots on flowers
Sometimes they arise not because of diseases, but due to mechanical damage during transportation of the plant. Such spots do not spread throughout the flower, dry out, and have uneven edges.
However, spotting may occur due to moisture getting on the petals during watering or condensation when the plant was transported in packaging. Because of this, flowers can not only become stained, but also fall off. 
If the plant is still in the sun, then where water gets on the petals, a burn may occur - the water will act like a lens.
Did you know? A fungal disease can cause brown spots on flowers. In this case, they can deteriorate literally overnight, when the entire plant becomes covered in spots. In this case, the affected leaves and stems will be watery, and a moldy coating may appear on them.
Rot: prevention and treatment
Most often when indoor growing orchids have to deal with rot. Moreover, problems mainly arise due to excessive care.
The plant develops watery, light brown spots on the leaves. Mostly young people. After some time, they darken, grow, gradually merging with each other. Moreover, the lower the temperature environment The more abundant the watering, the faster these processes occur.
If you have just discovered these signs of orchid disease, you can still help it, cutting out the damaged areas with a sharp tool, grabbing some healthy tissue. The cut edges must be treated with a preparation containing copper or crushed coal.
If these manipulations cannot be done, the flower cannot be saved. It is better to get rid of it before the disease spreads to other flowerpots.
Most often, brown bacterial rot affects orchid varieties such as paphiopedilum, cymbidium, cattleya, and phalaenopsis. Prevention of such diseases consists of spraying the plant with a solution of copper sulfate once a month.
affects the roots of the plant, which soften and deteriorate. At the same time, the leaves of the plant acquire a brown tint. The cause of these processes is too high air humidity and temperature.
To get rid of the disease, it is necessary to adjust the conditions of the plant, as well as treat the roots and soil with topsin solution (0.2%) or foundationazol solution (0.2%). This must be done three times, maintaining an interval of approximately three weeks. As a rule, to do this, the pot is immersed in a solution.
To prevent the disease, you should use a high-quality substrate for planting, previously disinfected. Most often, orchids of the Paphiopedilum, Miltonia, and Cymbidium varieties need such care.
The orchid is also characterized by a leaf disease such as gray rot. It's easy to determine: dark islands appear on the leaves, covered with fluffy gray coating. Gradually, rot moves from the leaves to the soil, then to the flowers, and then to the entire plant. The disease can also start from flowers, covering them with small brown spots.
The disease occurs due to improper care - high air humidity combined with low temperature. But sometimes the reason is excessive use of fertilizers with high content nitrogen, which reduces the plant's resistance to this disease.
- this is a fungal disease. Therefore, to combat it, it is necessary to remove damaged areas from the plant, and completely treat with fungicides.
Moreover, if the chosen drug did not help and after some time the signs of the disease appeared again, you need to use another drug. When watering, you should use products that increase the plant's resistance to disease.
Important! Try not to place orchids close to each other or other plants. Then, if gray rot occurs on one plant, the fungal spores will not be able to spread to the neighboring one.
Gray mold most readily “settles” on orchids that bloom with white flowers: cattleyas, cymbidiums, phalaenopsis.
A fungal disease occurs when the flower is kept in too cold a room. Especially if the plant was sick before or survived a pest attack. In this case, spots on the orchid leaves are removed with a sharp and sterile instrument, and the cut edges are processed Bordeaux mixture or charcoal.
Next, the plant must be transplanted into another pot or into the same one, but pre-sterilized. It is planted in a fresh sterile substrate, and the old one must be disposed of. After transplantation, the necessary conditions are created for the plant.
Frequent patients with a similar diagnosis are orchids of the Cattleya and Paphiopedilum varieties.
If the orchid leaves turn yellow or spots appear on them, you'll probably have to deal with fusarium rot. In this case, the leaves soften, curl, and fungal spores give them a pinkish tint.
The main cause of such diseases is high humidity with poor air circulation. Most often, orchids of the Epidendrum, Miltonia, and Phalaenopsis varieties suffer from this disease if the necessary conditions are not met.
It is recommended as a treatment treating the plant three times a day with a solution of foundationazole (0.2%). Treat all plants carefully, as rot spots may appear on the shoots. At the same time, during the treatment period, you must stop spraying the plant and make sure that it does not stand in drafts.
Leaf diseases: symptoms, prevention and treatment
Orchid diseases can be viral, bacterial or fungal in nature and manifest themselves in completely different ways: in the form of plaque, stains, rot. Accordingly, each disease has its own treatment method.
Important! Almost all orchids lose their color over time, even with proper care. Lack of light weakens the plant's immunity, but the light-loving orchid does not tolerate direct sunlight. Particular care must be taken to accustom the orchid to the spring sun, shading those plants that stand on south side so that they don't get sunburned. Gradually getting used to the sun, the flowers will require shading only on a hot afternoon.
Most often, this fungal disease affects the leaves of the plant. They appear as tiny but distinct round brown spots that enlarge as they connect with each other. Large affected areas turn black, forming holes. If the plant is sick for a long time, a pink or yellowish coating may appear in these areas.
Reasons: stagnant water in the leaf axils and high air humidity.
Treatment begins with trimming the affected areas. Sections must be treated with ash or activated carbon, and the plant itself - with preparations containing copper. Treatment is carried out three times with breaks of ten days. In this case, it is necessary to reduce watering and completely abandon fertilizing.
To prevent the appearance of fungus It is necessary to ensure that the air humidity does not exceed 70% and does not fall below 40%, while regularly and well ventilating the room. Monitor the presence of water in the axils of the leaves and pseudobulbs. If it collects there, remove it in time with a napkin or cloth.
Orchids of the phalaenopsis, paphiopedilum, oncidium, and miltonia varieties are mainly susceptible to this disease.
Phalaenopsis orchids are most susceptible to this disease. First, the leaves of infected plants turn yellow, then darken, then soften and crack. Liquid appears in the resulting ulcers.
To get rid of the disease,such areas are cut out with a sterile and sharp instrument, the sections are treated with iodine or activated carbon. If there are a lot of spots or the lobar vein is damaged, the treatment must be carried out with stronger preparations. If after such procedures there is no relapse within 10 days, then the plant has recovered and is not contagious.
The disease occurs due to too bright lighting in the warm season, excessive use of fertilizers or improper watering.
Fractures in the leaves can cause normal mechanical damage. However, in some cases they indicate insufficient watering orchid or its severe hypothermia after watering. 
Also pay attention to fertilizers. If they contain too much nitrogen, this can also cause deformation of the plant's leaves: thickening, breaks, cracks, and a change in color to dark green.
To get rid of the problem, it is enough to refuse fertilizer for some time. It is also recommended to wash the roots of the plant and replant it. Please note that after this procedure, the orchid may be delayed in growth for some time - this is a normal process.
This kind of damage usually appears on plants in spring and summer. When solar activity increases. Orchids need light in large quantities, but diffused, and direct rays of the sun are usually destructive for it and cause burns.
Remaining droplets of moisture on the leaves and petals also provoke similar consequences. In this case, water, multiplying the strength of the sun's rays, contributes to the burning of the leaves - discolored areas with a brown edge appear on them. Over time, they dry out, forming holes.
The affected plant must be shaded, giving special attention watering, but not flooding the flower. Heavily damaged areas must be removed by processing the edges of the cut. It is better not to use fertilizing during this period.
About the appearance powdery mildew
speaks white coating on the leaves and buds of the flower. The areas covered with it dry out over time, and the plant itself dies. The disease occurs in conditions of high humidity combined with high temperature - the so-called greenhouse effect. 
As soon as you discover signs of this disease, you should immediately adjust your care and begin treatment. For this the plant is treated with Topsin-M, Skor or a solution of colloidal sulfur.
As a preventive measure the orchid should be sprayed with Fitosporin. This is recommended for all home orchids, since any of them has a risk of contracting powdery mildew.
A relatively rare, but no less dangerous disease. It is also fungal in nature and primarily affects the leaves of the plant.
And it strikes first bottom part leaves, forming light spots. Over time, red pads appear on them, in which fungal spores ripen. Please note that the disease appears on the weakest parts of the plant.
To get rid of from him, it is necessary to remove the affected areas, no matter how large they are. Do not forget to disinfect the cut areas with a 20% alcohol solution or activated carbon. Also recommended treat the plant with the preparations “Mikosan”, “Ridomil”, “Skor”, “Topsin-M”.
The plant becomes ill due to the appearance of various pests on it: white scale insects, mealybug, aphids. Its spores reproduce well in their sweet secretions. 
The fungus grows, clogging the stomata of the leaves. As a result, the plant does not receive required quantity light, weakens and, if not treated, dies. Treatment consists of treatment with the same drugs: Mikosan, Ridomil, Skor, Topsin-M.
Viral diseases of orchids
Oddly enough, orchids can also suffer from viral diseases. If a similar diagnosis is found in one plant, it must be urgently removed from the others and destroyed. Doesn't exist at all effective methods treating plants against viruses.
The most unpleasant thing is that the virus does not appear in the plant for a long time. This may be indicated by a change in the shape and color of the plant. Remember: if you have several flowerpots and general watering in one container, all plants are infected.
The virus can be introduced when processing an orchid with tools. As soon as favorable conditions for its reproduction appear, it immediately becomes active. Such conditions are a sharp decrease or increase in temperature, humidity, and changes in the habitat, which lead the orchid to stress.
If you suspect that a plant is infected with a virus, first you need to isolate it and treat it with any antibiotic, and then with a fungicide.
Orchids are amazing flowers that can decorate any room. But they are quite demanding in care, deviation from which leads to various diseases. It is necessary to constantly carry out various preventive measures to stimulate the growth and flowering of the plant.
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Today, buying an orchid is not a problem, the problem is finding competent information about its further maintenance in home culture. The main and accessible “source of knowledge” for almost everyone is the Internet. Having registered on the first flower forum we come across, we read reviews and advice from the same amateurs as ourselves, and we can only determine whose advice is correct and whose is wrong only over time based on our own mistakes. As a rule, diseases of orchids arise due to improper care and the leaves of plants signal this to us first of all.
Let's look at some diseases of orchids and bugs due to improper care.
1.Orchid diseases due to improper lighting. Burns.
Probably the most important role in growing indoor flowers The lighting is playing in the apartment. Orchid diseases very often arise precisely because of improperly selected lighting. Orchids are divided into two groups: shade-tolerant and light-loving.
Our first mistake is that when buying an orchid, we don’t think about which group the plant we like belongs to and whether we can provide it with proper lighting at home. Light-loving orchids include Vandas, Cattleyas, Lelias, Cymbidiums, Angrecums and many others, as well as all hybrids based on the listed species. In a light-loving orchid, due to lack of light, new leaves become smaller, weak, deformed growths develop, which will not form a full-fledged, healthy bulb and, accordingly, will not please with their flowering in the future. Phalaenopsis and Cambria, on the contrary, can be grown on northern and north-eastern windows.
Photo No. 1 Weak, elongated growths. Conclusion - not enough light.
Moreover, in orchids that have variegated forms, the color fades over time, and no matter how hard you feed and water it, sooner or later the orchid will lose its healthy appearance and will soon die. Due to lack of lighting, plants become more vulnerable and are more easily susceptible to diseases.
In turn, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that light-loving plant- this does not mean that it can withstand direct sunlight. You need to start accustoming your orchid to the spring sun gradually. In March, orchids on southern and south-eastern windows need to be shaded in the first half of the day, otherwise, after cloudy winter days, plants that are not accustomed to the bright sun will receive severe burns. Over time, the plant will adapt to brighter sun and will not need additional shading; it will be enough to lower the curtain only at noon.
Photo No. 2. Consequence of a burn. Even a sun-loving plant like Vanda may experience burns if the plant is not used to being in the midday sun.
Photo No. 3. General picture of burns on the Vanda orchid.
As we already discussed above, without a sufficient amount of light, plants cannot develop normally, so most gardeners install additional artificial lighting. If you choose the wrong height between the lamp and the plant (at least from the last growing leaf, the height should be 20-30 cm), then literally the next day the orchids will receive thermal burns. In addition, incandescent lamps emit heat, which, especially in the hot season, negatively affects the development of orchids. Thermal burns will dry out in the future and will not particularly harm the plant, but the burn stains will remain. Therefore, for such purposes, it is necessary to choose new generation lamps and maintain the height of the lamp placement.
Photo No. 4. Thermal burn (from touching a fluorescent lamp)
A burn should not be confused with a tan; a tan will not harm the plant, but it is a signal that the plant should be shaded, because A tan may be followed by a burn.
Photo No. 5. Tanning on Cattleya's bulb.
Orchids are not sprayed in the sun, because... droplets of water can act as a lens and the plant will receive pinpoint burns.
Photo No. 6. Burns on Phalaenopsis flowers.
2. The main mistakes when watering and their subsequent diseases.
Each genus and type of orchid requires special watering rules. But I would like to draw your attention to the fact that each apartment has its own microclimate, so no one can give definite advice in what order to water. You need to find a middle ground in your own conditions and try to understand the plant: when it needs to be watered, and when to refrain from watering.
Due to excessive watering, the plant suffers more than from untimely watering. If for some reason the orchid has not been watered for a long time, then it is easier to water it than to regrow rotted roots due to frequent watering.
Photo No. 7. Consequences of excessive watering of Lycaste.
Due to excess moisture, the bulb rotted and the rot spread to the young growths. In this case, the bulb is soft to the touch, so the plant can be thrown away entirely; the growth cannot be saved.
Photo No. 8. This is what a Bulbophyllum leaf that has fallen off due to excessive watering looks like.
Photo No. 9. Rotten root of Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis).
The main rule in caring for Phalaenopsis is that the roots must dry out between waterings.
Photo No. 10. Leaves lose turgor and fall off due to rotted roots.
This is what the leaves of Paphiopedilum look like due to unregulated watering. This type absolutely cannot withstand complete drying of the root and lost turgor Unfortunately, it does not restore leaves.
Photo No. 10.a. Damage to Paphiopedilum tissue due to improper watering.
There are types of orchids that prefer high humidity, but in no case should air humidity be confused with frequent watering. If we do not increase the air humidity in the room, but increase the frequency of watering, then in a maximum of a month we will see the following picture.
Photo No. 11. Low indoor humidity and frequent watering have led to the leaves losing turgor and gradually dying off in favor of the plant itself.
Some types of orchids in summer time years react quite painfully to untimely watering. The leaves seem to become dehydrated and wither, lose turgor, eventually dropping the bottom row one by one. Therefore, during the hot season, you need to ensure timely watering and high humidity in the room where the orchids are located. At high temperatures and humidity, there must be good air ventilation. It is advisable to turn on the fan during the hottest hours of the day (from 12.00 to 15.00) and ventilate the room well.
Photo No. 12. Lack of moisture, Cattleya leaves lose turgor.
3. Edema.
In nature, there is such a thing as edema. Orchid diseases such as swelling appear due to prolonged contact with water. For example, they soaked a plant while watering it and accidentally forgot about it for a day. Very important factor is the temperature of the room in which the plants are located. If the temperature drops to +15/+17C, then watering at such temperatures is reduced, because at low temperatures bacterial and fungal diseases couldn't be easier. If the room is cool, then after abundant watering the plant can also get swelling and other orchid diseases. It is important to know that in the cool season (autumn, winter, early spring) we reduce watering and do not place plants on a cold windowsill. If wet spots appear, they urgently need to be removed, because they grow very quickly and the entire plant as a whole can rot.
Photo No. 13. Swelling of Phalaenopsis leaves due to prolonged contact with water.
Photo No. 14. Spot swelling on Phalaenopsis leaves due to unregulated watering.
Photo No. 15. Results of improper watering in the cold season of Aerangis.
Photo No. 16. The results of frequent watering of the Vanilla orchid in the cold season.
4.Problems due to low temperatures.
During the cold season, it is advisable to refrain from purchasing orchids or to pack them carefully during transportation, otherwise the plant will get frostbite and the spots will have to be cut down to living tissue, because they cannot be restored.
Photo No. 17. Phalaenopsis frostbite.
Photo No. 18. Frostbite of Phalaenopsis in the cold season when the room is ventilated.
Orchids are not sprayed in the cool season, when the room temperature is low and air ventilation is poor. This may cause the appearance of dark spots fungal origin.
Photo No. 19. Consequence of spraying in the cool season.
5. Fungal diseases of orchids.
Often when buying an orchid, we can see barely noticeable “tubercles”. They can be located both on the leaves and on the trunk (neck) of the plant. Most often this is a Phalaenopsis disease. Each tubercle contains small myceliums containing a microfungus invisible to the naked eye. It is better not to open such tubercles so that invisible fungal spores do not scatter throughout the entire collection of orchids that are located in the room with the source of the mycelium carrier. You can play it safe and treat the tubercles with a fungicide, or you can cut the leaf and lose the problem forever.
Photo No. 20. Mycelium tubercles on Phalaenopsis leaves.
Photo No. 21. Mycelium.
6.Virus.
Orchids, like people, suffer from viral diseases. Plants with viral diseases are disposed of. Unfortunately, the orchid does not tolerate diseases such as the virus - there are no treatment methods. The virus can hide for a long time and not manifest itself in any way, but during watering (in a common basin) it can settle on all orchids that were directly involved in watering. The virus is also transmitted when plants are processed with sharp instruments. If favorable conditions appear for the development of the virus, it will become active and then begin to “dance” throughout the entire collection and all plants without exception will need to be destroyed. A fertile ground for a virus outbreak is any stress, for example, a sharp decrease (increase) in temperature or moving to a new room with radically different environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.). If you notice that a plant suspected of having a virus has appeared in your collection, it must be immediately isolated from others and treated with at least an antibiotic wide range action and then any fungicide. Sometimes the virus does not manifest itself at all and can only be detected after the plant has flourished. The color and shape of the flower will differ from the norm.
Photo No. 22. The virus has a ring shape (in the form of a spot).
Photo No. 23. The photo shows a Phalaenopsis leaf infected with a virus.
Photo No. 24. The photo shows a Phalaenopsis leaf infected with a virus, on which a fungus has settled on top.
7.Natural aging of orchids.
If you notice that your orchid is turning yellow bottom sheet, then there is no need to panic, you need to watch the plant for a while. Sometimes the death of the lower row of leaves is normal, because... each plant has its own life cycle, incl. for an orchid, disease has nothing to do with it. New ones will grow to replace those that have fallen away.
Photo No. 25. Natural aging of a Phalaenopsis leaf.
With natural wilting, the leaf begins to die not from the neck of the plant, but almost from the edge of the leaf. Gradually the yellowness moves along the leaf to the base (neck), dries out and falls off. You don’t need to remove the leaf yourself; you need to wait for the leaf to dry out and fall off.
Photo No. 26. The beginning of the process of dying of the lower leaf.
In Phalaenopsis, leaf death is often observed due to young roots that have hatched; they seem to push out the leaf and form in their place.
Photo No. 27. The root breaks through the leaf and subsequently the leaf will dry out.
8.Orchid. The disease is neck rot.
Rot from inside the neck of an orchid is a rather insidious thing. No matter how you turn the plant, you won’t see rot. The reason is that the putrefactive process is located in the tissues of the plant inside the neck itself. After some time, we observe the following picture: the leaves begin to turn yellow from the neck and fall off, then the orchid disassembles like a construction set. Unfortunately, in this situation it is not possible to help the plant. Rot can begin to develop for several reasons: frequent watering, prolonged contact of the orchid roots with water, the roots do not dry out between waterings, watering at low room temperatures.
Photo No. 28. Phalaenopsis neck rot (top view).
Photo No. 29. Phalaenopsis neck rot (side view).
Photo No. 30. Consequences of Phalaenopsis neck rot.
9. Overdose of fertilizer and poor water quality.
Using the example of Eurychone rothschildiana (photo No. 31), it is clear that the plant is healthy, it is comfortable, it is successfully developing, growing roots (the tips of the roots are green). After treating a plant with fertilizers with an incorrectly selected dosage (this applies to any fertilizer without exception), inhibition begins in the development process. The roots “pupate” and stop growing, the leaves lose turgor and wither. The plant goes into stupor. Lack of root growth may indicate an incorrectly selected fertilizer concentration. Recommendations for use are often described in detail specifically for capricious beauties - orchids - use this information.
Dead root tips (photo no. 32) are the first signs to sound the alarm. The leaves do not just turn yellow, but have a brownish tint, which indicates that the roots were burned during the feeding process. If measures are not taken in time, the plant may die. In this case, first of all, you need to give all plants a hot shower once a week. The shower helps flush out accumulated salts in the substrate and also tones the growth of orchids, imitating the warm torrential downpours of their natural habitat.
Photo No. 31. Eurychone rothschildiana healthy growth process.
Photo No. 32. Eurychone rothschildiana is on the verge of extinction.
10. Why is poor indoor air ventilation dangerous for orchids?
One of the main factors in the absence of disease in orchids in indoor culture is air ventilation. Everyone knows that in their natural habitat, epiphytes live high in trees, blown by the winds. Most of them grow in tropical and equatorial regions. At the equator it is constantly warm and humid, and it rains very often. In nature there are morning dews and fogs. Orchids are accustomed to humid climates. At home we try to get as close as possible to natural conditions(raise the air humidity, increase the temperature to the desired level, arrange a warm shower, simulating tropical downpours), but we forget about the most important thing - air aeration. IN warm time every year our apartments and loggias heat up to high temperatures. Spraying your " winter garden“, we increase the air humidity and leave for work with a fulfilled sense of duty. What is happening indoors at this time? At high temperatures and humidity, there is a possibility of orchid diseases - fungal and bacterial diseases. With bacterial diseases, watery spots appear (photo No. 33), which spread very quickly throughout the plant, in some cases the plant dies within a few days.
Photo No. 33. Wet rot on a young Phalaenopsis leaf.
As a rule, there are no special drugs; broad-spectrum antibiotics help.
Also, high temperatures make it difficult for the plant to breathe, which is especially acute for plants. root system. Orchid roots overheat and are not able to work at full capacity. The plant does not receive required quantity moisture and begins to lose turgor (photo No. 35). With poor air ventilation and high humidity, moisture after watering or showering can stagnate in the axils of plants (photo No. 34) and stimulate putrefactive processes.
Conclusion. At high temperatures and excess humidity You need to ventilate the room more often, do not place plants too close to each other, and make sure that moisture does not remain on the leaves for a long time. Plants need to be watered and sprayed only in the first half of the day. If possible, you can install a fan in a room with a large accumulation and crowding of flowers (photo No. 37) and turn it on at least during the hottest hours. This will help avoid many problems and various types of diseases.
Photo No. 34. Stagnation of moisture during the development of the cover due to poor air ventilation.
Photo No. 35. Root overheating. Leaves lose turgor.
Photo No. 36. During the hottest time, turn on the fan and ventilate the room.
Good luck! And let your orchid not know the disease, but only delight you with its beautiful flowering!
We are very grateful to the Kyiv Orchid Lovers Club for their help in preparing the material!
But, unfortunately, there is no escape from them. The diseased plant must be destroyed.
If light brown and watery spots appear on the shoots and young leaves of the orchid, most likely the plant has contracted brown rot. Over time, the spots may begin to darken, increase in size and join together. Most often, this disease affects young leaves.
The process of destruction is especially accelerated by abundant watering and low air temperature in the place where the orchid is kept.
How to treat?
- If damage is minimal, the orchid can still be helped. To do this, you need to cut out the affected areas using a sharp instrument to remove healthy tissue. Next, the cut areas should be sprinkled with crushed coal and treated with a copper-containing preparation. After the “surgery,” the orchid should be kept in the conditions indicated for the specific species.
- If the damage is too severe, then it is almost impossible to cure an orchid that has become infected with brown rot. No matter how pathetic the plant is, it is best to destroy it before the diseased flower infects healthy plants.
Prevention. To prevent brown rot, you can spray the orchid copper sulfate 1 time per month.
Which orchids get sick more often? The plants most susceptible to root rot are phalaenopsis, cattleya, cymbidium and paphiopedilum.
This disease occurs most often due to too low a temperature. Orchids are heat-loving plants, and if they are left in the cold for a long time, they can develop black rot. The disease can also appear on plants that have been weakened as a result of attack by pests or due to existing other diseases.
How to treat?
- The affected areas should be removed to healthy tissue with a sterile knife (or scissors), and the affected areas should be treated with charcoal or Bordeaux mixture. After this, the substrate in which the orchid grows must be disposed of, and the pot must be sterilized. When the plant is replanted, it should create conditions favorable for successful restoration.
- It is almost impossible to cure an orchid, most of which is affected by black rot - all that remains is to get rid of the plant as soon as possible. But you can save neighboring orchids in the collection and other house plants. In the case of black rot, this can be considered a great success. To do this, treat the flowers closest to the diseased orchid with Bordeaux mixture or some other copper-containing preparation.
Prevention. The best prevention of many fungal diseases, which include black rot, is to follow all the rules for caring for an orchid.
Which orchids get sick more often? Fungal rot, which is the cause of the disease, most often affects orchid genera such as Paphiopedilum and Cattleya.
If an orchid is affected by root rot, the leaves of the flower begin to turn brown, and the roots rot and become soft. The temperature is too high and high humidity air are often the main factors accelerating the development of the disease.
How to treat? It starts with creating favorable conditions maintenance of orchids, since the disease occurs most often due to violations in care. If an orchid is found to be damaged by root rot, it is necessary to treat the roots and substrate of the plant with a 0.2% solution of Fundazol or a 0.2% solution of Topsin. To achieve a positive effect, it is advisable to carry out the procedure 3 times with an interval of 10-14 days. The easiest way to carry out the treatment is by immersing the pot in the solution.
Prevention. When planting an orchid, you should use high-quality disinfected soil - this will be the best prevention of root rot.
Which orchids get sick more often? Cymbidium, Miltonia, and Paphiopedilum are more susceptible to root rot than other orchids.
Fusarium rot
This disease also refers to rot and is manifested by yellowing of leaves and the appearance of spots on them. The disease also affects young shoots. The easiest way to identify fusarium is by the leaf blades, which become soft, curl and may become covered with a pinkish coating (fungal spores). If this happens to your orchid, the prognosis is disappointing. The cause of the disease is most often the lack of air circulation in the room and high humidity.
How to treat?
To rid an orchid of fusarium, you need to treat it for 10 days in a 0.2% solution of Fundazol, immersing a pot with a plant in it 3 times a day. It is also worthwhile to completely stop spraying for a while, so as not to provoke the rapid development of the disease. It is also recommended to ventilate the room more often, while avoiding drafts.
Prevention. Best protection orchids against fusarium - compliance with all necessary rules care
Which orchids get sick more often? Orchids such as phalaenopsis, miltonia, and epidendrum most often suffer from fusarium rot.
The presence of gray rot on an orchid is not difficult to determine: it is characterized by dark islands covered with a gray fluffy coating, which can be seen first on the leaves, then on the soil and ultimately on the flowers of the plant. Brown specks on flowers will also indicate the presence of this disease. Gray rot- another disease resulting from improper care of the orchid. The reasons for its occurrence are still the same - low temperature in combination with high air humidity. However, excessive application of fertilizers with a high nitrogen content can also cause damage to an orchid by gray rot. A high concentration of this element often leads to plants becoming less resistant to this disease.
How to treat?
If the orchid is severely damaged, the damaged areas should be removed and then the plant should be sprayed with fungicides. It is worth noting that, if the same orchid is again affected by gray rot, the same drug cannot be used. Fungal spores very quickly develop immunity against fungicidal drugs.
Prevention. When watering an orchid, you can use special preparations that increase its resistance to disease. Then the appearance of gray rot can be avoided. Well, you shouldn’t forget about proper care for orchids.
When placing orchids in a home flower garden, you should not place them close to each other. If one of the plants gets sick with gray rot, the disease can very quickly spread to neighboring plants.
Which orchids get sick more often? Phalaenopsis, cymbidiums and cattleyas, which bloom with white flowers, are susceptible to gray rot.
This disease is quite dangerous. It refers to infectious diseases, the development of which is promoted by too bright lighting in the spring and summer, improper watering and excessive fertilization. Leaf spotting can be determined by dark, wet spots that appear on weakened orchid leaves.
How to treat? To save the orchid, you will have to remove all the affected leaves from the plant, and then spray the flower with a fungicidal preparation and do not water it for the next 4-5 days.
Which orchids get sick more often? This disease most often affects phalaenopsis.
This disease most often appears on leaves and sometimes on pseudobulbs. Signs of anthracnose are small and round but distinct brown spots that may enlarge and coalesce over time. Large areas gradually become black and form dents. At a completely advanced stage, a yellowish or pinkish coating may appear on the spots. Most often, an orchid is affected by anthracnose due to too high air humidity, as well as stagnation of water in the axils of the leaves or in the core of the pseudobulbs. The causative agent of the disease is a fungus.
How to treat? Areas affected by anthracnose should be cut off from the orchid and burned. The cut areas should be treated with activated carbon or ash. Help to cure an orchid copper-containing preparations. They need to treat the flower 3 times, taking a break of 10 days between each procedure. After this, you should reduce watering and stop feeding the plant.
Prevention. To prevent anthracnose from appearing on the orchid, it must be kept at an air humidity of 40 to 70%. In addition, it is recommended to periodically ventilate the room with the flower so that the air does not stagnate, but circulates well. In addition, after watering, water must be removed from the leaf axils and cores of the pseudobulbs using a cloth or napkin.
How to treat? Powdery mildew must be combated as soon as its signs are detected on the plant. This will allow you to cure the orchid without significant losses. A solution of colloidal sulfur helps well against powdery mildew. You can also cope with the disease with the help of drugs Skor or Topsin-M.
Prevention. In order to prevent powdery mildew, the orchid should be sprayed with Fitosporin (according to the instructions).
Which orchids get sick more often? All home orchids are equally susceptible to powdery mildew.
Viral diseases
The last thing you should be afraid of is viral diseases, since orchids are rarely affected by them. Most often they appear as mosaic spots on leaves and flowers. Also, with viral diseases on domestic tropicals, you can see characteristic spots in the form of circles, stripes or arrows.
How to treat? Unfortunately, it is not possible to cure an orchid affected by a viral disease. If you suspect something is wrong with an epiphytic pet, it should be urgently should be isolated from other plants. If the assumption is confirmed, you should get rid of the orchid.
Which orchids get sick more often? More common than other orchid genera viral disease can pick up cymbidiums,
