| Ohh...What Ails My Orchid???? |
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| My Leaves are turning yellow! This may well be a natural part of your plants growth cycle, particularly if the leaves yellowing are the older ones. If it is happening to young leaves, check that you have been feeding your plant regularly (this is not an excuse to over feed), & that it is getting the right temperature. Too much light can also cause this, also check the mix, the plant may be suffering root damage. My leaves have blackening tips on them! This could be a sign of overfeeding or a build up of fertiliser salts within the mix, or it may be as a result of a fungus infection in the leaf. Halt fertilising for a while & give the media a thorough flush out with water. Trim off any blackened areas & then give the plant a good spray with a fungicide. Blackened areas are appearing on the leaves! The appearance of brown & then black areas on exposed leaf surfaces in bright hot weather may be the result of sunburn. Make sure that your plants are sheltered from the burning midday sun. If these spot keep increasing in size, it may be either a fungus or bacterial infection. Cut off the infected area & spray with a fungicide. Treat the cut edge with cinnamon powder to prevent infection setting in through the cut. I have black, brown or yellow streaks or mottling on the leaves of my orchid! This could be caused by a number of things. It may be a virus infection, but similar mottling can be the result of insects or mites. Firstly isolate the plant & make sure that any tools that you use on this plant are not used on any others until they are thoroughly sterilised. Spray for Mites & insects as well as fungus & keep an eye on the plant. It may well be worth having a word with one of our more prominent growers who will be able to tell you if it is or isn’t a virus. If it is a virus it needs to be burnt to prevent spread through your other orchids .There are small rusty brown spot on the leaves that are turning black! This is likely to be a fungus disease caused by high humidity coupled with warm temperatures & possible little or no ventilation. Increase ventilation, lower the humidity & spray with a fungicide. My leaves have pieces missing! This is likely to be caused by slugs, snails or even wetas. Keep plenty of slug & snail bait about, but watch that it doesn’t rest in the crown of the plant, where with watering it may set off rots. If you suspect a weta, have a look around with a torch at night, & deal to it, or if your scared of them like me, get someone else to get out there & go Weta hunting. My leaves are concertinaed like an accordion! This is due to low humidity & allowing the plant to be dry for too long between waterings, step up your watering program. Watering more frequently will not remedy the leaves that are already crinkled, but will ensure that the next growth will be normal. My leaves are covered in a sticky substance! This is likely to be honeydew, the secretion of mites & other insects. Spray with a miticide & insecticide. There are ants all over my orchid! Ant are attracted to Honeydew on your plant, & this indicates that you have a Mite or insect problem. Spray with a miticide & insecticide. Put some ant bait out as well. My leaves are all limp! This may well be due to root damage, but lack of water during hot periods will also cause this. If the mix is breaking down, repot, spray with a fungicide / insecticide, & ensure the plant is keep moist. I have the urge to attend all Orchid shows within a 150km radius of us! Ohh dear, this sounds serious. I would say that this is a true case of Orchiditous, this disease is known to be rather infectious. The only thing for it, join your local Orchid Club, if you are already a member, then you need to get as many people as you can just as enthusiastic as you are & get them to join your orchid club. My pseudobulbs are withering up! This means that your plant is not getting enough water. If this is happening during the cooler months then it is nothing to get too alarmed about, but at any other time will mean under watering & low humidity or something is causing root damage. My poor plant is loosing it’s roots! A number of things can cause root damage, & if you suspect root damage you need to get your plant out of it’s pot for an inspection as soon as possible. The first thing to look for is a media that has stated to break down, this sets off rotting in the roots, & without roots you plant will surely die. Check also for slugs, wood lice or centipedes, as these cause root damage as they feed. There may also be a build up of excess salts in the mix so a fresh mix will only be good for the plant. My pockets are devoid of money & there is a lot of leafy material in my arms! This is likely to mean that you are just leaving an orchid show or display that had plants for sale. The Orchid bug has bitten you & I don’t think that there is any known cure. |