The ability to identify orchid diseases in time and begin proper treatment helps to preserve home collection beautiful flowers. The condition of plants is affected by care, lighting, and humidity. Sometimes sick orchids have to be revived by creating special conditions.

Orchid diseases can be caused by insect pests, fungi, viruses, and bacteria. Errors in agricultural technology often provoke the onset of bacterial or fungal diseases.

The fact that not everything is in order with the plant is often indicated by its appearance - drooping or yellow leaves, strange spots, deformation and stunted growth, lack of flowering.

Orchid pests:

• herbivorous mites;
• thrips;
• scale insects;
• mealybug;
• fungus gnats;
• gastropods;
• woodlice;
• springtails.

Common diseases:

• Cymbidium mosaic;
• Cattleya mosaic;
• root rot;
• rust;
• fusarium rot;
• anthracnose;
• leaf spot;
• black, brown, gray rot.

Orchid diseases and their treatment require changes in living conditions. If not properly cared for, various spots appear on the leaves and the root system dies.

Leaf diseases: symptoms, prevention and treatment

The most common problem is the loss of leaf turgor in an orchid. When the leaves wilt, the plant looks almost dead. Caring flower growers try to revive the flower by watering it with water. Usually, this does not bring any positive results.

If you get it wilted plant from flower pot, you can see roots that have completely or partially rotted.

To help the orchid, it is necessary to cut off the dead part of the root system and carefully remove all dry scales that can cause further rotting.

If there are rotten spots on the orchid, they also need to be carefully cut out. All cuts and cleaned areas must be treated with an antibiotic. You can buy any of them at the pharmacy (for example, “Streptotsid”), crush 2 tablets and mix with 1 tsp. water. Use the resulting solution to lubricate problem areas on the orchid.

When water stagnates in the rosette of leaves due to improper watering, the growing point may rot. In this case, it is necessary to cut out everything rotten to living tissue, sprinkle the sections with antibiotic powder and reduce watering.

Viral diseases of orchids

About fifty viruses are known that are dangerous to orchids. The diseases caused by them are incurable. A characteristic sign of infection is the appearance of spots and streaks on the leaves, stunted growth, and deformation of the plant.

Insects, such as aphids, can be carriers of infection. The plant can get sick if dirty tools or planting containers are used to work with it.

To prevent the disease, it is necessary to destroy insect pests on the orchid and disinfect tools with alcohol. Having discovered diseased specimens, they need to be isolated and destroyed.

Description of some problems and the reasons for their occurrence:

1. Yellowing of the leaves is caused by the natural aging of orchids, insufficient watering, and death of the root system.
2. A silvery coating appears on the leaves as a result of work spider mite or excess nitrogenous fertilizers.
3. Brown spots on the leaves are a sign of a fungal disease.
4. Black spots - the cause of their appearance may be spraying leaves when cold temperature air and poor ventilation or black rot disease.
5. Loss of turgor - leaves sometimes wither from insufficient watering, low air humidity or, conversely, from excess moisture in the substrate and death of the roots.
6. Small streaks and dots on the leaves cause viral diseases or damage by insect pests.
7. Sticky buds are a sign that the orchid is infected with scale insects or scale insects, which produce a lot of honeydew.

The cause of the appearance of spots on the leaves can also be unbalanced nutrition of the plant, the use of insecticides, hypothermia or sunburn.

Treatment of orchids at home

To treat phalaenopsis with a dead root system, it is necessary long time and special conditions for resuscitation.

1. The damaged part of the flower is cut off, all sections are sprinkled with any antibiotic.
2. The treated orchid is placed in a small homemade greenhouse. It can be made from a 5-liter jar, cut into 2 parts.
3. Pieces of bark are placed at the bottom of such a jar, sphagnum moss, well soaked and wrung out, on top, and then an orchid. The structure is covered on top with the cut off top of the can.
4. The greenhouse with the plant is placed in a well-lit place where there is bright, diffused light. In winter, be sure to provide lighting to encourage the orchid to grow. Lighting should be at least 12 hours a day.
5. It is necessary to ventilate the greenhouse with the orchid every day. To do this, unscrew the lid on the jar for 1 or 1.5 hours.
6. The moss in the container with the orchid is lightly moistened from time to time with a spray bottle so that it does not dry out and is not too wet.
7. The air temperature is maintained within 23 – 27 °C.
8. The leaf blades of an orchid in a greenhouse can be cut in half.

To treat dendrobium, from which only 1 bulb remains, a slightly different method of resuscitation is used. The surviving root is placed horizontally in a container with bark and slightly damp moss. There is no covering on top; the plant only needs the moisture contained in the thickened root. After a while, babies will appear from each kidney.

Ways to control flower pests

Viral diseases orchids are incurable, but they are quite rare. More often the culture suffers from bacteria, fungi and insects. They fight bacterial rot with antibiotics, fungi with fungicides, insecticides against insects, and acaricides against ticks.

1. At the first signs of mite infestation, the plant is treated with Fitoverm or Actofit.
2. For fungal diseases, treatment with Fundazol is necessary.
3. Orchids are treated against scale insects and thrips with Aktara, Fitoverm or Apache.
4. To combat aphids, the plant is sprayed with an infusion of tobacco with soap or actellik.
5. Gastropods are controlled with the help of molluscicides - Mesurol or Metaldehyde.

Woodlice, which can damage all parts of the orchid, are caught using apple or beer bait.

How to restore a damaged orchid

To restore an orchid left without roots or leaves, use a greenhouse. It is not recommended to overcool orchids that are under intensive care. There should be no drafts or temperature changes.

It is advisable to feed sick specimens with orchid fertilizer with a high nitrogen content.

Most orchids benefit from a warm shower (water temperature no higher than 40 °C). The plant is caressed under it for 10–15 seconds, then placed in a warm room without drafts until it dries completely. It is advisable to take a shower during active growth orchids.

When caring for an orchid, it is easy to make a mistake, since this flower needs constant care, it is easier, in order to avoid problems, to do everything in a timely manner; in case of illness, orchids take quite a long time to recover. What problems do you encounter most often? – Diseases can arise, it even seemed, due to primitive – improper lighting. To grow any flowers, you need to adhere to the correct lighting, the light regime should be moderate, shade in time to avoid burns, which do not pose any particular danger, but the marks remain long enough. Under no circumstances should you spray your orchid in the sun, as a spot burn will form on the leaves. By the way, improper watering also causes troubles, the basic rule is that it is better to water less than to overdo it, especially as this has a negative effect on young sprouts; excess and stagnation of water causes rot. It is imperative to maintain moisture; if you do not take care of this, but simply water the plant, the result will be fallen leaves. Poor watering also leads to leaves falling off and becoming dry; in very hot weather, use a fan to get fresh air. An important point Something to remember is that the flower cannot be in water for a long time and continuously, and if this is combined with low temperature, then swelling will certainly appear. IN winter time watering is reduced. It is necessary to avoid getting water on the leaves, this will provide salvation from rotting and pinpoint swelling. In cold winter, at low temperatures, the leaves not only become covered with white spots, but sometimes also become frostbitten (frostbitten areas require amputation). During this same period, you need to stop spraying, as it will provoke the appearance of darkened fungal spots.

Disease groups:

Such diseases in orchids can be found infrequently, this is due to the fact that the cultivation of these flowers is very scrupulous; such viruses can only be detected in special conditions, or rather in laboratories, and if they are detected, then all infected parts must be immediately destroyed. IN at home very often they panic without reason and mistake ordinary waterlogging for viral diseases However, with proper care, this is extremely unlikely. An important fact is that viruses cannot be cured, but the flower does not die from them; if the proper conditions are provided, the phalaenopsis will acquire a healthy appearance and will live and delight with its flowering for a long time.

A group of diseases that occur most often and sometimes even result in the death of the plant. Typically, fungus develops due to poor ventilation, overheating or waterlogging, and it develops at a fairly rapid pace. In turn, fungal diseases include: root rot (the most common and common), although the whole plant suffers, only the root rots, all other affected parts dry out, and sometimes crack or change color. Tracheomycosis also belongs to the fungus; this group of diseases is distinguished by the fact that it destroys the orchid - poisoning it from the inside, through the vascular system, thereby taking away all vitality and saturating it with toxins. This group poses an extraordinary danger due to the fact that the disease cannot be detected early stages it is difficult, and in an advanced form, treatment does not make sense and the recovery process is extremely difficult to control. The main signs of tracheomycosis: the lower leaves begin to fade (possibly on one side), begin to acquire a yellowish tint, the stem, neck and roots begin to fester, gradually, the roots stop growing altogether. If all these symptoms appear simultaneously, then the disease is much easier to identify and stop, but it happens that they become visible already in advanced stages, when the flower needs urgent rehabilitation and diligent treatment. There are simply a lot of reasons for the appearance of spotting, for example: common or downy mildew, rust, rot, anthracnose, septoria, stangosporosis, phyllostictosis, cercospora. If any of the listed diseases are detected, you need to know that any fungi are treated with the help of a chemical or biological systemic killing fungicide (which penetrates deep into the vascular system and is used not for the purpose of ordinary prevention, but as a direct eradicator of the fungus).

Such lesions can be encountered infrequently; the reason for their occurrence is the depletion of the plant and the penetration of bacteria through the tissues of the damaged walls. Bacterial diseases include: root rot, which quickly progresses, infects and gradually destroys the entire flower, first the roots die, and later the shoots, ten days are enough for them to completely blacken and dry out, a characteristic sign of the formation of rot is a specific, terrible smell, also, Spots may form on the leaves. The spots are black and brown in color, surrounded by an oily halo, their number increases at a breakneck speed. There are no special medications for treatment; tetracycline is often used. Bacteriosis is difficult to treat; it is difficult to talk about any comforting guarantees for sure. It can be difficult to distinguish a fungal pathogen from a bacterial one, so in such cases they begin to immediately use synthetic antibiotics and a fungicide.

It is imperative to take into account that the main, surest way to protect phalaenopsis from diseases, and after - difficult treatment procedures, is to listen as much as possible to all the important rules regarding cultivation; if mistakes are made, blunders are made, then the orchid weakens and thereby attracts various kinds infections. Basic tips that will help prevent and stop infections and diseases: strictly adhere to optimal conditions contents, study the history of the flower, its needs, a new orchid should always be in strict quarantine (from two weeks to a month), in order to be able to study all the subtleties, adapt the flower, and be able to protect itself from other (possibly infected) plants. When suspicion of a disease arises, simply keep it in dry conditions without using any fertilizers or stimulants. Pests can also appear from a poor substrate or poor-quality transplantation, improper watering, if the water is not suitable, the same applies to fertilizers, they should be used in moderation. The orchid does not tolerate drafts and dampness, mold, excessively cold air; it is undesirable to store vegetables or fruits nearby, because their contamination is not always determined immediately, and bacteria act instantly.

Orchids are grown for their beautiful, long-lasting, the most magnificent flowering, but what if everything doesn’t go according to plan? – When flowers become considerably thinner, become sluggish, or even fall off altogether, the reason is most likely stuffiness, poor lighting, dry air, drafts, low temperature or its sudden changes. Appearance dark spots or points may be associated with poor ventilation, low temperature, and the formation of rot. If there are no blooms at all, the temperature regime is disturbed.

Green plaque appears due to the formation of algae and excessively high moisture, the disease is most common among greenhouses, winter gardens, and greenhouses. To cure an orchid, you need to get rid of plaque using a gauze cloth, which should be lightly moistened with water; at home, potassium permanganate or ordinary potassium permanganate can be an excellent helper laundry soap.

Cracks appear as a result of unsafe relocation or transfer.

Yellowing and wilting of leaves (apical) occurs due to fusarium - excess moisture, watering, and most importantly - low temperature of the habitat. In case of Fusarium wilt, it would be helpful to reduce watering, trim the affected parts with sterile instruments, and then treat them with Fundazol.

Removing bacterial rot (depressed dark spots) consists of destroying the leaves to full, non-diseased tissue with a well-sterilized instrument; treatment can be carried out with fungicides.

Bacterial spotting, namely the formation of brown spots (having a yellow/white rim) on phalaenopsis leaves, is treated by isolating, removing infected parts, and treating sections activated carbon, gray, wood ash(with any antibacterial drug, during the treatment process it is necessary to maintain moderate contact with water.

Viruses rarely attack, but they are the most dangerous, especially if there are a lot of flowers, because they spread with lightning speed, so if darkened strokes appear on the leaves, which smoothly flow into stripes, then the flower urgently needs to be destroyed.

It is easy to protect yourself from sunburn; it will be enough: shade during the hot seasons of the year, do not spray in direct sunlight. Withered leaves are directly related to the condition of the root system, this means its putrefaction; if you inspect the roots in a timely manner, remove the damaged ones, and treat them with medications against the fungus, the condition will be normalized and the flower will return to vigorous flowering.

When the leaves are uneven, ugly and poorly colored, then it’s time to address the issue. mineral nutrition(use complex fertilizers). If damaged or broken, the aerial roots dry out; to prevent this from happening, you need to straighten the broken particle and treat it with activated carbon.

When the roots dry out for no apparent reason, then most obviously the problem lies in poor watering and humidity, respectively - it is necessary to increase the number of waterings and use a humidifier. Also, with poor watering, the roots may dry out while in the substrate; in this case, the container with the plant should be placed in warm water Thus, healthy roots will immediately be saturated with moisture and acquire a pleasant green color. However, watering needs to be clearly planned and clearly understood that excess water will lead to rotting of the root system; initially, the roots will become spotted, and after a while they will begin to wrinkle and become soft and brown. The right solution for preserving phalaenopsis is: moderate watering, timely replanting, processing.

Pests and methods of their destruction

- a common insect, this one is dangerous small pest with its columnar settlements, its shape is similar to a drop, the color of aphids: green, yellow, black.

- miniature elongated flies with wings, spread white or transparent larvae, they spoil the youngest and most unprotected particles of the orchid, the flower becomes covered with spots, stripes, bumps, and then falls off. The situation has two ways out: spray with insecticides or use laundry soap several times a week (this will help eliminate the larvae).

- an insect that appearance looks like cotton wool, settles on the leaves and sucks out the juice, they become yellowish and lethargic. Treatment with vodka, alcohol and, of course, Aktara will help; the cleansing procedure must be carried out a couple of times within two weeks.

- are eliminated quickly, these are peculiar growths that are characterized by stickiness; they are treated with vodka, alcohol, soap; if they are present, you need to increase the humidity.

Spider mite has a red color, appears at low humidity, moves slowly, due to the fault of this pest, plaque forms and the leaves die. Treatment with water and acaricides will help in the fight; in order to avoid encounters with mites, you need to: protect the orchid from the slightest winds, drafts, spray with lukewarm water, keep new plants in quarantine for a certain period.

Orchid diseases at home are not that uncommon. Unfortunately, orchids also get sick, even despite the most attentive care, or rather, most often they get sick from excessive care. The most common diseases of orchids can be called non-infectious diseases; they are usually the result of improper care. Such diseases can lead to the death of the plant or simply weaken it, and the development of pathogenic microorganisms can also be a consequence of these diseases.

Improper care - insufficient watering

Diseases of phalaenopsis orchids

Since the phalaenopsis orchid is the most popular for growing on a windowsill, here is a list of diseases that it most often suffers from. Most often, this species suffers from non-infectious diseases associated with improper care. In addition, phalaenopsis are often affected by viral and bacterial spots, anthracnose, rot and fusarium.
Below we will talk about all diseases and control measures in detail.

The leaf froze

Non-infectious diseases of orchids

So, for example, most often beginners sigh in puzzlement: are the leaves of the phalaenopsis orchid turning yellow or is the phalaenopsis orchid turning yellow? This may happen in the following cases:
- if the orchid is frozen or hypothermic,
-if there is insufficient or excessive watering,
- Leaves can also turn yellow both due to lack of lighting and due to sunburn. All of the above applies to other types of orchids.
Steaming a plant is very dangerous for orchids; it is much worse than a sunburn, since in this case the entire plant is overheated, the buds and buds are damaged.
Freezing of a plant is no less dangerous, however, if this phenomenon was short-lived, then it’s okay. But if this negative impact lasts 10–12 hours, then in some types of orchids the vegetative buds may be damaged and the plant will certainly die.

Plant affected by virus

When there is a lack of lighting, plants stretch, the leaves become light green and elongated. Such plants are easily affected by diseases. If exposed to too much sun, the leaves may become covered yellow spots burns, and if the area of ​​the burns is large, then this cannot but affect the condition of the plant.

Viral diseases of orchids

These diseases are quite rare and can manifest as mosaic spotting of leaves and flowers, small spots in the form of arrows, circles, stripes. More often than all other types of indoor orchids, the following species are susceptible to viral damage: Cymbidium, Phalaenopsis, Odontoglossum, Vanda and Cattleya. If you suspect that a plant has contracted a viral disease, it should be isolated from the rest as quickly as possible and shown to a specialist. And if your diagnosis is confirmed, the diseased orchid should be burned, because it can become a source of infection for other flowers.

Bacterial leaf spot

Orchid - leaf diseases

Spots on orchid leaves can most often occur due to bacterial and fungal diseases.

Bacterial leaf spot
Quite specific and dangerous disease, most often phalaenopsis are affected by this spotting. Damaged leaf tissues turn yellow, then darken, after a while they become soft and covered with wet ulcers from which liquid oozes.
Control measures:
The affected areas should be cut out, and then the sections should be treated with activated carbon powder or iodine. The use of stronger drugs can only take place when the leaf vein is damaged or in severely advanced cases when there are many spots. The plant is considered non-infectious if no new spots appear within 10 days after pruning. In this case, the plant can be placed with the others.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose
This disease manifests itself as follows on the leaves, less often on the pseudobulbs of orchids, small round but clearly defined spots appear, Brown. Over time, small spots can merge into large ones, these large plots turn black and have a dented surface. Further, a pinkish or yellowish coating may appear on this blackness.
The main reason for the appearance and development of the disease is too high air humidity, and in addition, the cause can be stagnation of water on the leaves and in the axils of the leaves, as well as on the pseudobulbs in the core.
Disease prevention
For preventive purposes, the air in the room should be maintained at 40 to 70%, and the room should be ventilated periodically, avoiding air stagnation. You should also remove water from the leaves of the plant, blot it in the axils, and prevent it from getting into the core of the pseudobulbs.
Control measures:
Areas affected by anthracnose are removed to healthy tissue, and the cut sites are treated with activated carbon or ash. In case of severe damage, treatment is carried out with the biological preparation Mikosan, or chemicals Ridomil, Skor and Topsin-M.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew
This fungal disease It manifests itself as follows: the leaves and buds of orchids become covered with a light white coating, as if the plant had been sprinkled with flour. The affected parts of the plant dry out over time, and eventually the entire plant dies. The development of the disease, as in the previous case, is facilitated by excessive air humidity and heat, in other words, the greenhouse effect.
Disease prevention
For prevention purposes, it is recommended to spray with Fitosporin.
Control measures:
At the first signs of disease, the orchid should be thoroughly sprayed with a solution of colloidal sulfur, or with Topsin-M or Skor. Before spraying, the plants need to be watered thoroughly, and an hour or two after watering, spraying can be carried out.

Rust

Rust
This disease is not found as often as the previous two. Rust, like powdery mildew, is a fungal disease that primarily affects the leaves of orchids. It manifests itself like this: light spots appear on the underside of the leaf, on which small brownish-red pads later appear; this is the start of sporulation of the fungus. Rust usually affects weakened plants.
Control measures:
The affected areas on the leaves or if the damage to the leaf is very large, then the entire leaf is completely removed, and the cut areas are disinfected with activated carbon, crushed into powder, or a 20% alcohol solution. From ready-made preparations, you can use spraying with the biological preparation Mikosan, or with the chemical preparations Topsin-M, Skor and Ridomil.

Sooty (black) mushrooms

Sooty (black) mushrooms
Sooty (black) mushrooms are usually a consequence of plant damage by pests (aphids, mealybugs, white scale insects), and it is on their sweet secretions that the fungus appears. The resulting black coating clogs the stomata of the leaves and prevents light from reaching the plant, the plant weakens and may die over time.
Control measures:
When plants are damaged by black fungus, they are treated with the biological preparation Mikosan and the chemical preparations Topsin-M, Skor and Ridomil.

Root rot

Rotten

Orchids are also susceptible to various rots, which are usually caused by both fungi and bacteria. Determining the causative agent of the disease is quite difficult even for a specialist.

Root rot
With this disease, the roots and leaves of the plant rot, acquire a dark brown color and become soft. The disease is caused by excessive humidity and high temperatures.
As a rule, orchids of the Cymbidium, Paphiopedilum, and Miltonia species suffer from root rot.
Control measures:
If signs of the disease appear, you need to treat the roots and substrate three times with one of these solutions: 0.1% benlate solution, 0.2% basezol solution or 0.2% topsin solution. The easiest way to carry out this procedure is by immersion; the break between procedures should be 10-14 days.

Gray rot

Gray rot
Orchids of the Cattleya and Phalaenopsis species are very susceptible to this disease. Gray rot appears on the petals and sepals, in the form of brown and black spots covered with a gray fluffy coating. This disease is again a consequence of improper care, if the plant is kept for a long time in conditions of low temperature and high humidity. Under such conditions, the plant weakens, which is why it is very important to follow the instructions for caring for a particular species.

Disease prevention
For preventive purposes, it is recommended to use Kendal when watering to increase plant resistance to disease.
Control measures:
In this case, first of all, you need to create favorable conditions for maintenance: adjust the watering and spraying regime, lower the air humidity, and ventilate the room where the orchids are kept more often. In case of severe damage, it is worth spraying the plant with any fungicide, but in this case it is worth remembering that when re-infection gray mold, it is worth using a different fungicide, since the fungal spores very quickly adapt to the preparations.

Black rot

Black rot
Black rot appears on plants already weakened by pests or diseases. The cause of the disease is fungal rot; orchids of the Cattleya and Paphiopedilum species are susceptible to it.
Control measures :
Parts of the orchid affected by rot are removed with a sterile sharp knife or scissors, and the sections are sprinkled with charcoal or colloidal sulfur powder or treated Bordeaux mixture. After such treatment, the old substrate is thrown away, the pot is sterilized and only then the plant is planted. After planting in a fresh substrate, the plant needs to create favorable greenhouse conditions, but in no case should it be allowed to steam.

Fusarium rot

Fusarium rot
Fusarium blight most often affects orchids of the Epidendrum, Miltonia and Phalaenopsis species. The disease manifests itself in yellowing of the leaves, the edges of which curl and over time the plant acquires a grayish tint, and the central shoot rots and dies.
Control measures:
To rid plants of this unpleasant disease, they should be treated three times a day for 10 days by immersing them in a 0.2% solution of foundationazole.

Brown bacterial rot

Brown bacterial rot

This disease primarily affects young leaves; watery, light-colored leaves appear on them. brown spots, which quickly darken and grow in size. The disease occurs due to violation of the conditions of detention: when low temperature And high humidity air. More often than others, orchids of the species Cattleya, Cymbidium, Phalaenopsis, and Paphiopedilum suffer from this scourge.
Disease prevention
To avoid damage, you can spray the plants once a month with a light solution of copper sulfate.
Control measures:
When fighting brown rot apply the same control measures as when fighting black rot.

Having a beautiful butterfly flower in your home is not a problem. Improper care is the cause of orchid disease. Advice from amateurs is sometimes exactly the opposite. There are signs by which even an inexperienced amateur will understand the reason for the change in color and shape of the leaves. Improper care and its consequences occur when the basic rules for maintaining an orchid are not followed.

Photos of orchid diseases and their treatment with descriptions

The plant does not react immediately to a violation of its contents. The consequences occur a few days later, when the grower has already forgotten about what happened. Therefore, only careful attention to the plant and a system of care will avoid diseases. When choosing an orchid, you need to balance the conditions and requirements of the variety. So, there are light-loving varieties that can live even on a south-facing window with shading, for example. Most often bred, which loves shade. Subtleties in caring for different orchids need to be taken into account.

The most common type of orchid in cultivation is Phalaenopsis. It is easier to care for it when kept indoors.

In order not to wonder if the orchid is sick, what to do, you need to avoid:

• improper watering;
• dry air around the flower;
• improper lighting;
• temperature collapse;
• underfeeding and overfeeding;
• diseases transmitted through insects and air;
• open infected wounds on the plant.

The consequences of improper maintenance are expressed by weakening of the plant. Orchids often suffer from excessive attention. Orchid diseases can be divided into groups:

Any diseases of orchids begin with lapses in care.

Lighting

Incorrect lighting can cause leaf burns. Even the spring sun can be destructive if the orchid is not gradually accustomed to it. Lack of lighting will lead to elongated growths. If the situation is not corrected, the flower will die. should be performed with cold glow lamps installed no closer than 30 cm from the sheet. The sheet will get burned from the incandescent lamp.

Watering

If the leaves of an orchid wither, one of the reasons may be a violation of the watering regime. The orchid grows in a pot with transparent walls. The roots participate in photosynthesis and deliver moisture to the leaves. Therefore, leaf lethargy occurs from prolonged drying out of the plant or excessive watering. If the plant is too dry in the summer, and even in dry air, the leaves will lose their tightness. To avoid creating a greenhouse effect, the room is ventilated. It is important that the roots dry completely between waterings. In a constantly moist substrate they will begin root rot and the orchid’s leaves will also wither.

If the plant is left to soak in water during watering and forgotten for a day, swelling of the leaves will occur. This means that the plate has become saturated with water, swollen, and wet spots have appeared on it. At this time, the plant is vulnerable to any infection.

Orchid flowers have different scents, but do not cause allergies. The smell of rotten meat and the aroma of vanilla are created by one type of flower. For better pollination, the petals are held by visiting insects.

Swelling is especially dangerous due to excessive watering in cool weather. At a temperature of about 15 degrees, watering should be reduced, wet spots should be dried with filter paper so that they do not grow. At this time, you cannot spray orchids on the leaves.

When in a draft sub-zero temperature within a few hours the plant will die.

Weakened orchids colonize spores and mycelium. Rot forms. Sometimes plants are bought with tubercles on the leaves in which the infection lies dormant. Infection can occur through the ground or by air.

Fungal diseases of orchid leaves are shown in the photo.

The mycelium tubercles on Phalaenopsis leaves cannot be opened. It is better to destroy such leaves so as not to spread the infection. The new leaves will be clean.

The roots can be affected by rot, the leaves - by spotting, anthracosis and powdery mildew. Each disease has its own symptoms, but the primary one is a violation of the content.

There may be rot different color– brown, black, gray, but you can save the orchid only in the initial stage, by cutting off and disinfecting all infected areas. You need to take a new pot and substrate and sterilize the instrument. If the rot has spread throughout the root, the plant must be destroyed.

Leaf spotting is caused by over-watering and over-fertilizing. Weeping spots appear on the fleshy, loose plate - this is spotting. It is necessary to change the conditions of keeping the flower and remove all affected parts of the plant. Phalaenopsis suffers from this orchid disease. As a control measure, the plant is dried and treated with fungicides.

Another disease that begins as spots on the leaves is anthracosis. Small brown spots grow, necrotic lesions appear. High humidity, stagnation of water on the leaves and lack of ventilation are the causes of the disease. The treatment is long-term. It is necessary to remove the affected parts, then treat with fungicide three times every 10 days.

If the affected leaves are covered with a white coating on top, this is powdery mildew. Wet raw warm air provoked the development of dormant spores. A solution of colloidal sulfur, Fitosporin and changing the conditions of detention will help.

Viral diseases are determined by mosaic leaves and small spots. They are transmitted by insect pests, which are carriers. There is no cure for such diseases. The plant is removed.

Why do sticky spots appear on orchid leaves?

Aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs can colonize a weakened plant. If you frequently wipe the sheets with a damp cloth, pests will be detected quickly, and getting rid of them will not be difficult. The greatest harm to orchids is caused by the scale insect, which sits tightly on the leaf, feeds on juice and secretes a sticky secretion on which the sooty fungus settles. As a result, sticky spots appear on the orchid leaves. You can remove scale insects with an alcohol solution. If there are a lot of pests, Fitoverm will save you. But it is necessary to change the pot and soil.

Diseases of Phalaenopsis orchids, which are most often grown at home, are few in number, but their appearance, including spots and yellowing, signals improper care, as well as other reasons, including the natural aging of the plant.

If the plants bloomed and then suddenly stopped, which is accompanied by the appearance of other problems, then urgent measures should be taken to correct care errors. It is possible to develop a treatment regimen and begin the process of healing the plant only after it visual inspection and determining the root cause of the disease.

General information about the Phalaenopsis orchid

Phalaenopsis orchids are quite undemanding and easy to grow at home, thanks to which this plant has become very popular among flower growers in our country. However, quite often flower lovers, especially beginners, do not know the reasons why spots appear or the leaves of their orchids wilt.

The further the moment of treatment is from the onset of the first symptoms of the disease, the more difficult it is to cope with the problem. It is better to familiarize yourself with the main forms of manifestation of the most common diseases of orchids grown at home by looking at photos of plants during the period of illness, so it will be easier for you to determine what problem your flower has and how to deal with it.

Why are the leaves wrinkled?

Sometimes the leaves of any type of orchid become quite soft and completely lose turgor, and the plant itself looks too lethargic and sheds its green mass. There are several reasons why indoor plants Similar leaf modifications occur.

• This may mean that a significant problem has arisen with the root system, and it has ceased to fully supply water to the leaves of the plant, which is most often a consequence of improper care.
• The reason may also be a general weakening of the plant, which may subsequently die altogether.
• Wilting and loss of elasticity of leaves can occur due to improper watering and other water procedures.
• In Phalaenopsis, as well as Vandas, the lowest leaves may turn yellow and even fall off for natural reasons.

Leaves on Phalaenopsis live for a very long time under conditions of high-quality care, but, of course, not forever, and dropping them, starting with the lowest leaf, while maintaining the overall healthy appearance of the plant is not a problem.

Beginners in the field of floriculture should remember that the leaves on Phalaenopsis can most often wither, lose elasticity or fall off for several reasons, including overwatering or, conversely, constant drying out of the plant, as well as too cold conditions and improper care.The plant should be treated based on the root cause of the disease, and photos and descriptions of diseases in books for gardeners and on specialized websites on the Internet will help you determine it.

How to get rid of gray rot (video)

Why did black spots and white dots appear on the leaves, how to treat them

A healthy Phalaenopsis orchid should always have leaves that are shiny and shiny and free of spots. However, as a result of a number of reasons, spots on the leaves may still appear.

• Burn spots may occur on leaves as a result of spraying plants in the sun. Such “sunburns” are light and dry.
• Orchids, when grown at home, can be carriers for a very long time viruses and various diseases and yet there is no way to detect it. The first signs of disease are black spots that first appear on lower leaves plants.
• From excessive use hot water During shower procedures, Phalaenopsis orchid leaves may also appear of various sizes. black spots.
• Calcium salt stains cannot be attributed to disease symptoms, since they appear due to the use of hard water. To remove them, wipe the leaves of the plant with a weak solution of orange or diluted lemon juice. This processing must be done with extreme caution.

Flower growers should remember that if wet spots appear on the leaves of plants cultivated at home, they must be removed urgently. This needs to be done as quickly as possible, since these spots grow very quickly and can provoke rotting of the whole plant and the appearance of a number of other diseases. To correct the situation, it is enough to assess the extent of changes from the photo, develop a treatment regimen and adjust care.

You can find out about the reasons for the appearance of black spots on the leaves and flowers of orchids.

Why do leaves become soft?

There are several reasons why the leaves of an orchid such as Phalaenopsis become too soft and lose their natural turgor.

• If the leaves of any indoor orchids become soft or too limp, then the root cause may be damage to the plant's root system.
• Often withered leaves this indoor flower become due to severe moisture deficiency or significant disruption of all irrigation measures and basic care.
• Sometimes the leaves indoor orchid can become soft and also lose turgor as a result of excessive moisture in the planting substrate. At the same time, the plant looks rather lethargic.

Beginners in growing Orchidaceae plants at home should remember that if the condition of the plant worsens day by day, they turn yellow and become soft leaves, this indicates problems with the root system, and the plant needs urgent rescue and care control.

However, it is impossible to draw hasty conclusions, and even more so to treat orchids without complete data on the condition of the plant. To effectively cope with the problem, you must first of all correctly assess the current situation.

Other orchid diseases and their treatment

As a rule, disruptions in the plant’s vital system are associated with diseases and consist of the following manifestations, easily identified from the photo:

• Swelling of the leaves of the Phalaenopsis orchid may be associated with prolonged contact of the plant with moisture.
• Viral diseases in plants are quite rare and manifest themselves in the form of mosaic spotting of leaves and flowers.
• Some diseases are characterized by the appearance of small spots in the form of arrows, as well as peculiar circles or stripes.
• Spots on the leaves may be a manifestation of bacterial spotting of the plant.
• Changes in leaf color may occur due to anthracnose or powdery mildew.
• It is quite common for such indoor plants to be affected by rust or sooty fungi, black fungi, as well as various rots.