Orchid is a common popular flower that is grown almost everywhere. Not infrequently, these plants start to hurt and die off, which is caused by various factors. Many housewives who collect species of orchids, fall into a stupor, when the created conditions are suitable for one species, but not for another, which can be expressed in the form of leaf fall. Today we will figure out what to do if all the leaves of an orchid have fallen off, what the problem may be with, and how to solve it. Let's discuss the possibility of restoring the plant.
Problem or rest period
We begin the discussion by considering such a reason as the "rest period", which can occur in some orchids. Let us tell you why the orchid sheds leaves during this period. There are a large number of different types of orchids, because of which not only the conditions of detention, the appearance and color of the buds, but also the life cycle are different. The presence or absence of a dormant period is determined by the birthplace of a particular plant, as well as by climate and annual changes in temperature.It turns out that your plant can lose all the leaves for the reason that in its homeland at this moment the conditions become unfavorable, because of which the flower has a choice: go into hibernation or die. In this case, your efforts will not give any result, respectively, an increase in temperature, the number of waterings, as well as fertilizer will not remove the flower from hibernation.
Important! To know exactly whether your species has a period of hibernation or not, find out the exact name of the species, and then read all the available information about it.On the other hand, the orchid can shed its leaves at the moment of rapid growth, which is not normal, since during this period the plant should accumulate useful substances and use the leaves for photosynthesis, respiration, evaporation of excess moisture. The lack of foliage makes the process of photosynthesis, respiration and evaporation of moisture impossible, which is extremely negative for the plant in general. It turns out that if the leaves have fallen due to the presence of any problem, then the plant has every chance of dying. Problems can be varied, ranging from the action of parasites to the wrong temperature.
Care errors
The orchid is a fairly demanding plant, so if the orchid has dropped all the leaves, which was preceded by a gradual deterioration of the flower, then something must be done to prevent the final death. However, to solve the problem, you need to identify the reason, what we do next.
Watering
Due to improper watering, the plant can lose foliage, as a saturation of the soil with moisture can lead to decay of greenery. On the other hand, the lack of water also leads to falling foliage, because the flower is trying to keep the liquid in every way, and the leaves have a function such as evaporation, respectively, the problem with moisture can be aggravated. This problem most often occurs in beginners, who are accustomed to the fact that the plants are not particularly naughty, because of what they water the orchid when they remember it. Experienced housewives make mistakes when they buy a new look, but they don’t bother to read additional information about it.
Find out what to do if sticky drops appeared on the orchid and how to care for the orchid after flowering.To prevent irregular irrigation from causing all foliage to fall, you need to infuse water rarely, but in large quantities. That is, watering is carried out when the ground is slightly wet, at a depth of several centimeters. At the same time, it should be watered with separated water at room temperature, especially in the cold season, as tap water has a low temperature, which can cause the roots to freeze. If you have a demanding orchid species, then a warm shower will not be superfluous. It is necessary to take the pot to the bathroom, and then shed the aerial part of the plant with warm (not hot) water under low pressure. The procedure should be limited in time to 20 minutes, after which it is better to leave the pot in the bathroom, where the temperature will be higher than in the room.
Did you know? Orchid species that are pollinated only by insects form on the peduncle a copy of the female individual of a fly or bee, and also emit an attractive smell. So, with the help of deception, the plants will not remain without pollinators.
Lighting
Another reason why orchids fall leaves, is the wrong lighting, as we discuss next. The flower requires good lighting year-round. And if in summer and spring this is not a problem, since the light day is almost the maximum, then in winter the flower will definitely suffer from a lack of light if you do not use artificial lighting.
Let us deal with the fact that it is a beaming. This is not just turning on the light in the room where the pot is, but installing an additional source in the immediate vicinity of the flower. This light source should replace the sun's rays, so it should be powerful enough, and, of course, should transmit white or yellowish light, and not color (red, blue, green).
Important! If you take out the flowerpots to the street during the warm season, you should definitely cover them with a mosquito net or similar material in order to avoid burns.Separately it is necessary to say about direct sunlight, which, most often, and cause foliage. The fact is that in natural conditions, an orchid grows in the tropics or subtropics, where it receives an exclusively diffused color, as tropical trees with a dense crown rise above the flower. If direct rays hit the leaves, they instantly cause burns, as if you brought a hot match to them. For this reason, you need to have a pot in a well-lit place, but the light must be diffused, for which you can use tulle or blinds.
Fertilizer
We turn to problems with fertilizers, which can also cause abscission of foliage. Let's start with the fact that some sellers, trying to sell products, supersaturate the soil with growth stimulants, as a result of which a thick “crown” is formed, and the plant is quickly drawn out. The downside is that after a while the orchid will begin to wither away from such a “menu”, as it will exhaust all of its reserves to form a large above-ground part, which requires regular recharge.
To cure the "patient", you should move the pot closer to the light, and temporarily abandon any fertilizer. After a fortnight, you can feed liquid feedings that are diluted 1 to 1 with water. Further, nitrogen fertilizers should be applied, since they will stimulate the formation and development of new leaves and shoots.
Important! Do not saturate the soil with nitrogen, especially at the end of the warm season.The second problem associated with fertilizer is the lack of certain substances. If the orchid leaves turn yellow, the problem is not that you bought a flower on "steroids", but that it lacks potassium, therefore you should not make a mineral "hunger strike", you just need to buy a top dressing with a high concentration of potassium. and iron. At the same time, care should be taken to replace the soil, since the substrate must be rich in the appropriate elements.
Temperature
Consider the effect of temperature on the flower, and also talk about the "temperature" groups. There are 3 groups of temperature regimes that divide all types of orchids into warm-mode, moderate-mode and cold-mode orchids. Accordingly, if the requirements are not met, then the plant may well throw off the leaves in order to wait out adverse conditions. "Warm" orchids. For species of this group, it is important that the temperature does not fall below 15-18 ° C over the course of a year, otherwise they will start to hurt. At the same time, daily fluctuations in temperature (the difference between the maximum and minimum) should not exceed 5 ° С. That is, if during the day it was + 25 ° С, and at night the temperature dropped to + 18 ° С, then the plant, despite the admissibility of such temperatures, can fall ill due to strong fluctuations. "Moderate" orchids.
Did you know? Vanilla is produced from the fruit of the vino-shaped orchid, so the plant is used not only for landscaping, but also for the production of a popular product - vanillin.This group prefers average temperatures. The minimum allowable is 12 ° C, and the maximum - 22 ° C. "Cold" orchids. This group is distinguished by the fact that the minimum allowable temperature of the content drops to 7 ° C, and the maximum is at 22 ° C. Based on the above, it can be concluded that the temperature of the content is an important factor that affects the state of the flower. More demanding plants can not withstand a strong decrease or increase in temperature, as this does not happen in their homeland. Accordingly, the orchid falls into a kind of “coma”, which helps to wait out adverse conditions in the state of hibernation.
Dry air
In the cold season, many housewives place a pot near batteries or heaters to increase the temperature of the air near the plant, but not many people think that the heating elements dry the air very much, reducing the percentage of moisture in it, which greatly affects tropical plants. The problem is that the moisture evaporates not only from the ground, but also from the surface of the leaf plates, because of what the orchid begins to quickly lose moisture, and if you add bad watering, it turns out that you are arranging an artificial drought for the plant .
Familiarize yourself with such members of the Orchid family as Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, Wanda, Cymbidium, and Bletilla.In order to prevent a decrease in humidity, it is necessary to regularly spray the plant with warm water from a spray bottle, if you cannot increase the overall humidity of the air in the room. You can also expand moist moss near the pot, which will also increase the humidity of the air. Remember that too dry air affects not only plants, but also people, so take care of optimal humidity.
Compatible with other plants
A naughty orchid will wither and from the fact that next to it are plants that negatively affect the flower in question, so you should figure out what to do with it and what plants the orchid does not tolerate. So, the flower can lose the leaves only for the reason that next to it grow the following plants:
- cactus;
- yucca;
- cordilina;
- araucaria;
- peperomia.
Is there any hope of recovery
Next, let's talk about the stages at which the flower can be saved. Tell you how to do it correctly.
Leaves began to fall off
Above, we talked about why leaves may fall, but it is worthwhile to talk about what to do at the moment when a massive drop of plates begins. First you need to find out what is the root cause, and then begin treatment or elimination of factors. If the leaves fall off closer to the base of the plant, which is preceded by wilting, then this can be an absolutely normal aging process. There is nothing terrible in this, and treatment is not required. If the fallen leaves have a rotted base by which they are attached to the stem, then you need to urgently check the soil moisture and roots, as the cause is overwetting. If the leaves are massively covered with tubercles or bloom, then the plant was attacked by a fungus, which also appears due to the increased humidity of the air or soil. For treatment, you need to use fungicides. Orchid can be covered with spots of different colors, and only after that the foliage begins to fall. This indicates a defeat by a virus that needs to be treated, otherwise the plant will die. It is possible to restore a plant that loses leaves, the only question is how serious the damage to the rhizome and the stem are. If the damage is large-scale, then it is useless to treat the flower, it is easier to buy a new one, or multiply the old one, if there is such an opportunity.
Fell down all the leaves, but the root is green
If the flower has completely lost its foliage, then the chances of saving it are reduced, since you have little time left for "reanimation." The processes of respiration of photosynthesis, and evaporation of moisture are not produced, but the plant is not yet dead. It is necessary in the shortest time to identify the cause, and then provide the best possible conditions for rehabilitation. If the rhizome is healthy, it means that the orchid can still absorb the necessary nutrients and trace elements from the soil, which allows it to recover. It should be understood that the young plant, which has a weak root system and a small aerial part, will die faster than a flower with a massive stem and a large number of shoots. The thing is that it is in the stem and roots that the nutrients accumulate, which, in the event of an unfavorable situation, will nourish the plant, maintaining its viability.
All the leaves fell off and the stem died
If the orchid has all the leaves fallen off and the stem has died, then you need to think about what is best to do: do a “resurrection”, or find a replacement. The problem is that even if the flower remains intact root system, he simply does not have the strength to re-grow the stem and leaves. Propagating the dying plant with the root system does not work either, so you need to do the following: check the root system for damage, then examine the root collar, because if it has small green buds, then the orchid can still be oklemsya. In that case, if the root system began to die off, but it is not observed on the root neck of the buds, then it does not make sense to save the flower. If you still find several kidneys, then try to restore the above-ground part again. For this you need to make the appropriate dressing, which will contain a large amount of nitrogen. In some cases, it does not hurt to make a small dose of growth stimulant, which will speed up the process. This concludes the discussion of problems with orchid leaf fall. It should be understood that by acquiring a capricious plant, you will encounter various problems more than once, so think ahead if you can provide the necessary conditions for a flower or not.