Useful tips on what to do if the orchid wilts. Leaves wilt at an orchid: the main causes and ways to eliminate them Why does an orchid drop leaves

The orchid is a very capricious indoor flower that requires strict adherence to the conditions of detention and good care. And if something is wrong with him, he quickly reacts to it and withers. Let's find out why an orchid can wither, and what to do to bring this plant back to life.

All causes of yellowing and wilting of orchid leaves can be divided into four large groups:

• unsuitable conditions for keeping a flower;
• improper care of the orchid;
• infection of the plant;
• damage to the flower by pests.

Let's take a closer look at these reasons, find out how they affect the health of the plant, and find out what to do if the leaves or orchid flowers wither.

Wrong conditions of detention

Being in direct sunlight. (overheating of the roots) Orchid leaves first turn yellow, and then dry if unsuitable conditions are created for it. These include:

• dry air. In their natural environment, orchids grow in tropical forests, where it rains every day. Therefore, they are very demanding on moisture. If the air humidity is too low, the leaves begin to wilt. This happens especially often in winter, when the air dries up due to batteries and other heating devices. Humidify the air to save the flower. The easiest and most modern way to solve the problem is to buy a humidifier. Also try placing the plant pot on water-soaked rocks or hanging lots of wet laundry around the house.
• Low air temperature. In the tropics, the temperature stays at +20…+30 o C, and it never drops below +14 o C. At home, it is constantly difficult to maintain such a temperature, but it is necessary for the orchid to retain the green color of the leaves. If it is not possible to raise the air temperature by heating the room, buy a heated rug and place a flower pot on it.
• lack of lighting. The optimal day length for orchids is 12 hours. If the lighting is poor, or the sun shines less than 12 hours a day, the plant suffers. Its leaves lighten and weaken. The solution to the problem is simple - put the flower pot in a well-lit place. In winter, provide additional lighting. To support photosynthesis in plants, special phytolamps are most suitable. A cheap, but less high-quality analogue can be a fluorescent lamp.
• Root overheating. If the orchid stands under the direct rays of the sun, its roots overheat and die from the resulting burns. This is facilitated by the transparent walls of the pot. Dead roots do not supply nutrients to the stems and leaves, so the aerial part of the plant wilts. To save the flower, you need to cut off the burnt roots and transplant the flower. Place the pot in a well-lit place with diffused rather than direct sunlight.
• Incorrectly selected soil. For orchids, you can not use what we used to call soil. In the soil mixture, the flowers die. Instead of soil, plant a tropical guest in a mixture of crushed tree bark, sphagnum and small stones.
• Draft. Orchids do not tolerate cold air currents. If they often stand in a draft, the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall. Move the flower pot away from open windows. Do not keep it near the air conditioner.
• Location in the kitchen or other place where vegetables and fruits are constantly located. If the flowers of your orchids dry out quickly, and some of the buds do not even have time to open, it may be due to the effect of ethylene gas. It is secreted by some vegetables and fruits. Move the flower away from them to enjoy the beautiful bloom longer.

An orchid can begin to fade, even if you have provided it with optimal conditions. This happens with a sharp change in the microclimate. For example, if you bought a flower in a store and brought it home, or borrowed a plant from your neighbors. The difference in lighting, temperature and humidity for such a sensitive flower will be significant. Therefore, he will experience stress. A temporary refusal to transplant, regular watering, air humidification and feeding a green pet will help to get out of it faster.

An orchid can dry out due to improper care. Harmful to her:

• Rare watering. Since the orchid is a guest from the tropics, it needs frequent and plentiful watering. If the soil is dry most of the time, try to moisten it more often.
• Frequent watering. Despite the orchid's love of water, its stagnation in a pot is just as harmful to it as its deficiency. If the substrate never dries out, pathogens start up in it, which cause rotting of the root system. In this case, the flower must be transplanted, after cutting off the damaged roots.
• Neglect of loosening the soil. The orchid likes to grow on a loose substrate. If it has become too dense, it needs to be loosened. By neglecting this procedure, you make the plant suffer. After all, its roots need access to fresh air. Solution to the problem: timely loosening of the soil.
• Excess fertilizer. The orchid is not very demanding on soil fertility. She needs a loose and light substrate, as well as regular moderate top dressing. But if you add too much fertilizer to the soil, the metabolism of the flower is disturbed, which leads to yellowing and wilting of the leaves. And mineral fertilizers can cause a chemical burn of the roots. It is best to transplant the orchid into a new pot with a new substrate. If you just wait for the amount of chemicals in the pot to decrease on its own to normal, you can wait for the green pet to die.
• Lack of fertilizer. Lack of nutrients is another reason why an orchid wilts. If you feed a flower too infrequently, it may need nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other minerals. Feed the flower with a complex fertilizer designed specifically for orchids.

Important! Leaves may wither and fall off within the normal range: each leaf has its own lifespan. It is considered normal if the lower leaves of the orchid dry periodically, provided that the rest of the plant looks healthy.

Infectious diseases of orchids

With the systematic flooding of the soil, the orchid is affected by fungal infections. A guest from the tropics most often suffers from the following diseases:

• Anthracnose. The disease begins with the formation of concave spots on the leaves of the plant. Subsequently, they become yellow or pink. Infected parts of plants must be removed and destroyed, and the cut sites should be treated with an alcoholic solution of iodine. If the disease has covered the entire plant, it can be saved by treating it with one of the following drugs: Mikosan, Ritomil or Skor.
• powdery mildew. Fungi multiply on the leaves of the plant, forming a white coating with a purple tint on them. From this it seems that the orchid was sprinkled with flour. The fight against powdery mildew consists in treating the aerial part of the plant with Skorom, colloidal sulfur or Fundazol.
• Rust. With this disease, small, almost colorless spots appear on the leaves of the orchid. Then they become convex and painted red. The plant seems to have rusted like metal. Rust control consists in removing the affected leaves and treating the flower with a fungicide solution. Suitable for this: Skor, Fundazol, Mikosan.
• tea mushrooms. Leaves, stems and flowers of orchids are covered with small dark spots. It seems that the plant was sprayed with strong tea. This is a fungal infection, so it is treated with the same fungicides.

Attention! Transplantation is a procedure necessary to save an orchid in many cases. A flower needs it whenever the roots are rotten, sick or overheated. Watch a video on how to properly transplant a diseased orchid.

Pest damage to orchids

Orchids often suffer from the fact that insects or their larvae begin to feed on their juice. The most common pests from the tropics are:

• Shchitovka. When the temperature is too high, scale insects like to settle on orchids. They hide under dark tubercles (shields) that stick around the stems and leaves of the plant.
• Mealybug. Female mealybugs form around themselves a substance resembling cotton wool. Cotton plaque can be found on the underside of the leaf, on flowers and peduncles. If the "wool" is lifted, then you can find the females themselves and the eggs they lay.

• Aphid. Aphids are easily recognizable to the naked eye. These pests graze in herds, sticking to the stems and leaves of the plant.
• spider mite. Too dry air can provoke the appearance of a spider mite on the orchid. It constructs small cobwebs by which the pest can be recognized.
• thrips. They usually attack the roots of the plant. From this, the power of the aerial part is disturbed. The leaves begin to turn yellow and dry, a silvery coating forms on them.
• Nematodes. If you added garden soil to the substrate, then with it you could put nematodes in a pot. These are small roundworms, the length of which does not exceed 2 mm. They gnaw out the roots and can completely destroy the plant, which ceases to receive nutrients from the soil.
• Woodlice. They rarely appear on orchids. But if they already appeared, they cause great harm to the health of the flower. Woodlice hide in the ground, and after moistening it, they move to the stems and leaves. Pests gnaw them out, leaving holes.

To destroy the pests that live in the substrate, it is necessary to transplant the orchid. Before transferring the flower to a new pot, carefully inspect the roots: not a single pest should remain in them. For the same purpose, remove the remnants of the old substrate. They may contain eggs and larvae. For transplanting, use a new disinfected soil.

To control pests that live on stems and leaves, you can use a soapy solution. This is the safest, but not the most effective way to get rid of them. Insecticides work best against them (Aktara, Inta-Vir). But they are dangerous for humans and pets, so they should be used in extreme cases and with great care.

Attention! The rapid wilting of flowers may be due to their successful pollination. If a bee flew into your house and visited the orchid, it may have pollinated the flower. After this, the formation of the fetus begins - the box. In order for the plant to bloom longer, do not allow it to be pollinated by insects.

The basics of proper orchid care

To prevent orchid leaves from drying out, properly care for it. This plant loves

• Quality lighting. Daylight hours must be at least 12 hours. If you do not have a window facing the sunny side, place a fitolamp next to the orchid. Turn it on when the sun's rays stop falling on the leaves of the plant.
• Regular watering. Water your orchid generously whenever its substrate becomes dry. Provide good drainage to prevent standing water. Then the transfusion of soil will be excluded.
• Regular feeding. During the period of active growth and flowering, do not forget to feed the orchid. The recommended frequency is 1 time in 2 weeks. Top dressing is combined with watering. Give preference to mineral or organomineral fertilizers designed specifically for orchids.
• loose soil. Try to loosen the substrate after each watering. This contributes to soil aeration and prevents stagnation that provokes the development of fungal diseases.
• Warm and humid air. The optimum air temperature for orchids is about 20 ° C. At night, do not allow the temperature to fall below 15 ° C. And during the day, try not to raise it to 30 ° C and above. If the air is dry, humidify it with improvised means (water containers, wet linen) or a special air humidifier.

Advice! To prevent fungal diseases of the orchid, spray it once a week with Fitosporin solution. It is a safe remedy with a weak antifungal effect. For the treatment of a fungus that has already appeared, it is better to use powerful fungicides.

Carry out proper care of the orchid, and it will stop withering, the stems and leaves will get stronger, flower stalks will appear. A healthy plant will delight you with long flowering and a pleasant aroma, thinned in the morning or evening hours.

The wilting process means the loss of stiffness, elasticity of leaves or flowers.. At the same time, the leaves become like a rag, the turgor disappears, they are soft, dark green in color. The upper parts of the flower, young shoots, stems lean down. Growth stops, the flower decreases in size. If you do not take action, then it will dry and disappear (read about why the leaves, roots and other parts of the phalaenopsis dry and what to do about it).

What is the danger?

The appearance of wilting indicates various kinds of ailments or natural processes. The main danger is to react in time to the first symptoms. Help a sick phalaenopsis in time. With a running process, it is not so easy to reanimate a flower. The consequences are fraught with: drying of the roots, the development of infectious diseases, rotting of the root system, impaired development, cessation of flowering, long-term adaptation.

Causes of wilting

A beautiful phalaenopsis loses its attractive appearance - the picture is created joyless. Certainly, loss of elasticity by leaves is associated with a violation of biochemical processes, but it is worth understanding the factors:

If the leaves on your favorite orchid wither and fall off during the flowering period, in order to determine the root of the problem, you should understand the possible causes:

• natural aging process;
• lack of lighting or sunburn;
• improper watering;
• damage ;
• spraying;
• low air humidity;
• hypothermia;
• stress.

How to revive sluggish leaves and buds?

The foliage and flowers of the orchid wither. Any florist can face a similar problem. Having dealt with the reasons, you can find a way out of a difficult situation. Below you can see the algorithm of actions in different cases.

Orchids are native to the tropics, no wonder they love warmth. However, everything is good in moderation. Do not leave the plant in direct sunlight, near a heating radiator in winter, or under a stream of hot air from an air conditioner. An increase in soil temperature causes moisture to evaporate. And then, along the chain, the root system did not receive the required amount of liquid, and, accordingly, the leaves and flowers were not saturated with useful substances. This process can take place in a matter of hours.

Measures taken:

1. remove the orchid from a warm place;
2. let cool for 2-3 hours;
3. after a little water and sprinkle the leaves;
4. the plant can restore water balance up to 5 days.

Too wet content

Excessive moisture is a serious problem for plants. begins to lose foliage. The leaves become soft, less elastic. They fall off the stem, the plant folds like a constructor.

Attention! The main thing is to detect the disease in time, urgently take all necessary measures, and eliminate the cause of the spread of rot.

Measures taken:

1. remove the flower from the pot;
2. leave to dry overnight;
3. transplant the orchid into a new soil and a good drainage layer;
4. water only after the soil has dried.

Stress

A sudden change of residence for orchids is a kind of shock. After all, this changes the lighting, temperature, humidity. And plants immediately react to such changes. At first, the flower may stop flowering, drop buds, but then everything will work out. It takes time to adapt.

Measures taken: optimize comfortable parameters for keeping phalaenopsis at home.

The substrate must be changed regularly, the plant should be transplanted every 2-3 years. During this time, the soil is depleted, its structure changes. Natural components begin to decompose, salts accumulate, drainage holes become clogged. As a result, the soil becomes compressed, the air does not enrich the roots with oxygen, and the liquid stagnates. The root system begins to hurt, as a symptom - wilted leaves and buds.

Measures taken:

1. remove the flower from the pot;
2. rinse the roots under running water;
3. remove damaged areas, treat sections with an antiseptic;
4. leave to dry overnight;
5. transplant the orchid into a new, mineral-enriched soil with a good drainage layer.

lack of moisture

Lack of fluid can occur with a complete lack of watering. The plant needs a minimum amount of water, which dissolves the minerals in the soil and nourishes the root system.

Measures taken:

1. we extract the orchid from the flowerpot;
2. immerse in a basin of water until the earthy coma becomes limp;
3. pay attention, water should not get on the leaves;
4. if necessary, place in a new pot.

Draft

Daily airing has a positive effect on the state of phalaenopsis. But ventilation and draft are two different things. Draft is dangerous even to people, not to mention plants. Cold air flow can cause wilted flowers. The plant is susceptible to cooling, which can adversely affect it.

Important! It is not advised to carry out airing if the plant has just been watered or sprayed.

Measures taken: do not place the orchid pot in places where cold air currents circulate.

Quite often, wilting occurs as a result of cold air entering the leaves. For example, when transporting a plant from a store home, when leaves come into contact with glass, when it is -16ºС outside the window. It is dangerous if before that the orchid was watered or sprinkled with water. Hypothermia also provokes the release of buds and flowers. But do not despair, this phenomenon is short-lived.

Measures taken: wilted leaves should not be treated. They definitely need to be eliminated. The plant does not need a transplant. Just move to a warmer place and do not forget about regular moisturizing.

When is it too late to save?

In 90% of cases, leaf wilt is due to problems with the root system. According to the degree of damage, they are divided into light, medium, and severe. It is difficult for inexperienced flower growers to immediately determine the stage of the disease. To do this, pull the plant by the stem, trying to pull it out. If this is difficult to do, then the problem is not in the roots. The state of the orchid can be restored by adjusting the care. If it was not difficult to get a flower, then it is too late to take rescue measures.

Happened:

• serious atrophy of plant tissues, and cannot be restored;
• the main part of the root system died due to lack of fluid.

You will learn how to save phalaenopsis and grow roots if they died from.

What to do for prevention?

Avoiding such unpleasant situations is possible only with and behind the orchid as a whole.

1. Maintaining a comfortable temperature in summer: + 22-25ºС, in winter + 16-18ºС. The difference in temperature differences should not exceed 5ºС.
2. Lighting is required diffused, with a daylight hours of 14 hours. In the summer, intense sunlight needs to be shaded.
3. Humidity within 50-60%. Be sure to regularly ventilate the room.
4. Water once a week, allowing the soil to dry out completely.
5. Orchids need to be fertilized 2 times a month, especially during the flowering period. Top dressing should be used with a predominant content of potassium and iron.
6. It is better to spray phalaenopsis up to 5 times a day. Exclude the procedure during the flowering period.

Useful video

Next is a visual video on the topic: “Why do orchid leaves wither and what to do?”:

Conclusion

No matter how trite it sounds, we advise you not to neglect the basic rules for caring for orchids. After all, it is quite difficult for a tropical beauty to adapt to our climate, she needs help. In the absence of comfortable parameters, the orchid will be affected and die. Love your flowers and they will love you back.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The leaves of a plant can become soft for various reasons - due to little watering or root problems.

But it is necessary to pay attention to this as this is the first signal that the plant is unhealthy.

Sometimes during the day the plant loses the turgor of the leaves and they wilt.. We must carefully look at the plant, so as not to lose it.

The reasons may be different, but lead to the death of the plant, and therefore, depending on the cause, it will be necessary to restore foliage in a certain way.

signs

The fact that the leaf mass has lost turgor and become soft can be seen with the naked eye:

1. The leaves are drooping and hanging down like rags.
2. The surface became wrinkled, dried out.
3. that release moisture.
4. Loss of shine.

Upon detection of lethargy and softness of the leaf mass, need to find the cause of this phenomenon in order to to help the plant restore turgor.

Why do orchids have soft leaves?

The loss of turgor most often occurs due to improper plant care.. And therefore, the grower, who cares for the plant in accordance with all the rules, will have an orchid in perfect order.

Not good enough care

With poor care of the plant, there can be various problems. including loss of turgor.

IMPORTANT! With proper care, the plant will delight with healthy, resilient foliage with a beautiful sheen.

Frostbite or overheating

Frostbite in the cold season the leaves will become soft if allowed to get cold air on them.

Or the temperature in the room, which will also lead to frostbite of the southern belle. Frostbite leaves become covered with wet spots and sag, losing turgor.

IMPORTANT! With this damage, urgent measures must be taken to save the flower from death.

When the root system or flower is overheated, leaf plates begin to wrinkle and sag, losing moisture. To avoid this, it is necessary in time to transfer it to summer time in the back of the room.

Damage by diseases and pests

When affected by any of the harmful insects the plant begins to lose the turgor of the leaf mass, as the bulk feeds on the sap of the plant. Therefore, you must first get rid of harmful insects, and then return the turgor to the leaves. The leaves are often attacked by red or white mites.

With proper care and compliance with all rules pests do not visit the plant.

The importance of proper watering

For the normal development of the orchid necessary, and at the same time should . In order for the plant to receive the right amount of water, it is necessary to monitor the drying of the substrate.

As soon as the roots have become a light gray shade and dried up, it is necessary to irrigate with high-quality water so as not to destroy the velamen.

It is better to water with the help of bottom watering, when the orchid is lowered into a container of water and left for 20 minutes. This will ensure that the bark is evenly saturated.

Water quality

Water used for irrigation must be:

• Soft;
• Warm;
• Settled without chlorine and other harmful impurities.

If the area has very hard water, then you can soften it by boiling. After it cools down, drain the upper 2/3 of the volume of water, as sediment usually settles below, which is not recommended for use.

Is cold water allowed?

Watering is carried out only with warm water otherwise, when watering with cold water, the plant will experience shock and may begin to rot, which will eventually lead to its death.

Impact of problems with the root system

If for some reason an orchid lost part of its root system, then it will receive little nutrition through the remaining roots. And this means that the plant will not have enough moisture, it will begin to wrinkle its leaves.

Therefore, if problems with the root system begin, gotta try as fast as possible. Resuscitation is carried out by the method that will be acceptable to the grower:

• Above the water;
• In water;
• In soft ground;
• Teplichke.

But, even during resuscitation, leaves will remain soft and flabby because they will be deficient in nutrients. To improve their condition, they can either.

IMPORTANT! Processing of leaves in the form of rubbing is carried out daily.

What temperature causes leaf softness?

At temperatures above 30 degrees the root system can not cope with the increased and goes into stagnation.

Simply put, it stops absorbing water. So that at this moment the orchid can receive the moisture it needs, it must be increased by:

• spraying;
• Placement of water containers with a wide mouth;
• Put the container with the flower on a pallet with expanded clay.

All of these actions will increase the humidity around the plant.

What fertilizers should not be abused?

If it contains most of the nitrogen, then with their large use, the leaves will begin to soften and, in the end, will die from rot. Therefore, when cultivating a flower, it is better to underfeed it than to overfeed it.

Related videos

The video talks about the reasons for the softness of orchid leaves:

And here are typical mistakes in caring for the plant, leading to the loss of phalaenopsis leaf turgor:

Growing orchids requires patience and attention. Even a minimal change in the usual conditions can cause a deterioration in the condition of the flower. Signs of ill health are a general lifeless appearance, sluggish faded leaves, a decrease in turgor, a slowdown or acceleration of growth.

What is leaf turgor?

Turgor is the state of the leaf, in which it has a healthy appearance, rich color, high density, good elasticity. By the well-being of the leaves, you can determine how healthy the flower is. Signs of a healthy leaf:

• density;
• the presence of a wax coating on the leaf plate;
• upright position;
• natural elasticity.

Thus, it is the leaves that primarily help determine the condition of the plant. If the color of the leaf plate gradually changes, the leaves become soft, wrinkled, they dry out or have already withered, then this indicates the presence of errors in growing the crop. The lower leaves soften first. When the ground part is deficient in nutrients, and the roots do not have time to provide the plant with these elements, they are redistributed due to the lower leaves.

The upper sheets absorb the entire supply of food from the lower ones. It happens that a plant even sheds a leaf, regardless of its location or age. There may be several reasons for the deterioration of the condition.

Causes

Consider the most common causes of soft and sluggish leaves in orchids.

Overheat

Despite the fact that this is a rather thermophilic culture, overheating threatens to cause serious problems with the health of the plant. In this regard, you can not leave a flower near the battery or on a heated windowsill. Under open ultraviolet rays, the soil warms up, the remaining moisture evaporates, the roots become supercooled and lose their ability to absorb nutrients.

And also under the direct rays of the sun there is a risk of burns on the leaves, from this the color of the leaf plate changes. It is better to put the flower in a shaded place or provide diffused sunlight with the help of special devices.

Overheating can be judged by the state of the sheet - it is wrinkled, it has become soft, moisture is released from it.

For a comfortable life, the plant needs a temperature of up to +28 degrees in summer and not lower than +15 degrees in winter. It is important to maintain a daily temperature difference within 5-7 degrees. Properly selected temperature will provide not only good leaf turgor, but also abundant flowering.

If the window sill is very warm by the battery and the sun, and there is nowhere else to put the flower, then you can use the advice to correct the situation. Place the pot in another container, completely sealed. Make drainage holes in the inner pot. Place pebbles or expanded clay at the bottom of a wider container.

Excess liquid will linger on the pebbles, moistening the roots during evaporation. This will keep the soil from overheating.

frostbite

Leaf lethargy can often be detected in winter. This is due to the opposite cause - frostbite. As already noted, temperatures below +15 degrees should not be allowed. Foliage quickly loses turgor when cold the plant may die.

Pests

lack of moisture

Due to the lack of moisture, the soil dries out, which again can affect the leaf turgor. The microclimate in the room changes regularly and it is often impossible to keep track of this, and therefore the required amount of water is not provided.

Overdried soil can be judged by the stability of the plant. If you move the stem and it hardly moves, then the soil is too dry. It is important that the earth is always loose.

Root problems

The reverse process can also lead to problems with leaves - overflow. From excess moisture, the roots begin to rot. This trouble is also dangerous because it is not immediately noticeable. The plant may even begin to bloom with a diseased root system. Gradually, the roots become so exhausted that they are no longer able to nourish the flower, the leaves begin to suffer from this again: they turn yellow, wrinkle and fade.

What to do?

There are many ways to restore health to a plant. It all depends on what happened. Overheating the flower is placed for several days in a shaded place, while watering or spraying it is not worth it, as this can provoke tissue death.

Water balance of this culture is restored in 3-4 days. After that, the plant is placed in a lighted area, but not near heat sources. Do not forget about the need for diffused light.

If the cause of leaf lethargy was a lack of moisture, and the soil is too dry, then the flower needs shower procedures. To do this, place the pot along with the culture in warm water for an hour, and then spray a little.

When "bathing" a flower, some flower growers recommend adding succinic acid to the water. Gently wipe the leaves with a dry cloth. After that, increase the frequency of watering.

If root problems have led to weak leaves, carefully remove the plant from the pot and evaluate the condition of the roots. Damaged roots look rotting, brown, covered with mucus, if you press such a root, then moisture will be released from it. Healthy roots have a light greenish color, they do not have plaque and yellowness, they are dense and elastic.

To remedy the situation dispose of injured parts and rinse the rest with warm water. Treat healthy parts with dried cinnamon or crushed activated charcoal and transplant the orchid into fresh soil.

If the cause of the wilting of the leaves was overflow, it is enough just to dry the roots and transplant the culture into a looser substrate. Don't be afraid to remove damaged roots. An orchid is a fairly viable flower, even with only 5 cm of a healthy root, the plant can be restored.

Any insect pests are destroyed by using insecticides. In addition, for example, scale insects can be removed mechanically.

If the plant was attacked by worms, then the entire infection is first removed from the leaves, and then they are treated with a solution of laundry soap or disinfectants.

Listen to a few additional recommendations from experienced flower growers.

• When choosing top dressing, it is better to opt for industrial preparations., they are more effective than folk remedies. However, try to deviate slightly from the instructions when preparing the fertilizer and prepare the solution in smaller proportions than indicated on the package. This trick will not allow you to overfeed the flower, but at the same time provide it with the necessary nutrients. An increased concentration of potassium, phosphorus and other salts can lead to rotting or drying of the roots, which immediately affects the condition of the leaves - they soften and turn yellow.
• An important rule is not to fertilize the plants during treatment. If the condition of the leaves has worsened in the culture, then the cause needs to be eliminated. At the time of resuscitation, the flower is weakened; when transplanted, it does not immediately adapt to the new soil; in such an exhausted state, the roots are not able to absorb nutrients from top dressing.
• Lethargy and softness of the leaves can be caused by stress. For example, this often happens when a plant is moved from a store to a new home. This is influenced by the microclimate, humidity, lighting. Having provided good care and a gradual transition to new conditions, the grower can soon admire the full bloom.
• Do not buy an orchid if it has all the buds in bloom. In this case, it is not known how long the plant has already bloomed in the store and it is impossible to determine its condition by the type of flowers. It is recommended to take specimens with several blooming flowers so that the flowering lasts longer and there is an idea of ​​​​its duration.
• It is important to follow the rules of spraying. The flowers themselves cannot be sprayed, only the leaves need to be moistened from a distance of 20 cm and only in the warm months of the year. In winter, this procedure will lead to frostbite. In the immediate vicinity of the spray gun, very large drops will fall on the leaves, which the leaf cannot absorb. If you hold the device at a distance of 20 cm, then only mist will be sprayed onto the leaves, which they absorb well.
• It also happens that the leaves withered due to lack of space in the pot. White or yellow spots appear on them, there is too much foliage, there is no flowering for more than three months. In this case, the flower needs to be transplanted into a larger container and fresh soil. The best time to transplant is spring and early summer.

It happens that a healthy prosperous plant suddenly loses the elasticity of the leaves. Why does an orchid have sluggish leaves, what should I do to restore turgor? There are several reasons and it will take time to restore beauty. It is clear that since the castings have lost their elasticity, the biochemical processes in the system are disturbed. Lack of moisture, overheating of the plant, or root diseases are the main reasons why an orchid wilts. If you do not take action, the leaves will turn yellow, the plant will die.

Causes of soft leaves in an orchid

Overheat

Overheating of the plant is dangerous for the flower. On a hot afternoon in direct sunlight, even a shaded window warms up strongly. At this time, the leaf intensively evaporates moisture. But the substrate also heats up, evaporation is created in the glass. In this case, the roots not only receive little moisture, but also cool, the heat of the substrate is spent on evaporation.

If overheating occurs, you must:

• remove the plant deep into the room for 2-3 hours, so that the temperature of the leaves and roots gradually levels off;
• after you can spray the plant, wipe the leaves with a damp cloth or water;
• find a place for the orchid that excludes secondary overheating.

In irrigation water, you can add an anti-stress drug, a drop of Epin or succinic acid. Turgor can recover quickly or within 3-4 days, depending on the degree of dehydration.

Frostbite and pests

Why do orchids have sluggish leaves in winter and what to do about it? Staying in a draft at sub-zero temperatures will lead to freezing of the leaves. They will lie down, turning into a rag. If the plant is standing at the window in a harsh winter, frostbite will occur at temperatures below 15 degrees. Frostbite is not curable. Fabrics are cut out so that rot does not develop on them. But it is not necessary to transplant a wounded flower.

A colony of mites has spread on the leaves, they suck out the juice, the plant is oppressed and the still green leaf will droop. Particularly dangerous for orchids are red and colorless mites. These insects are afraid of humidity, they are bred only in dry air.

After any water procedures, you need to dry the leaf axils and the center of the outlet. Stagnant water is harmful to the plant. Always use soft settled water without hardness salts to care for the plant. Salts settle on the substrate, poison it and close the pores that contain moisture.

lack of moisture

What to do if the leaves of the orchid wrinkled due to lack of watering? There is no clear time interval when the orchid substrate needs to be moistened. It depends on the dryness of the air and the temperature in the apartment. In the midday sun and in rainy weather, the selection of moisture by the roots changes. You need to water the dried substrate. Therefore, each time before watering, make sure that the soil is dry. After drying, the plant is simply watered with the addition of succinic acid to the water. do by immersion for an hour in water 30-40 0 C.

Why does an orchid have sluggish leaves after a transplant, what should I do? It is important to choose the right one. Incorrectly processed bark does not absorb water. Then, no matter how often watered, the water will be filtered without lingering in the pores. The contents of the pots will have to be changed.

Root problems

The state of the root system can be judged by color. If the roots are green or light with a silvery sheen, they are healthy. Brown areas that appear indicate rot. What to do if the orchid wilts, but sits firmly in a pot? Perhaps this is a signal that the plant does not receive enough oxygen while in a dense substrate. If the plant is not transplanted for a long time, algae and microorganisms develop on the surface of the bark and crumbs, the bark wears out, and the pores between the particles become smaller. Then the roots lack nutrition, and the leaves wither. The same thing happens if you use excessive doses of fertilizers. In both cases, it will be necessary to replace the substrate while the root system is intact.

The bark is taken from old coniferous trees that have lain in the forest for a long time. It should not contain resin. Pieces are treated three times with boiling water according to a special scheme. It is necessary to open as many pores as possible so that the substrate retains moisture.

Often, malnutrition of the leaves lies in the disease of the root system. If the leaves of an orchid wither, this is what you should do:

1. Make sure the plant is not overheated or overdried.
2. Shake the outlet, if it sits tightly in a pot, then the root system has been preserved. But revision needs to be done. Rotten roots are covered with mucus, or withered. Remove diseased parts, treat open sections with antiseptic preparations that do not contain alcohol. When rooting, use special preparations - Maxim, Alirin.
3. If the plant has even one living root left, it is planted in an appropriate small pot and cared for in the usual way.
4. There are no roots left, a rosette is arranged above a container of water, so that the neck is 2-3 cm above the water. Wipe the leaves daily with water and succinic acid. The roots will grow back.

In the future, until the plant returns to its lost shape, until the wounds heal, fertilizing and stimulating watering cannot be done.

Video on the use of glucose when sluggish leaves appeared on an orchid