Orchids Feeding

Orchid leaves decaying…Help?

I have a couple of 2 years old orchid plants which are well fertilised, soil well drained and watered properly( watered only when the soil has completely dried up before watering the next time). I was in a full hope that I will have very good blossoms in a couple of years from now but recently I have noticed the very young leaves which are protected by older leaves have started to decay from the base. When I pull this rotting young pulp, it come out easily and I often notice slugs feeding on this. Even the leaves have started to turn yellow from healthy green. Have I been going wrong somewhere? Help.

Maybe some of this will help:

If you notice streaking and pitting on the leaves the cause is probably due to a viral infection. Keep the plant isolated from other plants and be sure that any cutting on the plant is done with a clean blade and clean the blade well after use or get rid of it. The only way to find out for sure this is the problem is to send it out for viral testing. Get in contact with a company doing viral testing to see what is required.

You can make a net pot, for plants that require this type of pot, from the aluminum mesh that is used to cover house gutters to keep leaves from getting into them. Simply wrap the gutter screen around a can that is approximately 3 inches diameter, cut the screen to size and wire the ends together. Let the screen overlap the can by approximately 2 inches and pound the screen down over the end of the can to form the pot bottom. Line the sides and bottom of the pot with sphagnum moss if you are using a bark mix or simply fill with sphagnum moss when repotting the plant.

If your plant is showing spotting on the leaves it is most likely due to a fungus infection but this does not rule out the possibly the problem is due to a virus. Treat the plant with a fungicide. If the problem persists, then a leaf sample can be sent for virus testing. Be aware that some orchids are prone to fungus infection and no manner what is done the problem will be with you and in that case just have to learn to live with it.

If the leaves are smaller than normal you might check for root rot or salt build up on the roots or a lack of nitrogen in the plant’s diet. To solve this problem, check the roots for rot or damage. Probably best to repot no manner what is seen. If new leaves are still small increase the amount concentration in your fertilizer.

If your plant has wrinkled or very hard leaves this can be due to too much light and/or insufficient water. Check for root damage if none is seen increase water and reduce the light level some in either case it is probably well to repot.

If you see leaf tip die back it may be caused by not enough water getting to the leaf and/or salt build up in the pot and/or too much high nitrogen fertilizer. To solve this problem check roots and if rot is present report, flush pot more often with plain water or repot, cut the amount of fertilizer given (cut the concentration used) and flush the pot every so often.

If you find a brown discolored patch anywhere on the leaf usually round in shape is caused by sunburn or the leaf touching a light. This can be caused by reducing the sun light getting to the plant or remove the leaf from touching the bulb. Remove the burned area from the leaf.

If plant leaves are discolored or the leaf surface appears damaged the problem is probably due to ethylene gas exposure or spider mites. If all plants are not affected the problem is probably due to spider mites in which case you need to spray with a miticide. You may also want to increase the humidity and airflow around the plants. If nearly all of your plants have this problem then it is probably due to ethylene gas contamination. Have your furnace checked, also get rid of any decaying matter that may be around and move any ripping fruit. It takes very small amounts of ethylene gas to cause plant problems.

Soft plant growths can be caused by low light levels, and/or too much humidity and/or too much nitrogen. This problem can be solved by increasing the light, if problem is not solved reduce the fertilizer and then try reducing the humidity.

New growths that are smaller than previous growths can be caused by inappropriate culture conditions or lack of a nitrogen source the plant can use. To solve this problem check all culture conditions (humidity, temperature, light, potting mix and fertilizer) and make the appropriate adjustments.

Root rot results from over watering or the potting mix has broken down due to age. If you find you have this problem repot at once, cut away the dead roots and soak the plant in a weak solution of Physan 20 for one hour.

nfd♥

The Private Life of Plants: 5. Living Together (Part 1/5)

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