An orchid that blooms profusely and has firm, succulent, glossy leaves is the best indication of its health. Sometimes, however, the plant becomes sluggish and loses its decorative value right before your eyes. To restore the orchid to its former attractiveness, you need to figure out why the plant has wilted leaves and flowers.
Why leaves wilt
Loss of turgor is an alarming signal of improper care or disease of the plant. Before you start rescuing your orchid, you need to find out why it has started to lose its healthy appearance.
High temperatures and drying out
Although the tropical orchid likes warmth, it does not tolerate drought and heat very well. In hot weather, it is necessary to monitor the humidity of the soil substrate and often spray the plant with water at room temperature.
In addition, the flower standing on the windowsill (in the yard, on the balcony) should be shaded from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the orchid can get burns. And the large leaves, evaporating a lot of moisture, will gradually begin to wither. To correct this situation, the pot should be moved to a cooler (shaded) place.
Important! Hot weather can also cause loss of turgor. If the room where the orchid is standing is too hot, do not forget to air the room periodically.
Heavy watering is a common maintenance mistake
Accustomed to tropical rainfall, the orchid in the wild grows on tree trunks or in rock crevices. Therefore, water is never retained in its roots. At home, excess moisture should be drained (through drainage) into a tray.
Important! After each watering, the excess water that has flowed into the tray should be drained. Wet orchid roots are threatened by the development of rot. This can also cause the flower crown to become sluggish and the plant may die.
Excess fertilizer
Caring owners, trying to improve the conditions of their favorite plant, begin to feed the orchid without any measure. Such care will not only not improve the decorativeness, but will also harm the orchid.
Important! To feed the plant, it is better to use a liquid fertilizer “for flowering plants”. In this case, it should be diluted twice as much as indicated in the instructions. And the fertilizing procedure should not be carried out under the root, but on the leaves (by spraying).
Increased soil density
The orchid does not need ordinary soil. The exotic beauty prefers a special substrate consisting of coconut fibers, shredded tree bark, vermiculite, moss, peat and sand.
Dense, heavy soil retains water and, sticking, does not allow the root system to breathe. In such conditions, the orchid cannot develop and bloom safely. Loosening the soil in this case is not very helpful.
Attention! To make the orchid feel comfortable, it is necessary to make an annual replacement of the substrate. And if there is an extreme need (for example, root disease) – then you can more often.
Overcooling
This heat-loving crop cannot tolerate a prolonged drop in temperature to 59-60.8 °F. In addition, the flower reacts negatively to cold drafts. If you decide to grow an orchid, it is worth thinking about how to provide it with a comfortable microclimate.
Important! The temperature regime for an exotic plant should be between 64.4 and 77 °F in summer, and in winter this indicator can not fall below 59-64.4 °F.
If the leaves are shriveled after transplanting
Repotting an orchid will not cause you much trouble if the plant is not sick and you have prepared a sterile pot and a perfectly suitable substrate for this procedure in advance.
If, however, when transplanting the flower you too abundantly water it or damage the root system, then be prepared that the indoor culture will begin to wilt. When transplanting an orchid from pot to pot, try to do it as carefully as possible: all damage should be treated with an antiseptic.
Development of fungal, viral or bacterial diseases
Fungal, viral and bacterial infections can cause loss of turgor. These are dangerous threats to the health of the plant. Diseases usually develop due to improper care or poor conditions. Cold drafts, sudden temperature changes, stagnant water in the roots can all cause fungal infections.
Bacterial and viral diseases often “migrate” from neighboring flowers.
Why do flowers wilt?
Healthy and well-maintained orchids form buds and bloom freely. If the plant wilts, it means that it is growing in unfavorable conditions or has been attacked by insects. Tender buds and fresh flowers are ideal food for cell-feeding pests.
The orchid should be carefully inspected for parasites. If there are none, then you need to adjust the care. Perhaps the culture lacks light – then the leaves become duller than usual, and the buds fall off.
Another reason for dropping flowers is poor soil. Old or stale substrate is not able to give the orchid the necessary nutrition. Therefore, do not skimp on buying fresh substrate. As a last resort, you can make it yourself.
Effect of abundant flowering on turgor
During the flowering period, all the orchid’s resources are spent on bud formation. If the crown of the orchid loses its turgor, it is not getting enough light and nutrients. Try moving it to an eastern or western window sill and turn on a phytolamp in cloudy weather.
Attention! To maintain abundant flowering without damaging the plant, feed the orchid with a highly diluted (liquid) complex fertilizer.
What to do to save a wilted orchid
Saving a withering plant begins with identifying the cause that caused this process. If there are no traces of diseases or pests on the surface of the crown, you need to check the root system, through which the orchid breathes and receives nutrition.
If rot has appeared in the roots, then the flower is threatened with death.
To save a sluggish orchid, you need to cut off the problematic parts with a sharp knife to prevent the infection from spreading further and transplant it into a new pot with nutritious soil, sprinkling the wounds with crushed activated charcoal.
Prevention
The best prevention from wilting is competent care. After all, an orchid provided with good light, an ideal microclimate and moderate watering can only get sick in an exceptional case.
Important! It is necessary to periodically inspect the orchid to timely detect a threat to its health. Plants infected with infections or insects are not always curable.
Experienced florists, acquiring a new flower, for some time leave it in quarantine, away from other cultures. If the plant easily adapts to new conditions, without showing any alarming symptoms, it can be allocated a permanent place. The main thing is that there was diffused lighting and there were no drafts. A light, nutritious substrate, moderate watering, spraying and fertilizing will do the trick – the orchid will always look gorgeous.
Ordering orchids in our shop, you can be absolutely sure of the quality of plants, because we carefully select orchids, so that they will delight you with their beauty for a very long time.