Orchid - flower is very moody, but no true professionals, gardeners or lovers-amateurs that does not stop. Most of the orchid family is adapted to the room conditions phalaenopsis, a native of the tropical jungle; He rightfully earned his place in the apartment and has long attracted housewives its exotic appearance and almost year-round blooms. Phalaenopsis addition, there are many species of orchids and other, which are becoming increasingly popular with home gardeners.
However, admiring its flowering plants, one day you may find obvious sign of disease orchid - yellowing leaves. There may be more than one reason. To find out what was the cause of the illness, you need to consider some important points - the conditions which must be observed when purchasing and maintenance of this exotic plant.
How to buy an orchid
Be careful when buying orchids! Firstly, buying a plant, note whether there is any damage on the flower. Of course, there should be no dark spots on leaves and Bulba (Bulba - the authority in some species of orchids, which are designed for accumulation of nutrients). If you can see the sections on the leaves, it may indicate that the seller is thus removed the affected areas. But this may not always save the flower of the infection on the trunk.
Secondly, explore possible roots. Ideally, they should be dense, light gray, sometimes greenish. The primer should not be over-saturated with moisture, as this may lead to decay of the entire root system, and, accordingly, complete loss orchid.
Third, the flower when moving from one environment to another may be experiencing a real stress. Be careful in dealing with them and try to create at first the most optimal conditions of his detention. A few days later your orchid is adapted to local conditions and will delight you with their blooms.
Conditions of detention
When choosing a place for the flower, the general safety regulations: being too sunny, orchids can be burned, and if you place the plant prohibitively far from the window, he just did not have enough light and power of the sun to bloom. Perform a visual inspection of the plant, if it is not enough light, the leaves become dark green. A dry spots and yellowing leaves indicate the opposite - an excess of sun.
Almost all kinds of potted orchids can be kept at a temperature of from twenty to twenty-eight degrees. This is important for flowering difference of four or five degrees between day and night temperatures. You speed up the germination of the peduncle, providing the necessary difference in warmth and coolness. Mindful of the fact that the majority of orchids - came from humid tropics, is not superfluous to humidify the air. You can put a special tray with water or artificial decorative fountain and, of course, do not forget to spray the plants with an atomizer. Optimal humidity - 70-80%.
As for watering the plants, there is a need to adhere to the following rules: Nedolya better than overflow. The land must be kept moist, but not wet. The roots of the flower can not be left in the water. Watering should be frequent, but not much. And, of course, change the intensity of irrigation with the arrival of another season. If the plant is not enough water, outwardly it looks fade, with wrinkled leaves and Bulba. But on the overabundance of moisture indicate a sop yellowed leaves and rotting roots.
And, of course, like any other plant, orchids need fertilizer. The best way is to purchase garden fertilizers in specialized stores, with the need to buy fertilizer is intended to feed the orchids. It will be enough to feed the plant 1 time in two weeks.
Transplanting orchids, be especially attentive to its roots. Dry or rotting roots must be cut. Only use a special substrate designed for orchids, and in any case not covered with earth top of the plant. After transplantation humidif very little soil and leave the orchid in the shadow of three-four days.
Knowing some simple rules and adhering to the above recommendations, you can extend the life of the flower and easily determine the etiology of yellow leaves.
Possible causes yellowing of leaves
To start specify how yellowness spread throughout the plant. If you turned yellow only one or two lower leaves, and the rest look as always - the rich, healthy - then you have no reason to worry. Orchid just discards the old foliage. Like all plants, the leaves of the orchid should be updated, it is a natural process in nature. So, the first possible cause yellowing of the plant - a natural change of the leaves. Depending on the type of orchid, this process can be repeated a year later, after two or three years, and in some cases once every five years. Once the sheet is completely dry up, it can be easily separated, and you will just have to clean it up. Peduncle is also able to turn yellow after flowering cycle. It must be carefully cut with scissors or knife.
The second reason can serve as burns from the sun. Pay attention to which side of the leaves turn yellow. If yellowed side faces directly to the window, then without a doubt it can be called a cause of excessive sun exposure. Often accompanied by a yellowing of burns peeling sheet. Particularly affected are the sun varieties with light-green leaves. What to do in such a situation? Simply remove the flower from the scorching rays or slightly darken the window sill.
Often, a possible cause of yellowing of leaves can be, on the contrary, the lack of light. In this case, a sheet of yellow orchids at the base and fall off. It is fraught with the possible death of the whole plant, because it dries well and stem area, located directly under the sheet. The lack of light has a negative impact on the plant gradually, you may find this feature only after one or two years after the onset of the disease. And then it will be possible to save the flower, only cutting off any damaged leaves and stem of the patient. The chances of recovery of the whole plant will be proportional to the length of the part, stay healthy
The fourth reason, which is usually on a sheet of yellow orchids - a lack of moisture. A weak, inadequate watering of the soil will destroy your plant. Do not forget to water the flowers, watch the state of the Earth. But you can not water the orchid is abundant, but rarely. As mentioned above, the soil should be moist, but not wet.
However, regular and excessive watering and too generous sprinkling can lead to stagnation of water in the pot and cause yellowing of leaves. Excessive moisture leads to root rot, which in turn is an obstacle to further promotion of water on the stem. Besides moisture leads to fungal diseases.
With an orchid on the window, do not forget that one of the common causes yellowing of leaves coming from the battery gets hot, dry air. Besides that artificial heating adversely affects the humidity in the room, the roots of plants are quickly dried up and die. Not stingy, buy a humidifier, or at least put next to orchid containers with water.
If the stem of orchids and it leaves suddenly for no apparent reason in a short time, turn yellow, the flower most likely struck by bacterial or fungal infection. Chances of recovery of plants after the removal of the infected area is very small. Another obvious reason yellowing of leaves, which also takes place: your orchid pot has become simply a small and overgrown root system no longer fits in the container, causing it is compressed and deformed. Elementary transplant plant in a pot, which is one to two centimeters more than the previous capacity. Just be very careful with the roots during transplanting!
A possible cause of yellowing leaves from the orchid can be a lack of potassium. There is a biochemical process of potassium, which is contained in the plant is not enough tissue is redistributed from the old to the new, more mature leaves turn yellow and die. In this case, we need solid foods with a high content of potassium.
Also, for the plants and yellowing of leaves is fraught with poverty of the soil substrate, namely the lack of the contained iron. Tap water is further worsens the situation, so the orchid should be watered filtered water; And it must be time to turn over and use a fertilizer with iron. A similar situation occurs with the leaves, when there is no nitrogen: the leaves turn yellow, but did not fall. It is advisable to eliminate the lack of this element to use fertilizers with nitrogen.
A major reason that requires immediate attention, is a chemical burn when immoderate soil fertilizer. The organics are concentrated range of salts (phosphorus, potassium, etc.), and the root system of orchids is very vulnerable. In this case, before the flower fertilizer mixture should be diluted with water to obtain a less saturated concentrate for irrigation.
Perhaps for the rapid growth of a plant seller overdo stimulants. And only after a year or two yellow leaves fell off and their further growth stopped. Is it possible in this case to save the flower? You can, but please be patient. Pause to fertilize the orchid for a while, then start occasionally fertilize it with a weak solution. Then use nitrogen fertilizer to grow new leaves.
If yellowing leaves a special place in the possible causes of diseases are harmful insects that attack plants. Unfortunately, there are no specific medications to treat it orchids, and in this case should be guided by the general methods of healing used for other colors: spraying with special solutions, processing of leaves and the like.
As you have seen, the causes yellowing of leaves of orchids can affect a variety of factors: an illiterate care, poor lighting, thermal or chemical burns, low humidity, insufficient or excessive watering, root damage, damage on small insects and other reasons. Like any flower, the orchid will be uncomfortable with the sharp change in the conditions of large temperature differences, which is also a common cause of yellowing leaves.
Remember the golden rule of growers: the prevention and provide proper care is much easier than to save the plant. Observe the simple guidelines and orchid answer you with their beauty, health and frequent blooming.
