Why does your orchid have sluggish leaves? Looking for answers
It happens that a healthy, healthy plant suddenly loses its leaf elasticity. Why does the 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 disrupted. Lack of moisture, overheating of the plant, or root diseases are the main reasons why an orchid withers. If you do not take action, the leaves will turn yellow, the plant will die.
Causes of soft leaves in orchids
Overheat
Overheating of the plant is dangerous for the flower. On a hot afternoon, in direct sunlight, even a shaded window gets very hot. 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 level;
- after that you can spray the plant, wipe the leaves with a damp cloth or water;
- find a place for the orchid that excludes secondary overheating.
An anti-stress drug, a drop of Epin or succinic acid can be added to the irrigation water. Turgor can recover quickly or within 3-4 days, depending on the degree of dehydration.
Frostbite and pests
Why does an orchid have sluggish leaves in winter and what to do about it? Staying in a draft at sub-zero temperatures will freeze the leaves. They will lie down, turning into a rag. If the plant stands by the window in a harsh winter, frostbite will occur at temperatures below 15 degrees. Frostbite is not cured. The tissues are cut so that they do not develop rot. But there is no need to transplant a wounded flower.
On the leaves, a colony of ticks divorced, they suck out the juice, the plant is inhibited and the green leaf still disappears. Red and colorless mites are especially dangerous for orchids. These insects are afraid of moisture, they breed only in dry air.
After any water procedures, you need to dry the leaf sinuses and the center of the outlet. Stagnant water is harmful to the plant. Always use soft, settled water without hardness salts for plant care. Salts settle on the substrate, poison it and close the pores that contain moisture.
Lack of moisture
What to do if the orchid leaves shriveled due to lack of watering? There is no clear time interval when the orchid substrate needs moisture. 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 out substrate. Therefore, each time before watering, you should make sure that the soil is dry. After drying, simply water the plant with the addition of succinic acid to the water. Watering do by immersion for an hour in water 30-400 FROM.
Why does the orchid have sluggish leaves after transplanting, what should I do? It is important to choose the right soil composition... An improperly treated 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 the color. If the roots are green or light with a silvery sheen, they are healthy. Brown patches that appear indicate rot. What if the orchid withers, but sits firmly in the 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 is worn out, and the pores between the particles become smaller. Then the roots lack nutrition, and the leaves wither. The same happens if you use excessive doses of fertilizers. In either case, 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. There should be no resin in it. The pieces are treated with boiling water three times according to a special scheme. It is necessary to open as many pores as possible so that the substrate retains moisture.
Often, the violation of leaf nutrition lies in the disease of the root system. If the leaves of an orchid wither, you should do the following:
- Make sure the plant is not overheated or overdried.
- Shaking the outlet if it sits tightly in the pot means that the root system is preserved. But the audit needs to be done. The rotten roots are covered with mucus, or dried up. Remove diseased parts, treat open sections with antiseptic preparations that do not contain alcohol. When rooting, use special preparations - Maxim, Alirin.
- If the plant even has one living root left, it is planted in an appropriate small pot and cared for in the usual way.
- There are no roots left, a rosette is arranged over 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.
Further, until the plant regains its lost shape, until the wounds heal, fertilizing and stimulating watering cannot be done.