A fanciful orchid flower will decorate any windowsill. Experienced gardeners know that exot is demanding to care for. In order for him to please household members, it is necessary to know the secrets of its cultivation. Among other things, it is important to have an idea of the diseases that can undermine the plant. There are a lot of them, each has its own reason and, accordingly, a method of treatment.
Exotics Care Features
Among the main points that you should pay attention to a person growing a recognizable flower are the following:
- priming;
- decent place of residence;
- competent watering;
- adaptation period;
- top dressing.
Tropical flower prone to common ailments
Priming
The queen of the tropics cannot develop in ordinary land. The roots need air. Therefore, the substrate must be special. Among the components must be present components:
- coal;
- tree bark;
- moss;
- fern rhizome;
- Pine cones;
- walnut shell;
- peat.
Thanks to this cocktail, close to the natural habitat, the plant will feel comfortable.
Place of residence
The orchid should be surrounded by ambient light for 12 hours a day. If you leave it on the windowsill, which is exposed to direct sunlight, the plant will get burns. A comfortable room temperature is + 23 ... +25 degrees in the daytime and at least +18 - in the evening.
Additional Information. An important factor is humidity. Its level should be from 60 to 75%. The best solution is to install an air humidifier.
Watering
Moisturize the soil in a timely manner. Watering can be replaced by the dive method. The pot, in which the holes were previously made, is lowered into a basin with water at room temperature. Leave for 5 minutes. The procedure is organized once a week and a half in the warm season and once every two weeks - in the cold.
Adaptation
Just bought a plant put away from other domestic flowers. Quarantine lasts at least 10 days.
Top dressing
Fertilize exot should be special feeding. Get them in specialized stores. Activities are carried out strictly according to the instructions. Some mixtures can be used once every 60 days, some - once every 3-4 months.
New plant quarantined
Common diseases
Even the most enduring and popular Phalaenopsis orchid is susceptible to various diseases. In general, ailments appear due to improper care. Each of them has its own characteristics and symptoms. Among the known problems of a tropical beauty, the following stand out:
- dark spots;
- brown rot;
- powdery mildew;
- white plaque;
- viral diseases;
- other ailments.
Dark spots
Are there spots on leaves on the orchid? The owner should sound the alarm. Black, brown, lilac-dark, brownish marks on leaf plates indicate a number of possible diseases.
Small spots, the scattering of which is noticeable on the foliage, can become harbingers of late blight. This is an infectious disease in which dark spots then begin to get wet.
The stubborn spots on the leaves of the orchid indicate chlorosis. The diagnosis of chlorosis is made to the flower, provided that after the appearance of spots, the foliage begins to tighten, curl.
note! Fungal diseases can also occur through dark spots of different sizes, both on foliage and on the stem.
Brown rot
Among the diseases of orchids, brown rot stands apart. Because of it, an exotic flower can die in a short period of time. This is due to the fact that at first the disease develops without any special symptoms, since rot takes root. Only when the root system has decayed thoroughly will the leaves begin to change color from emerald to grayish.
Note! The varieties most vulnerable to bacterial attack are Cymbidium, Miltonia, Paphiopedilium.
Powdery mildew
Among the fungal diseases of Phalaenopsis orchids and other species, one should beware of powdery mildew. Its initial signs are immediately apparent. Even a novice gardener can identify them. First visible white plaque on orchids. Its color can vary from whitish to dirty gray. If you start to consider the foci, then they are an accumulation of small fungal organisms.
White plaque on the leaves of the orchid is seamlessly transferred to the stem. Parasitic fungi feed on plant sap. As a result, the flower feels very bad, begins to fade.
Brown rot
The leaves turn yellow and hang, then fall off. The same can be observed on the floral part.
White plaque
White plaque on orchids can report not only powdery mildew, but also damage to the plant by pests. If powdery mildew is expressed as a gray-whitish bloom that looks really like morning dew, then the presence of the pest makes the bloom look like wet cotton wool, a spider web. It has a wet-sticky nature.
The pest that thus captures the queen of tropical plants is called the mealybug. On the plaque are parasite eggs. They are tiny. Worms themselves are no more than half a centimeter long. You can see them with the naked eye.
Parasite worm and traces of its life
In addition to the worm, other parasitic insects can also choose a flower. Among them:
- aphid;
- spider mite.
These pests leave a sticky whitish product of their vital activity on the foliage and stem. Both the insect and the aphid and the tick eat the same thing: juices and nutrients. In addition to their presence, these insects pose another problem. It lies in the fact that the plant is slowly weakening, fungi and pathogenic bacteria multiply on the foci of the presence of parasites. They destroy the root and slowly kill the home plant.
Viral diseases
Scientists know about fifty different viruses that can defeat an exotic plant. Many of them do not manifest themselves for a long time, then the flower dies. Most viruses do have symptoms. For instance:
- Patterned, mesh pattern on foliage, petals. It can be seen weakly or clearly.
- New leaves grow already with some specks, spots.
- From below the leaves, the dark tubercles of Phalaenopsis or other species of orchids speak not only of a fungal ailment, but also of some of the viruses.
- First, barely noticeable spots appeared, which then grow, turn into holes.
- Leaves begin to tighten, dry.
- Foliage changes color to gray, red, black, brown.
Important! Each of these signs can be a harbinger of the virus. To make sure that the diagnosis is correct, you should contact the laboratory. Only specific laboratory tests can reveal the viral nature of the disease.
Other diseases
What are orchids sick with yet? Among non-dangerous ailments stand out:
- anthracnose;
- rust;
- stickiness.
Anthracnose
Black dots growing on the orchid on the leaves, which then turn into huge dark foci, are a symptom of anthracnose.
Rust
Very rarely, but the plant may become rusty. This is a fungal ailment. First, snow-white spots appear. Each stain is like a drop. After a few weeks, they change color to brick. The foliage is covered with plaque.
Patterns indicate the presence of a virus
Stickiness
Leaflets begin to stick suddenly. An unhealthy shine appears on them.
The main causes of disease
Dark spots
They can appear both due to the flooding of the plant, and with insufficient lighting, the absence of the necessary fertilizing.
Brown rot
This bacterial ailment occurs due to the uncomfortable situation in the apartment. For example, at home it is very cold or too humid. Perhaps the flower was flooded or planted in ordinary soil, where the roots are hidden in a layer of soil.
Powdery mildew
The causes of the ailment are as follows:
- the abundance of nitrogen in the soil mixture;
- high humidity in the room;
- abundant planting, plants on the windowsill are close to each other;
- glut, etc.
White plaque
According to experienced gardeners, there can be many causes of harmful insects. Among the main ones:
- weakened plant immunity;
- lack of proper lighting;
- proximity to infected plants;
- the air in the room is excessively dry;
- constant wetting of the soil in the pot;
- low-quality substrate;
- insufficient humidity of air masses, etc.
Viral diseases
A person is exposed to the virus due to weakened immunity. So to the orchid virus clings to its defenselessness and general weakness. Another reason is damage to the body of the plant.
Other diseases
The cause of anthracnose, rust, and stickiness is improper care. For example, waterlogging of air, soil, being in the shade.
Being in the shadows ruins the plant
Orchid treatment
Treatment of a flower butterfly, as the plant is sometimes called, is for the most part a laborious process. The owner of the flower should be ready to fight for the life of his pet. Thanks to the advice of experienced gardeners, you can cope with various ailments at home.
Dark spots
How to cure an orchid if dark spots appear on it and it becomes ill with late blight, chlorosis? The very first step is a moderate feeding with iron chelate. Next, the affected leaves are removed with a sharp knife rubbed with alcohol. Places of cuts are sprinkled with fly ash. As soon as the sections begin to tighten, the plant is treated with fungicides. for instance:
- Alerin;
- Mikosan;
- Bordeaux mixture;
- copper sulfate;
- Quadris and others
Additional Information. Fungal diseases, which also appear as dark spots, are treated with copper-containing drugs.
Brown rot
This is a bacterial disease. The infected plant is placed on a free window sill so as not to infect the neighbors. Damaged areas are removed. After a couple of days, the flower is treated with Bordeaux fluid. The procedure is repeated every 20-35 days.
Powdery mildew
Fighting an ailment in the initial stage is easy. The plaque is washed with a cloth soaked in soapy water. The solution is prepared from warm water and laundry soap. Further, the means are applied:
- Speed;
- Topsin-M;
- Fitosporin, etc.
Fungicide Skor
White plaque
On orchid white sticky coating how to treat? Parasites are excreted comprehensively. The plant is isolated, the affected parts are removed, the soil is changed. The flower is sprayed with Fitosporin or Actara, Calypso.
Viral diseases
These are the most terrible ailments. According to experts, the flower is recommended to be disposed of.
Other diseases
Anthracnose
Anthracnosis is treated by removing damaged leaf plates. A disinfected sharp knife is used for this. Undercut places sprinkled with ash.
Rust
The initial stage of rust is treated in the same way. Damaged leaves are cut, places are treated with ash.
Information! For reliability, the entire plant can be sprayed with Mikosan.
Sticky foliage
If there are no other signs besides the usual stickiness, then the flower is placed on the windowsill, where there is more light. You can install additional lamps above it. The room is thoroughly ventilated, but drafts are not allowed. Leaves are treated with preparations against bacteria. Fit:
- Maksim;
- Phytospirin;
- Sutomai.
All orchid diseases are a nuisance for the grower. To prevent an ailment, it is necessary to provide the plant with competent care. If it begins to languish, gets sick, the first thing to do is to determine the disease. After treatment begins. In this case, you can not start the disease. The faster the treatment starts, the sooner the tropical beauty will come to her senses.
