How to cure orchid rot
Orchid family members are demanding to care for and often suffer from root, stem and foliage rot. The orchid rots even from the inside, which makes it difficult to identify the disease.
How to cure orchid rot
Features of rotting orchids
Phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria are a great threat to indoor plants. They most often appear in the area where the orchid is most vulnerable. The reproduction of harmful microorganisms creates all the conditions for the appearance of signs of rot. At the same time, the peduncle, foliage and roots suffer.
Any part of the plant quickly decays, and the infection, spreading, gets close to the point of growth of the flower, it is able to minimize the chances of recovery of culture. The foliage turns yellow or darkens at the base, loses turgor, photosynthesis is inhibited. All this is reflected in the decorative features of the orchid and gradually kills it.
The development of damage to the leaf blade often leads to the spread of infection to the core of the flower. With such a localization of pathological processes, the foliage darkens and falls off, and the stem becomes lethargic and unstable. Even if all the upper parts of the flower have rotted away, there is still a chance to save it. The main thing is that the infection does not reach the root system.
Causes of leaf rot
There are a number of factors leading to diseases of the home flower. The most common mistakes made by florists in caring for a capricious plant. Rot appears due to:
- improper watering;
- low temperature and high humidity;
- wrong choice of fertilizers;
- poor lighting;
- dense soil;
- infection with fungal infections.
The reason is often mechanical damage to parts of the flower. If it is dropped or accidentally injured without providing timely first aid, this leads to rotting of the stem or leaf plate of the orchid, therefore, in case of any damage, problem areas are treated with antiseptic compounds.
Causes of the disease of the home flower
Fungal and bacterial infections
The most common orchid diseases that cause flower rot are wet, gray and brown bacterial rot and fusarium. All these diseases are distinguished by the appearance of pronounced spotting and active growth of spots on healthy tissues.
The fight against all these diseases is based on the removal of rot-damaged areas of the flower and its treatment with fungicides. The orchid should be quarantined to avoid contamination of other domestic flowers with disease.
Application of unsuitable fertilizers
Some flower growers use complex mineral compositions for feeding orchids. This cannot be done: such fertilizers contain a large amount of nitrogen, which negatively affects the immunity of the flower.
Use only specialized formulations for fertilizing orchids, and fertilization is carried out according to the instructions.
Excess moisture
The basic rule for watering orchids is moistening the soil, which is carried out if the substrate is completely dry. Excessive watering creates pathological conditions for the rotting of the roots of the flower.
They also pay attention to temperature, water quality and air humidity. It should be well-kept and not cold. If the air humidity is high, spraying should be abandoned. The flower will have enough moisture in the soil.
Dense soil
The wrong choice of soil also leads to rotting of the flower. If it is heavy and dense, it may be difficult to ventilate the roots. Another reason is the waste of excess moisture in the pallet.
The wrong choice of soil also leads to rotting of the flower.
To restore an orchid grown in dense soil, the plant is transplanted into a specialized light granulate of zeolite or bark, as a result the plant comes to life.
Lighting and temperature
For the development of fungal infections, the ideal conditions are the absence of sunlight, as well as coolness. They take care of natural light, for which a pot with an orchid is placed on the windowsill. On cloudy days, use a phytolamp.
The favorable temperature for growing orchids is 18 ° C-24 ° C. For any deviations from the norm, the conditions of detention affect the flower negatively.
What to do with a rotten plant
Orchid family members often suffer from leaf and heart rot. The roots also suffer. The plant rots, slowly dying at the hands of the owner, that is, due to non-observance of the peculiarities of caring for the flower.
When the leaves are rotting and the middle of the neck and stem looks healthy, the core is intact. If at least one leaf has not rotted on the stem, the growth point is alive, and there is still a chance to save the plant.
If the leaves of an orchid have rotted, the use of fungicides is required, which kill the fungus, thanks to the aldehydes and organic substances contained in the composition. The most popular fungicides are:
- Fitosporin-M. This is the best treatment option for fungal and bacterial orchid diseases.
- "Myoxan". An agent that normalizes the work of lectins. Supports flower immunity.
- "Quadrix". Broad-spectrum fungicide with active ingredient azoxystrobin. Suitable for both treatment and prevention of diseases.
If the leaves only rot, that is, the disease is still at an early stage, it is permissible to use folk remedies. Popular are iodine solution (5 drops of iodine are diluted with 5 liters of water) and garlic tincture (100 g of husk is infused in 10 liters of water during the day).
Decay of the neck
If the leaves on the stem of the orchid have rotted and fell off, pathological processes occur in the neck itself. It will not be difficult to save the flower, since the growth point is not damaged.
Treatment for cervical decay
The plant is restored as follows:
- Prepare a sharp blade and treat it with an alcohol-containing product.
- Cut off the rotten part of the plant and clean up the cut points.
- Prepare a 0.2% solution of the foundation and treat the cut points with it, as well as the soil.
- They put the flower pot in place, waiting for the late baby to appear.
The procedure for treating the plant with a fungicide is repeated every 2 weeks until a new green mass begins to grow. Foundation treatment is carried out no more than 4 times.
Rotting point of growth
When the leaves of an orchid rot and there is not a single healthy area left, the disease has engulfed the core.
To revive it, they quickly take action. The florist should:
- Prepare and disinfect the instrument.
- Remove the decayed part of the flower to living tissue (it is possible to remove the growth point to the base).
- Treat the cut points with crushed activated carbon.
After processing, the condition of the plant is monitored and, when new signs of core rot appear, an operation is performed.Gradually, the trunk comes to life, forming children, which it turned out to be grown from the educational tissue of the peduncle and the stem.
To stimulate the growth of children, from the beginning of their appearance, drugs are used to activate the germination of dormant buds. The most common cytokinin pastes are Keikiboost and Keiki Grow Plus.
Preventive actions
In order not to have to treat a house plant from rot, they adhere to simple rules for caring for an orchid.
First, they select a suitable place to keep the flower. It should be well lit and well ventilated. Secondly, the flower is protected from sunlight. Thirdly, so that the leaves and core of the plant do not rot:
- Monitor the moderation of watering. The need for soil moisture is determined by its condition. Watering is organized after the soil is completely dry.
- They monitor the dryness of the plant foliage. After 30-40 minutes. after spraying or watering, the leaves are wiped with a moisture-absorbing sponge (a dry napkin is also suitable).
- When transplanting, plants disinfect the soil. Use boiling water or, in the case of granules, roasting in a pan.
- Control indicators of temperature and humidity in the room. Cool air and high humidity increase the risk of flower rot.
Orchids only rot when weakened. With proper care, these problems can be avoided.
Conclusion
When the leaves of an orchid rot, it is quarantined, paying attention to treatment. To save the flower, the affected tissue is trimmed and the sections are treated with antiseptic agents.
Plant recovery depends on the localization of the pathological process (growth point, neck, etc.). With proper care, Phalaenopsis or other orchid species will recover in 3-12 weeks.