Urgh! how to revive an orchid plant that was the sound of your orchid dying, or at least in the throes of death. But, what happened?
Why is your orchid dying? You know what to do if you do not know what has happened. Sometimes even though you have given your orchid proper care they could still suffer from a malady and start to react poorly to it. It is not your fault, sometimes these plants are finicky.
Luckily for you, we have written this article to try to help you revive your poor orchid. So, without further ado, let us start with some reasons why your orchid could be sick or dying.
Why Is My Orchid Dying?
Orchids are beautiful, exotic plants that can be found in many parts of the world. They have a long history and were once used as medicinal herbs by ancient civilizations.
Today, orchids are still used for their beauty and fragrance. However, they are not easy to grow. If you want to keep your orchid alive, it will need special care. You should know how to revive an orchid before you purchase one. This article explains why orchids die and what you can do about it.
What are some reasons your orchid is dying?
The most common reason for orchids to die is overwatering. Most plants like water, but too much water can kill them. For this reason, orchids require a good amount of light, but they don’t need a lot of direct sunlight.
The soil also needs to drain well, so the roots don’t get wet. Orchids also prefer cool temperatures, usually around 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Too much heat or cold can damage them.
Plants become sick when they are infected with bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, insects, or mites. These pathogens can cause leaf spots, fungal infections, root rot, wilts, black mold, leaf spot, discoloration, or even death.
Some harmful microbes attack only specific plant species. Others infect all kinds of plants. It is important to identify these problems if you want to take action.
If your orchid has been affected by certain molds, you may see a fungus on its leaves or stem. If the leaf or petal falls off, then the issue could be bacterial. As mentioned earlier, these diseases often impact the flowers of the orchid first.
Leaves appear yellowish-green and wilt quickly. Sometimes they turn brown or gray instead of yellow. Other symptoms include white spotting, dead patches, leaf drop, wilting, darkening, and deformation.
To protect your plant from disease, you should remove diseased leaves immediately. Then cut back the entire plant until new growth appears. Wash the area where the plant was growing with soap and water.
You should repeat this procedure at least once every few weeks. Do it more frequently during the hotter summer months. Check regularly for signs of insects, such as spider mites and mealybugs. Insects typically thrive in warm weather, so you’ll need to protect your orchid from pests in hot climates.
Your orchid might be suffering from overfeeding. Overfeeding means feeding the plant more nutrients than it actually needs. Plants use carbohydrates, protein, and other substances to survive. But a large percentage of those materials isn’t needed to maintain healthy growth.
The excess nutrients must eventually end up somewhere. That place can be your orchid’s roots, stems, or leaves.
Regardless of what is wrong with your orchid, you will need to know how to revive it.
A Few Ways To Revive An Orchid Plant
Below you can see a few things you can do that will help to revive your orchid plant. Just remember that you need to find out why your orchid is unwell so that you can treat it properly.
But, let us get started on things you can do to revive your orchid.
Hydrate Your Orchid
Watering your orchid is very important, and it can be a good place to start when you need to revive it. A good way to do this is through misting. Simply moisten the top layer of foliage with a sprayer that includes a fine mist setting. Misting allows you to water your orchid without touching the delicate roots directly.
When watering, avoid contact between the surface of the pot and the ground. Instead, soak the bottom half of the container. Be sure not to let any water sit on the substrate or in the drainage holes. Let there be some air circulation in the pot so that the roots remain dry. This helps prevent root rot.
The pH level of your soil is one of many factors that influence your plant’s health. A high pH level can make plants weak and susceptible to various issues such as nutrient deficiencies. On average, your soil should have a pH level of 6.5 to 7.0.
Give Your Orchid A Little Fertilizer
Orchids need fertilizer especially when they are growing in the summer and spring. Fertilizing your orchid is a good step to that that might help revive your plant. Most fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are essential components needed by plants.
In addition, some types also contain trace elements. For instance, Calcium, Cobalt, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, and others.
Add Nitrogen-based fertilizers to your orchid. These typically come in liquid forms. They include amino acids and ammonia compounds. Apply diluted fertilizer solution directly around the base of your orchid. Avoid getting it close to the tips of the blooming spikes because it can lead to burning damage.
You can add a bit of phosphorus-based fertilizer near the base of your orchids. These usually come in granular form. Dilute the powder mix with a liquid. Use caution, however; too much of anything is not good for your plants. Some people recommend using less fertilizer than indicated on the packaging label.
In some cases, adding fluoride can help with certain problems. However, don’t overuse this fertilizer. It can be harmful if used improperly. Make sure you get all the necessary information before applying a fluoride product. Also, check whether your local laws allow for use of this chemical.
Repot Your Orchid Plant
Sometimes your orchid can start to die because its pot is too small. While you may love the shape of your plant’s current pot, it can become crowded. Eventually, the plant will no longer receive enough light from the sun.
When this happens, your plant won’t grow well anymore. Thus, it’s time to repot your plant and give it more space. Use a larger hole to drain excess water out of the pot. After that, fill up the new pot with fresh soil and water your orchid as they settle into their new home.
Move Your Orchid To A Partly Sunny Spot
Your orchid may not have been getting enough sun, or they may have been getting too much sun. A change in lighting can be rejuvenating for your orchid plant. If your current location doesn’t offer sufficient natural sunlight, move them to a sunny spot.
Your goal is to expose your orchid to at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. Of course, this depends on your geographical area, climate, etc.
It’s important to note, however, that changing the direction of your outdoor light can affect how much light gets through to your plant.
The best way to minimize this problem is simply to adjust your plant’s position.
Related: 50 Types of Orchid Flowers You Need to See (Including Pictures)
Remove Damaged Parts Of Your Orchid
Your orchid may have damaged roots from overwatering, or it may have been suffering from a fungal infection. Regardless of what ails your orchid, you may have to remove the damaged parts to save your plant’s life.
A few of the reasons your orchid might need a small amputation could be:
- Dead tip or dead leaf: Orchids often develop dead tips or dead leaves. This occurs when the plant is stressed due to extreme weather conditions or other factors. Sometimes the tips fall off naturally, but sometimes you may have to cut them off.
- Fungal: It is recommended to remove any affected part of your orchid. The fungus attaches itself to your plant via roots so removing infected parts can prevent further infections.
- Root Rot: Root rot, also known as root rots, is caused by fungi or bacteria that spread throughout your orchid’s roots. Once started, the disease progresses quickly. Symptoms include wilting, brownish spots on your orchid’s leaves as well as rotting roots. Remove the affected part, so experts can treat the root rot.
Regardless of why your orchid needs some parts removed, you should do this carefully as too much pruning and cutting could make the situation worse. So, only do this if you feel it is necessary, and you know for sure that there is a problem that can be solved by removing damaged parts of your orchid.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is time for us to answer some of your questions. Below you can see several commonly asked questions surrounding this topic. So, without further ado, let us begin.
Is My Orchid Dead When The Flowers Fall Off?
No, the petals are dying long before your Orchid dies. However, once the blooms dry off, the stem and roots may turn dark green. If this happens, don’t worry! These symptoms usually indicate that the plant has suffered from dehydration. Rehydrate your Orchid immediately using proper amounts of water as needed.
What Causes Dead Patches On My Orchid Leaves?
Like petals, your Orchid leaves will die out even if the flower stays alive. In fact, your flowers won’t appear until new leaves form. This means that your plant will lose nutrients from its old leaves faster than it makes available ones.
As a result, your plants will experience nutrient deficiency causing dark green patches on their leaves. To help your Orchid gain back healthy growth, you must provide adequate food for the plants. Watering techniques with regular applications are one way to ensure your Orchid receives adequate nutrition.
How Do You Get An Orchid To Bloom Again?
It is a sad day when your orchid flowers fall off. But there are things you can do to help your plant recover. The first step in getting your plants to bloom again is to rehydrate them properly. After which, you’ll want to add fertilizer such as fish emulsion or similar type products.
You can use these whenever you want to grow more foliage and increase humidity levels around your plants. Your plant’s roots will become weak during periods of low humidity, thus allowing pests such as insects to enter.
Also, you’ll want to keep your orchids away from direct sunlight because high heat can cause stress. This will trigger the death of your plants before they’ve ever had the chance to bloom.
Do Orchids Like Coffee Grounds?
Orchids need a low amount of fertilizer, they will usually need fertilizer when it is the growing season. Coffee grounds are a good fertilizer for these plants because they contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other elements that your plants require.
Keep in mind though that coffee grounds can damage your orchid’s skin over time, therefore you should only apply this at the beginning of your plants’ growing period. And of course, you always have the option to buy better quality fertilizers.
Should I Mist My Orchids?
When watering your orchids, you should mist them occasionally. The reason behind this is that you prevent soil moisture loss through evaporation. While the soil dries up, the air gets very hot and humid resulting in your plants losing valuable water.
In addition, you want to reduce insect problems caused by overcrowded conditions. Misting helps control diseases and pest infestations. It also helps prevent fungus infections while promoting healthy growing conditions.
Final Thoughts
There are many reasons that your orchid could be dying, the key to reviving it will lie in determining the reason it is happening. The sooner you take action, the less work you’ll have to put into saving your plant. So what should you do? First, check to see if it needs more light.
If it does then place it under indirect lighting. Second, try adding some fresh compost or potting mixture to your plant. Third, make sure there aren’t any insects infesting. Fourth, water thoroughly but not too much as this could kill your plant.
Lastly, don’t wait until your plant dies before trying to revive it. Always act quickly when dealing with an orchid or else you might find yourself wasting money and energy.
That is all for this article, we hope that you enjoyed reading about orchids and how you can revive your plant. If you did enjoy reading this article then please share it with others who may benefit from reading it. Have fun learning!
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The majority of people who have no interest in the subject, and aren’t green fingered assume that all plants and vegetables require the same growing conditions. This is not the case at all. Each plant has its own unique and interesting history and growing process.
I hope you will find The Natural List useful, and that it will help educate you on the wide variety of different flower and plant species there are across the globe.
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