Surely if you have orchids, or have had, this situation has ever happened to you. And most of the time, when you don’t know much, it ends up in the trash thinking the plant is dead. But what to do when the orchid loses its leaves?
If you have ever come across your orchids lose their leaves and, in the end, you throw them away because you think they’re dead, maybe, and that’s not entirely true. Do you want to know what to do in that case?
Why do orchids lose their leaves?
Orchids, like any other plant, do not lose their leaves just because. Actually, there are certain reasons why this happens. The main ones are the following:
you have overdone the irrigation
When you overwater an orchid, one of the signs that warns you of this is its leaves. They start to turn yellow, very limp and eventually fall off. This is more common than you think, and in fact it is one of the most common problems for those who have orchids.
A little trick to watering them is to watch the roots. Only when they look grayish (as if they have lost their natural greenness) should you water, not before.
crown rot
or also called rot of the crown It consists in the center of the orchid, from where the leaves and also the roots come out, begins to blacken and die (and with it the roots and leaves).
When this happens it is very difficult, if not impossible, to be saved. But as long as the roots are good you have a hope of doing it.
Doesn’t get enough light
When a plant doesn’t have all the light it needs, it suffers. And in the case of the orchid, the signal that warns you is to turn its leaves yellow. Yes, just like in the event that you water it too much.
However, the solution to this problem is much simpler. With relocate it to a sunnier area the problem should be fixed (unless it’s too late).
In fact, many experts consider that, in summer, as long as it is not too hot, if we can take the orchids outside it is much better because they will be nourished by the clarity and the sun, giving them more energy to flourish (and even to overcome more easily winter).
Plagues and diseases
Do not forget about this problem. Pests and diseases are the order of the day and they will irremediably affect the plant. One of the signs is seeing white spots on the leaves (on the upper or lower sides), cobwebs or even yellow or brown spots on the leaves.
Once the type of problem has been analyzed, it could be solved with some treatment, but it will be normal for it to lose some leaves.
Can an orchid survive without leaves?
We tend to think that when a plant loses all its leaves, it is dead. But it really doesn’t have to be that way. It is true that it stops doing photosynthesis because it has no way to do it. But that doesn’t mean she’s really dead.
What is the signal that can tell you if it is okay or not? The roots.
Let’s put the orchid. Imagine that you have one and, suddenly, it has run out of leaves. But the roots are still green and chubby and the crown is not bad either. That means that there is still hope and that the plant could put out new leaves in a reasonable time.
As long as the state of the roots and crown does not change, there would be no problem keeping the plant because sooner or later it will drop those leaves. Now, if the state of any of them begins to change (roots or crown) then there are problems and you have to act as quickly as possible to get it going.
What to do when the orchid loses its leaves
Let’s go to the practical part. Do you know what to do when the orchid loses its leaves? Here we give you a guide to try to save it. Keep in mind that you will not always get good results because everything will depend on the state of the plant and if it is capable of fighting. Still, what you can do is the following:
Place it in a bright area
It should not be too much light, nor too little. Keep in mind that the plant cannot do photosynthesis or receive nutrients at that time, but that does not mean that a little light is bad for it, on the contrary.
Keep the substrate moist
One of the characteristics of orchids is that their pots are transparent and that allows you to see the roots and the orchid soil. So that? Well, because that way you can check if the plant needs water or not:
- If it has green and chubby roots, it does not need any type of water.
- If you have them gray, then it’s time to water it.
- In case the substrate is dark, it will indicate that the plant does not need more water because it is still wet.
- If the substrate looks dry, you have to water it (unless the roots continue to look green).
In this case, with an orchid without roots, it is not advisable to leave it without water for a long time, because it needs it more than the others, so you will have to pay attention to its condition.
Avoid watering or wetting the crown
The crown is very important, and you have to take care of it very, very much. This implies that, when it comes to watering it, you have to try not to get that part wet. to avoid more rotting or rotting directly.
cut dry roots
Without removing the plant from its pot (because that could cause the roots to suffer, dry out or even fungi to appear), there are some that generate outermost roots that dry up hopelessly. These will not recover and can be a waste of energy for the orchid.
Therefore, without touching the plant too much, you could take some scissors (previously disinfected) and cut them to avoid losses and, at the same time, to activate the plant. Believe it or not, it is quite effective and you also remove parts that you know will no longer work.
sprinkle cinnamon powder
In the crown area, a trick that many use to avoid the appearance of pests or diseases is to use cinnamon powder. Is it is used on larger cuts because it is a good protector (and because it eliminates any fungus or bacteria), so if you apply it to the crown you will be protecting it from those problems that can happen and cause the orchid to finally die.
A recipe to save your orchid without leaves
Checking the Internet to help you save your orchid, we have found some instructions on the Infojardín forum by Tecnopica (Juan Luis) who advises following a series of steps to try to save her. Take a look because they might help you.
Tell us, have you ever faced an orchid without leaves? What have you done?
