Diseases can infect plants, and unfortunately orchids are no exception. It won’t happen very often but it’s good to know how to detect the warning signs so that you can intervene and save your orchid from any more heart ache than it deserves. Early detection of orchid disease is the key to ensuring your plant makes it through.
It is a good practice to check your orchids at least once every week for signs of possible orchid diseases or potential threats. Like with humans, it is best to spot trouble early on so that you can manage the problem and stop it from elevating to the next level of trouble.
In general, there are three parts of your orchid that may show signs of disease. These are in the flowers, the leaves or the root. I will give you a quick run down of each.
Disease in Orchid Flowers
The orchids beauty is contained in its flowers, and it is for this reason that you can usually spot diseases here first. If your orchid has some sort of sickness you can usually tell by one of the following symptoms:
Spotting of Flowers Flowers With Punctures Flowers With Mottled Colors Bruised Flowers Rapid Wilting Of The Flower
Disease of Orchid Leaves
It is common to see discoloration of an orchids leaves when they are suffering from orchid disease. some of the most common changes of color will be:
Black Brown Yellow Reddish
All of these colors indicate that your orchid may be suffering from a disease and may need to be looked at in more depth.
Disease of Orchid Roots
If the roots of the orchid become diseased it can be a devastating blow to the plant. The roots are the heart and soul of the orchid and without them in healthy shape your orchid will not be able to bloom. The best time to look out for this is when you are re potting your orchid. Take note of any ‘root rot’ or deterioration and if you notice this take steps to remedy it . Usually root rot is caused by over watering or leaving the pot media stagnant for too long.
