An orchid is a beautiful houseplant that can get sick with improper care. This happens quite often, because this flower is very naughty. But, knowing the causes of the appearance of spots, their types and methods of control, you can quickly eliminate the disease at an early stage of development and save the plant. In this article, we learn what types of stains are, what their nature is and how to deal with them.
What is it like to look like?
Spots on orchids are a sign of flower damagewhich may be of viral or bacterial origin. They may differ in color, shape and degree of distribution.
Photos of affected plants
Here is a photo of orchids with spots on the leaves and flowers:
Definition
- White.
White spot on the leaves - what it means and for what reasons:
- Chlorosis. This is not so much a disease, but only a symptom of previous diseases. Differs vague white spots on the sheet plate.
- Mealy dew. This is a fungal disease in which purple-white spots appear on the sheet. Externally, the flowers look like they have been sprinkled with flour. This disease, if not treated in time, can lead to the death of the plant.
- Black.
If black roundish and small spots with a concave surface appear on the leaves of an orchid, then this is a sign of anthracnose. After a time, there is a pink or yellow bloom. The next reason for the development of black spot remains late blight. Through time black spots spread over the entire surface of the sheet. Pathogen spores can be long in the soil.
- Brown.
Spots with a brown tint occur in the following pathologies:
- Rust. This is a rare disease that affects orchids. It is a fungal infection that infects the leaf plate. Affected mostly weak orchid bushes. Manifested in the form of spots from the inside of the leaf plate, which receive a reddish-brownish tint. This is the origin of fungi.
- Rot. This is a common orchid disease. Manifested on the leaf plate in the form of brown spots with fluffy education.
- Hives. This disease is easily recognized by the presence of small brown spots 3 mm in diameter. Over time, the pigmentation spreads over the entire surface of the sheet.
- Wet.
Wet spots on orchid leaves result from the activity of the following pests:
- Bristleworm. This parasite has a strongly pronounced reddish body color and an oval shape.
- Citrus Worm. This pest can take on a variety of body colors: from orange to black.
If a flower is damaged by these pests, white, pink and beige wet spots form on the leaf plate.
We invite you to watch a video about white spots on orchids:
What parts of the plant are formed?
Unpleasant spotting can hit absolutely any part of the orchid.including rhizome. At this point, it is most difficult to recognize the pathological process, so the plant simply dies after a while.
What are the reasons for the appearance?
Why did black, brown, white or dark spots appear on leaves and flowers? The following reasons may affect the development of spotting:
- Exposure to direct sunlight. It is necessary to choose the habitat of a flower with diffused direct light.
- Excessive watering. If you actively moisturize the orchid, it will lead to decay of the root system, so you need to carefully monitor that the soil has time to dry before the next watering.
- Poor potted ventilation. Be sure to put a layer of drainage in the tank. Its height should be at least 1.5-2 cm. It is also necessary to check whether there are holes in the container. They must be large so that the air can fully circulate.
- Lack of ventilation. The air in the room should not stagnate, but drafts for the plant are also unacceptable. Everything should be in moderation.
- Wrong pot. The development of the root system depends on the size and material of the pot. Capacity should not be small, but not too free. Its size should be 2-3 cm higher than the volume of rhizome.
- Broken watering mode. Orchid is classified into 2 types: which need to be watered from above and those that are moistened by immersion. First you need to determine the type of flower, as this will prevent stagnation of water in the pot tray.
- Bad substrate. Soil you need to choose only the one that is designed for orchids, the rest are not suitable. It is important to ensure that the soil mixture is homogeneous and does not clump up after wetting. Also in the composition of the soil should be coniferous bark.
- Incorrect application of dressings. When choosing fertilizers, make sure that they are intended exclusively for these plants. You can study the information on the packaging of the mineral complex. And during the introduction of the nutrient composition should not be overdone with the dosage.
How to deal with spotting: step by step instructions
On the leaves
Depending on the disease that led to the development of spotting on orchids in the area of the leaf plate, there is a specific method of treatment:
- Hives. To combat this disease, it is necessary to raise the temperature of the air in the room and lower the humidity level to 50-70%.
- Late blight. Save the plant, which was struck by late blight, is no longer possible, so that it will have to say goodbye. But there are several rules that will help avoid the development of the pathological process:
- Do not increase the humidity of the air;
- make sure the room is warm;
- Do not leave water droplets on flower areas.
- Mealy dew. For the treatment of orchids, it is necessary to spray it with an agent of Scor or with a solution of colloidal sulfur. Only at the beginning of therapy, water the flower thoroughly, and after 2 hours proceed to the treatment.
- Rust. The method of treatment of this disease is similar to those that were given above. Immediately remove the affected areas and treat the cut with a 25% alcohol solution. The following preparations for spraying are used to treat the flower:
- Mikasan;
- Soon;
- Ritomil.
- Rot. If the plant has been affected by rot, then it will be necessary to spray it with a fungicide. In case of secondary lesion, another drug is already used, since the spores of the rot quickly adapt to the means used.
On flowers
Spots on bud leaves are the first signal that an orchid was struck by a fungal or bacterial disease. It all begins with the yellowing of the foliage, which darkens after a while and becomes supple. Then the petals are covered with wet ulcers, from which the liquid substance flows.
In order to save the flowers from this infection, it is necessary to cut off the affected petals and treat the cut sites with iodine. You can use more potent drugs. But to do this in case of neglect of pathology.
Reference! If, after 2 weeks after treatment, new stains did not appear on the buds, the plant is no longer infectious and can be removed from quarantine.
Disease prevention
What should I do if white, black or dark spots appear on the leaves and what treatment will be needed? Curing pigmentation on orchids is almost impossible., so it is better to prevent its occurrence, I will use the following recommendations:
- Keep a comfortable temperature of air around the flower. It should be 22-25 degrees during the daytime and 16-19 degrees at night. It is important to ensure the flower temperature difference of 4-5 degrees.
- Provide good coverage for 10-12 hours per day. Only at the same time ensure that there is no direct sunlight.
- For irrigation is better to use the method of immersion. This method provides good nutrition with water for the plant, while preventing stagnation of fluid in the pan.
- It is not recommended to feed the orchid during flowering. This procedure will cause a glut of nutrients, as well as violations of the appearance of the flower.
- To choose only that soil mixture that will not be dislodged into lumps after moistening and will be able to pass water, air, to ensure their circulation.
To prevent the development of spotting on orchids will help frequent airing of the room, so that there is no high temperature and humidity. It is not recommended to install orchids tightly near each other, and also to make sure that the water does not linger long on the foliage. To carry out watering only in the morning, and in a room where there is a large number of plants, install a fan.