If an orchid is in trouble: why do leaves and roots turn black and how to help the plant? Treatment of the most common diseases of orchids Dark spots on orchids.

Orchid diseases and their treatment require a trained eye and considerable biological knowledge from the gardener. In time to distinguish the problems of the phalaenopsis orchid and start proper care of the diseased flower is the only chance to save the plant. What are the diseases of orchids and how to provide phalaenopsis care at home, you will learn in this article.

Phalaenopsis orchid diseases can be divided into two groups according to the pathogen: fungal and bacterial. Bacterial diseases develop rapidly, with a violation of the integrity, watery tissues and a characteristic odor. Fungal diseases develop more slowly, but often cause more damage due to specific toxins, as well as high resistance to various fungicides.

Rot is a non-specific symptom that can be caused by both fungal and bacterial pathogens. It usually appears on the leaves of orchids. Sometimes occurs in the form of basal and root rot.

Rots caused by bacteria are more likely to be brown, foul-smelling, and moist in texture. In room conditions, phalaenopsis can get sick due to a sharp temperature drop, mechanical damage, or any other event that can become stressful for the plant.

A flower can become infected with fungal pathogens of rot from spores that are found in the air, in the ground, on clothes, or on plants surrounding them.

Of the bacterial rots, brown rot is the best known. This is a leaf disease that manifests itself in the form of darkening on the edge of the leaf plate. The disease develops very rapidly and can cover the entire plant in a few days. The treatment for your orchid will be to slow down the development of the disease. Rotting sections of the leaf should be removed, the plant should not be flooded with water, the leaves should be treated with an antiseptic. It is possible to treat the orchid with antibiotics, but the effectiveness will only appear in the first stages.

Phalaenopsis also suffer from various fungal rots: black rot, gray rot. The causative agents of these orchid diseases colonize the roots and leaves, causing black, gray rots. You can restore a diseased plant by treating it with special antifungal drugs. In the treatment of domestic orchids, it is better to use specific agents, and not generally toxic compounds, such as Bordeaux liquid or blue vitriol.

In the fight against rot caused by bacteria, the drug "Tiram" will help. With mushrooms - medicines whose active ingredient is fundazol will help to cope.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose is a disease caused by fungi of the genus Coletotrichium. These are a kind of light brown ulcers on the leaves. The affected organ on the orchid quickly deteriorates, becoming covered with spots with an uneven edge. With high importance, you can observe how the surface of the wound is covered with mold - a light, weak mycelium. It is worth caring for a flower affected by anthracnose by treating it with systemic and contact fungicides such as Ritomid.

Bacterial spotting

Bacterial spotting is a Phalaenopsis disease caused by bacteria of the genus Pseudomonos. They appear on the leaves as white spots, which eventually turn black, spread. The photosynthetic parts of the plant quickly deteriorate and wither. Left untreated, bacterial spotting can turn into rot. Sick plants look oppressed, shed flowers. Dark necrotic spots form around the affected areas.

What to do if you find signs of bacterial spot on your plant? First of all, try to avoid the appearance of dripping moisture on the surface of the sheets. Remove the affected areas, treat wounds with antiseptics. Reduce watering, move the phalaenopsis to a drier place. It is important to start caring for a diseased flower in time, otherwise it may die.

Leaf deformation

Orchids are infected with a wide range of diseases, including various fungal diseases that cause a change in the shape of the shoots. Together with them, viral diseases and pests of orchids can lead to leaf deformation. For example, when, against the background of leaf deformation, it acquires a silver tint, this indicates that you have mites or scale insects. How to treat such diseases? Determine the original source. If the cause of the problem is a tick, then treat the plant with acaricides, if the fungus (as seen by sporulation) use fungicides, but with viral deformation, unfortunately, nothing will help your plant.

leaf scorch

Orchid leaf scorch is not a disease. Usually this can be observed after a long stay of phalaenopsis under open sunlight. Treat the burn site with an antiseptic and move the orchid to a more protected place.

powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is one of the most harmful diseases in the Phalaenopsis orchid species. It manifests itself in the form of a white coating on the leaves and leads to inhibition of the growth and development of the flower. Plaque is easily erased with fingers. At the first sign of the disease, be sure to wrap the phalaenopsis with copper-containing preparations or specialized fungicides, such as Skor.

Rust

Rust is caused by fungi of the genus Puccinia. It appears as bright orange, rusty spots on the leaves and trunks of the plant. Usually infected, an orchid can from other plants that contain intermediate stages of fungus development. How to cure this disease? Treatment with fungicides "Miksan" or "Skor".

sooty mushrooms

Soot is also a fungal disease. It usually occurs in the form of swellings that contain a powdery mass of spores of the pathogen. It is not difficult to recognize the soot. Remove the affected areas of the orchid, disinfect the soil, transplant the flower. Treat it with special preparations, such as Skor, Miksan or Ritomil, and try to eliminate all the ways through which the infection can again get to your pets.

Viral diseases of orchids

Viral diseases can be contained both in the plant material itself and transmitted along with orchid pests. Usually they manifest themselves in the form of deformation of plant organs, spots, mosaics, and the absence of reproductive organs. Unfortunately, the whole fight against viruses comes down to preventing their appearance. Monitor the quality of planting material, avoid the presence of mites, scale insects and nematodes in the soil. A diseased plant cannot be cured.

Video “Orchid diseases”

From this video you will learn about orchid diseases and how to treat them.

In the 19th century, orchids were considered a luxury available only to the privileged. Today, they are freely available to everyone. However, these flowers are not so easy to maintain, they can be affected by diseases or simply suffer from improper care. To understand what to do if the leaves turn black, you need to understand a little about its features.

The appearance of diseases is provoked, first of all, by mistakes in caring for:

Temperature failure. It is very important to monitor the temperature of the substrate in the pot, do not let it cool. Low room temperature, a cold window sill, active evaporation of moisture - all this contributes to the rapid cooling of the roots and, as a result, the development of fungus and bacteria.
Frequent watering. As already mentioned, the frequency of watering depends on the degree of illumination (more light - more water and vice versa). Most domestic orchids are epiphytes, which means that their roots are adapted to receive moisture from the surrounding air. Stagnation of water in a pot and a lack of oxygen will have a detrimental effect on the condition of the plant. For the same reason, it is very important to ensure that the flowers are regularly aired.
Poor quality substrate. When choosing a ready-made substrate or preparing it yourself, you need to ensure that the content of foam and peat does not exceed 20%. The fact is that the development of pathogenic fungi is prevented by beneficial microorganisms living in the substrate. And peat and polystyrene are not the right environment for them.

If the disease has appeared, act according to the following scheme:

First of all, isolate the diseased plant from the rest.
The affected area is cut out to healthy tissues, the wounds are disinfected. In the course of the operation, the knife is also cleaned after each cut (held over a fire or wiped with alcohol).
Wait for the wound to heal (several hours).
The fight against fungal diseases is carried out with the help of special ones (for example, Fundazol, copper-containing drugs). For the development of beneficial microorganisms in the substrate, Fitosporin is used.
Bactericides or antibiotics are used against bacterial diseases.
There is no cure for viral plant diseases. You have to get rid of the flower.

In any case, after the treatment, the plant should be quarantined for at least 14 days. Remember that diseases are not terrible for plants with strong immunity, which means that the main condition for preventing them is proper care and creating optimal conditions for growing.

More information can be found in the video:

Orchid diseases are of great concern to collectors of these beautiful houseplants. If an orchid is sick, first of all, isolate it from the rest and immediately engage in diagnosis and treatment. Smart tips come to the rescue. We will show you orchid diseases in the photo and tell you how to deal with them.

A Quick Guide to Orchid Diseases and Treatments

If your collection of orchids is valuable and important to you, then the first thing you should take care of is isolating your favorite flowers from the access of various pests and diseases. And they may appear:

from a new houseplant brought into the house;
a nearby bouquet of flowers;
poor-quality infected substrate during transplantation;
unsuitable water for irrigation;
with overfertilization and lack of fertilizers;
from storing nearby infected (and this is not always visible) fruits and vegetables:
damp cold air and mold;
drafts, etc., etc., etc.

So who will say after that that the orchid is an unpretentious indoor plant, as many flower growers say.

Symptoms of orchid diseases associated with flowering

Of course, we grow orchids for the sake of long lush and extraordinarily beautiful flowering. But what to do if it is with flowering that problems arise.

Flowers wither and fall.

Causes: lack of lighting, too hot, dry air, draft, low air temperature, temperature fluctuations.

Dark spots and dots on flowers.

Causes: rot damage, poor ventilation, dampness at low air temperatures.

Lack of flowering.

Reasons: temperature regime is violated.

Diseases and pests of leaves and peduncles

Green plaque

Reasons: settled colonies of microscopic algae, constant high humidity. Most often, the disease appears in greenhouses, winter gardens, greenhouses.

Struggle. Removal of plaque from the leaves with a piece of soft cloth (gauze) moistened with water, at home - with laundry soap or a weak solution of potassium permanganate and subsequent bathing.

Fissures, most often along the median vein.

Reasons: mechanical damage as a result of transportation or movement.

The base of the leaf (most often the apical one) turns yellow, the leaf withers, disappears.

Causes: Fusarium disease or otherwise Fusarium wilt, appears with excessive waterlogging, watering at relatively low temperatures.

Remedy: Remove the affected leaf or peduncle to a healthy spot. Pruning is carried out with a sterile tool. Reduce watering, treat the cut with Fundazol.

Dark sunken spots (black, brown)

Reasons: bacterial rot.

Elimination. Trim the leaves to healthy tissue, each cut with a sterilized blade. Treat the sections with one of the fungicides (Maxim, Fundazol, Topaz).

Brown spots with a yellowish or whitish rim

Reasons: bacterial spotting.

Treatment. The orchid must be isolated from the rest, cut off the affected tissues or whole leaves, treat the sections with antibacterial drugs (sulfur powder, activated carbon, wood ash, potassium permanganate - solution). Watering is moderate.

Dark strokes on the leaves, quickly merge into stripes.

Reason: virus.

Elimination: immediate isolation and destruction of the plant. Viruses multiply very quickly and can infect all orchids.

White spots.

Cause: Sunburn.

Remedy: Shade plants in early spring and summer, do not spray in direct sunlight, water droplets become small lenses.

Leaf wilting.

Reasons: rotting of the root system.

Elimination. Carefully remove the orchid from the pot and inspect the roots. soft and blackened, remove and treat the sections with antifungal drugs.

Uneven coloring, deformation of the sheet.

Causes: lack of mineral nutrition.

Elimination: regular feeding with complex fertilizers for orchids.

Diseases of the root system of orchids, treatment

Drying of aerial roots

Causes: breakage, mechanical damage.

Remedy: Cut slightly above the fracture, sprinkle with activated charcoal powder. If the roots do not have visible damage, but dry out, it is probably due to insufficient watering and low humidity. Watering and humidifying the air with a humidifier will help.

Drying of the roots in the substrate

Reasons: insufficient watering.

Elimination. Place the pot for 30 minutes in a container of warm water, remove, let drain. Healthy roots are clearly visible in a transparent pot, they are saturated with moisture and have a greenish tint.

Root rot

Cause: Over watering. At first, the roots become stained, then they become wrinkled, soft, brown.

Elimination: removal of damaged roots, disinfection of sections with fungicide solutions one third diluted with water (relative to the norm), transplanting into a fresh substrate. Watering is weak, complete drying of the substrate between waterings.

Orchid pests - description and fight

Aphids and thrips

Description. Very small leaf-sucking insects. Aphids settle in colonies, in appearance resemble small droplets. The color is greenish, yellowish or black. Adult Thrips are very small flies, have wings, an elongated body, black or yellow, whitish or transparent larvae.

Insects infect young tender parts of orchids: buds, flowers, growing shoots.

When affected by aphids and thrips, the flowers fall off, silver stripes and spots are visible on the leaves, and the surface becomes bumpy due to dead cells.

Struggle. Removal of severely affected parts of orchids, spraying with Aktara insecticide, washing with laundry soap.

Repeat the processing procedure 2 more times with an interval of 5 days to destroy the larvae hatched from the eggs.

Mealybug

Description. Small insects resembling pieces of cotton wool. It feeds on leaf juice. Usually introduced with new plants. When affected by a mealybug, the leaves turn yellow and wilt.

Struggle. Mechanical removal with a cotton swab dipped in vodka or alcohol. Subsequent treatment with Actara 2 times with an interval of 10 days.

Snails and slugs

Description. Orchids contained in greenhouses, conservatories and winter gardens are susceptible to attack. Perhaps the appearance on the windowsill. the source of infection is a poor-quality substrate.

Mollusks hide in the substrate, where they eat the roots. Creeping out, they gnaw leaves, young shoots and flowers. Signs of a clear presence of snails are bitten edges of leaves and round holes in the ground.

Control measures. Collection and destruction.

Shields and false shields.

Description. Pests look like small hard growths on stems and leaves. Easily removed. Color brown or black. They leave sticky marks after their stay.

Control measures. Mechanical removal with a cotton swab dipped in vodka or alcohol. Then wipe the plant with a soapy swab, leave for 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Treatment with Actara will not hurt either - 2 times with an interval of 7 days.

Preventive measures - increase humidity.

spider mite

Description. A very small insect of a reddish color, hardly visible to the naked eye. Moves slowly. Attacks orchids in low humidity. It is found in the presence of thin cobwebs on the plant. The leaves are covered with a silvery coating and die.

Struggle. Washing with warm water, treatment with acaricides, for example, Aktelik.

Prevention. Quarantine of new plants, elimination of drafts blown by the wind, spraying with warm water.

Today, an orchid is not such a rare plant in an indoor flower garden. However, it is prone to various diseases and requires special care. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find any complete information about the content of a flower, orchid diseases and their treatment.

Therefore, we have tried to cover the common problems and difficulties of growing an orchid.

Problems with orchid flowering, how to fix them

This houseplant is quite demanding and capricious. Therefore, if you just brought it home after purchase and it began to wither, this is not unusual. You just need to find a suitable place for it and properly care for it.

orchid not blooming

In order not to worry about the flowering of an orchid, even at the time of purchase it is necessary to clarify what kind of variety it is and what its flowering period is. The fact is that different types of flower bloom at different times. But it happens that the expected flowering does not occur, while the green mass continues to grow. The main reasons for the lack of buds are the following:

sudden changes in temperature;
improper watering;
rest disorder;
lack of light.

Did you know? The most common reason for the lack of flowers on the plant is the lack of light, which causes the plant itself to fade. Most varieties of orchids do poorly even in partial shade, but varieties such as paphiopedilum and phalaenopsis can bloom in such conditions.

The lack of light is indicated by the color of the leaves: they turn bright green, while their natural color is light green. If the leaves turn yellow, this indicates an excessive amount of ultraviolet radiation, that is, excessive lighting. Control measures: the flower should be placed in a more lighted place or removed in partial shade.

Another common problem in the absence of flowering is root diseases. It is difficult to define it. Sometimes, even when the roots rot, the orchid continues to bloom.

But if she did not please flowering for a long time, and everything is in order with the lighting, you should check the root system. Most often, it begins to rot due to excessive watering.

In this case, plant transplantation and removal of damaged parts of the rhizome will help. Periodic transplantation is in principle beneficial for its development.

Orchid buds wither

As a rule, in this case, the problems are the same as described above. But there may be additional reasons. First of all, the orchid is very sensitive to a change of residence. If you recently bought one and brought it home, it is not surprising that orchid buds wither and fall off.

Important! Lighting plays a major role in this process. It is logical that in the greenhouse it was suitable and sufficient, and at home it may not be enough or, conversely, there may be too much. Please note that there are shade-loving and light-loving varieties of orchids, this point must be clarified when buying a plant. So, on the northern and northeastern windows, you can grow cambria and phalaenopsis. Angrecums, cymbidiums, lelias, cattleyas, vandas and others are considered light-loving.

In addition, there may be problems with hypothermia orchids. These are very heat-loving plants, so you need to make sure that in winter the temperature in the room does not fall below 22 ° C. Please note that the humidity of the air must be at least 70%, otherwise the flowers will also begin to fall off.

The orchid loves good air circulation, but does not tolerate drafts. She also reacts strongly to the presence of a variety of foodstuffs nearby, especially fruits and vegetables that emit ethylene. It provokes accelerated ripening of buds, which can wither and fall off without even opening.

Another reason for wilting buds can be pests. In particular, the mealybug feeds on their juice, leading to the premature death of the bud.

Do not forget that wilting and falling of flowers is a natural process. The duration of flowering in different varieties is also not the same. Some delight with colorful flowers for several months, others for several weeks. It is likely that you bought the plant after flowering.

dark spots on flowers

Sometimes they arise not because of diseases, but due to mechanical damage while transporting the plant. Such spots do not spread over the flower, dry out, have uneven edges.

However, spotting may occur due to moisture on the petals during watering or condensation, when the plant was transported in a package. Because of this, the flowers can not only become stained, but also fall off.

If at the same time the plant is still in the sun, then a burn may occur in places where water gets on the petals - the water will work like a lens.

Did you know? Fungal disease can lead to brown spots on flowers. In this case, they can deteriorate literally overnight, when the entire plant is covered with spots. At the same time, the affected leaves and stems will be watery, and a moldy coating may appear on them.

Rot: prevention and treatment

Most often, when growing orchids indoors, you have to deal with rot. Moreover, problems mainly arise due to excessive care.

The plant develops watery light brown spots on the leaves. Mostly young. After some time, they darken, grow, gradually merging with each other. Moreover, the lower the ambient temperature, the more abundant watering, the faster these processes occur.

If you have just discovered these signs of orchid disease, you can still help it, cutting out the damaged areas with a sharp tool, grabbing some healthy tissue. Cut edges should be treated with a preparation containing copper or crushed coal.

If these manipulations cannot be done, the flower cannot be saved. It is better to get rid of it until the disease has spread to other flowerpots.

Most often, brown bacterial rot affects such varieties of orchids as paphiopedilum, cymbidium, cattleya, phalaenopsis. Prevention of such diseases consists in spraying the plant with a solution of copper sulfate once a month.

affects the roots of the plant, which soften and deteriorate. In this case, the leaves of the plant acquire a brown tint. The reason for these processes is too high humidity and temperature.

To get rid of the disease, it is necessary to adjust the conditions of the plant, as well as treat the roots and soil with a solution of topsin (0.2%) or a solution of foundationol (0.2%). This must be done three times, with an interval of about three weeks. As a rule, for this the pot is immersed in a solution.

To prevent the disease, it is necessary to use a high-quality substrate, previously disinfected, for planting. Most often, orchids of the Paphiopedilum, Miltonia, and Cymbidium varieties need such care.

The orchid is also characterized by such a leaf disease as gray rot. It's easy to define: dark islands appear on the leaves, covered with a fluffy gray coating. Gradually, the rot passes from the leaves to the soil, then to the flowers, and then to the entire plant. The disease can also begin with flowers, covering them with small brown spots.

The disease occurs due to improper care - high humidity combined with low temperature. But sometimes the cause is excessive fertilization with a high nitrogen content, which reduces the plant's resistance to this disease.

- it is a fungal disease. Therefore, to combat it, it is necessary to remove damaged areas from the plant, and fully treated with fungicides.

Moreover, if the selected drug did not help and after some time the signs of the disease appeared again, another drug should be used. When watering, you should use products that increase the plant's resistance to disease.

Important! Try not to place orchids close to each other or to other plants. Then, in the event of the occurrence of gray rot on one plant, the spores of the fungus will not be able to spread to the neighboring one.

Most willingly, gray rot "settles" on orchids that bloom with white flowers: cattleyas, cymbidiums, phalaenopsis.

A fungal disease occurs when the flower is in a too cold room. Especially if before that the plant was sick or survived the attack of pests. In this case, the spots on the orchid leaves are removed with a sharp and sterile instrument, and the cut edges are treated with Bordeaux liquid or charcoal.
Next, the plant must be transplanted into another pot or into the same, but pre-sterilized. It is planted in a fresh sterile substrate, and the former must be disposed of. After transplantation, the plant creates the necessary conditions.

Frequent patients with a similar diagnosis are Cattleya and Paphiopedilum orchids.

If the leaves of orchids turn yellow or spots appear on them, you will probably have to deal with Fusarium rot. In this case, the leaves soften, curl, and the spores of the fungus give them a pinkish tint.

The main cause of such diseases is high humidity with poor air circulation. Most often, orchids of the epidendrum, miltonia, phalaenopsis varieties suffer from this disease if the necessary conditions are not met.

Recommended as a treatment treatment of the plant three times a day with a solution of foundationazole (0.2%). Treat all plants carefully, as rot spots can also appear on the shoots. At the same time, for the period of treatment, it is necessary to refuse to spray the plant, to ensure that it does not stand in drafts.

Leaf diseases: symptoms, prevention and treatment

Orchid diseases can be viral, bacterial or fungal in nature and manifest themselves in completely different ways: in the form of raids, stains, rot. Accordingly, for each disease there is a method of treatment.

Important! Almost all orchids lose their color over time, even with proper care. The lack of light weakens the immunity of the plant, but the light-loving orchid does not tolerate direct sunlight. Especially carefully it is necessary to accustom the orchid to the spring sun, shading those plants that stand on the south side so that they do not get sunburn. Gradually getting used to the sun, the flowers will require shading only on a hot afternoon.

Most often, this fungal disease affects the leaves of the plant. Tiny but distinct round brown spots appear on them, which increase, connecting with each other. Large affected areas turn black, forming dips. If the plant is sick for a long time, a pink or yellowish coating may appear in these areas.

The reasons: stagnant water in the axils of the leaves and high humidity.

Treatment begins with trimming the affected areas. Sections must be treated with ash or activated charcoal, and the plant itself with preparations containing copper. Processing is carried out three times with breaks of ten days. At the same time, it is necessary to reduce watering and completely abandon top dressing.

To prevent fungus it is necessary to ensure that the humidity of the air does not exceed 70% and does not fall below 40%, while regularly and well ventilating the room. Watch for water in the leaf axils and pseudobulbs. If she gathers there, remove it in time with a napkin or cloth.

Phalaenopsis, paphiopedilum, oncidium, and miltonia orchids are mainly susceptible to a similar disease.

Phalaenopsis orchids are most susceptible to this disease. First, on infected plants, the leaves turn yellow, then darken, then soften and crack. Liquid appears in the formed sores.

To get rid of the disease,such areas are cut out with a sterile and sharp instrument, the sections are treated with iodine or activated charcoal. If there are a lot of spots or the lobar vein is damaged, treatment should be carried out with stronger preparations. If after such procedures no relapse occurred within 10 days, then the plant has recovered and is non-infectious.

The disease occurs due to too bright lighting in the warm season, excessive fertilization, or improper watering.

Kinks in the leaves can cause ordinary mechanical damage. However, in some cases, they indicate insufficient watering of the orchid or its strong hypothermia after watering.

Also pay attention to fertilizers. If they contain too much nitrogen, this can also cause deformation of the leaves of the plant: thickening, fractures, cracks, discoloration to dark green.

To get rid of the problem, it is enough to refuse fertilizer for a while. It is also recommended to wash the roots of the plant and transplant it. Please note that after this procedure, the orchid may linger in growth for some time - this is a normal process.

This kind of damage appears on plants usually in spring and summer. When the activity of the sun increases. Orchids need light in large quantities, but scattered, and the direct rays of the sun for her, as a rule, are fatal and cause burns.

Provoke similar consequences and the remaining droplets of moisture on the leaves and petals. In this case, water, multiplying the strength of the sun's rays, contributes to the burn of the leaves - discolored areas with a brown edge appear on them. Over time, they dry out, forming holes.

The affected plant should be shaded, paying special attention to watering, but not flooding the flower. Heavily damaged areas must be removed by processing the edges of the cut. Top dressing during this period is better not to use.

About appearance powdery mildew He speaks white coating on leaves and flower buds. The areas covered with it dry out over time, and the plant itself dies. The disease occurs in conditions of high humidity in combination with high temperature - the so-called greenhouse effect.

As soon as you find signs of this disease, you should immediately adjust your care and start treatment. For this the plant is treated with Topsin-M, Skor, or a solution of colloidal sulfur.

As a preventive measure the orchid should be sprayed with Fitosporin. This is recommended for all home orchids, as any of them has a risk of picking up powdery mildew.

A relatively rare, but no less dangerous disease. It also has a fungal nature and primarily affects the leaves of the plant.

Moreover, it first affects the lower part of the sheet, forming light spots. Over time, red pads appear on them, in which spores of the fungus ripen. Note that the disease appears on the weakest parts of the plant.

To get rid From him, it is necessary to remove the affected areas, no matter how large they are. Remember to disinfect the cut sites with 20% alcohol or activated charcoal. Also recommended treat the plant with preparations "Mikosan", "Ridomil", "Skor", "Topsin-M".

The plant becomes ill due to the appearance of various pests on it: white scale insects, mealybugs, aphids. Its spores reproduce well in their sweet secretions.

The fungus grows by clogging the stomata of the leaves. As a result, the plant does not receive the required amount of light, weakens and, if left untreated, dies. Treatment consists of processing with the same preparations: "Mikosan", "Ridomil", "Skor", "Topsin-M".

Viral diseases of orchids

Oddly enough, orchids can also suffer from viral diseases. If a similar diagnosis was found in one plant, it must be urgently removed from others and destroyed. There are no effective methods of treating plants from viruses.

The most unpleasant thing is that the virus does not appear in the plant for a long time. It may be evidenced by the changed shape and color of the plant. Remember: if you have several flowerpots and watering is common in one container, all plants are infected.

You can bring the virus when processing orchids with tools. As soon as favorable conditions for its reproduction appear, it is immediately activated. Such conditions are a sharp decrease or increase in temperature, humidity, a change in the habitat, which lead the orchid to stress.

If you suspect that a plant is infected with a virus, first you need to isolate it and treat it with any antibiotic, and then with a fungicide.

Orchids are amazing flowers that can decorate any room. But they are quite demanding in care, the deviation from which leads to various diseases. It is necessary to constantly carry out various preventive measures, stimulate the growth and flowering of the plant.

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The leaves and flowers of a healthy orchid delight the eyes of its owners for a long time. Spots on orchid leaves, sometimes appearing for no reason, will not hide from the gaze of an experienced gardener. Why did these white dots appear and what should be done to treat the spots that are visible on the leaves of the phalaenopsis orchid?

Any depigmentation of a plant always indicates the presence of certain disorders in its vital activity. These can be white spots, watery spotting, eventually turning into necrotic black spots, dry brown spots, in place of which the plant tissue crumbles and breaks off. The spots that may appear on the leaves of phalaenopsis indicate a disease or impaired mineral nutrition of your pet.

Depending on the cause of the spots, they will have to be treated in different ways. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between signs of diseases and physiological problems of the plant. Let's take a closer look at why spots of different colors appear, and the worst thing is white spots on orchid leaves.

Phalaenopsis diseases

There is a large list of diseases whose symptoms are dots on the leaves. They can be divided into two categories - diseases caused by fungi and diseases caused by bacteria. Among the fungi, spots on the leaves cause phytophthora, fusarium, cochliobolus, pseudocochliobolus, causative agents of septoria and cercosporosis.

Bacterial causative agents of spotting mainly belong to the genus Bacillus, but there are exceptions. Basically, all these diseases manifest themselves in the initial stages in the form of the appearance of whitish or yellow spots that eventually turn black from the center of the lesion. Sometimes the spots merge and form massive necrotic areas with dark edges.

Hives

Urticaria is caused by the fungus Uredo Japanika. Dark spots up to 3 mm in diameter appear on the leaves. Over time, the entire surface of the plant is affected, which is why it dies. Usually the appearance of this disease is a consequence of poor control of the environment of the plant. Most often, phalaenopsis are infected that are in a room with low temperature and high humidity.

Bacillus Cypriped

This bacterium is the causative agent of wet rot in orchids. This is a very dangerous disease that cannot be adequately treated. At the first sign of the disease, it is recommended to remove the affected leaf.

The manifestation of the disease is very characteristic and begins at the edge of the leaf blade. First, a dark watery spot appears there, which quickly spreads down the tissue. The affected area becomes lethargic, the leaf becomes limp, an unpleasant odor characteristic of bacterioses appears.

Rot develops literally by the hour. A light affected spot darkens to yellow within a few hours, then to brown. On the second day, the whole plant becomes brown.

Dry spots

Dry spots are caused by Cladosporium Orchideorum. Small spots of brown color, dry consistency appear on the plant. Quite quickly, they cover the entire surface of the photosynthetic organ, forming black sporulation on it.

late blight

Phytophthora palmiala is a fungal pathogen. This pathogen causes black leaf base rot. An extremely dangerous disease. Pathogen spores are able to persist in the soil for a long time. It begins with the appearance of small black spots on the leaves of the orchid. Progresses rapidly, infecting and killing the entire plant. Virtually no cure. Phytophthora loves wet, cool conditions and infects the flower only in the presence of drip moisture.

Mesophyll collapse

A disease called leaf cell death. The causative agent has not been identified. It looks like single brown pits on the surface of phalaenopsis. The development of this disease is associated with watering the leaves with cold water.

Bacterial spotting

This term most often refers to spotting caused by a fungus of the genus Cercospora. It looks like white, concentric specks on the top of the leaf. From the bottom side, you can observe the development of mycelium. The disease will spread quickly under the right conditions - high temperature and high humidity.

Phyllostictina Pyriformis

Yellow leaf spot is caused by a fungus. It develops slowly, but on a large scale - the fungus quickly spreads by spores, infecting the entire plant. The spots are yellowish at first, and later darken. The fungus is an aggressive necrotroph and quickly kills the leaves of a living plant.

Chlorosis

Destruction of chlorophyll in plant cells. It looks like an uneven, light striped spotting on the surface of the affected organ. It is the result of a huge range of problems ranging from insufficient moisture or minerals (nitrogen, phosphorus) to the presence of root rot. Chlorosis is a symptom of the disease

Burkholderia gladioli

Wet bacterial rot, unusual for our latitudes. The causative agent Burkholderia gladioli lives in plant cells and causes local darkening of tissues due to the destruction of mechanical structures. The affected area becomes slimy and jelly-like in consistency.

Treatment

The treatment of spotting comes down primarily to prevention. Treat your plants in a timely manner, prevent them from freezing and stressing, make sure that there is no dripping moisture on the sheets. At the first sign of illness, remove the affected leaf to save the whole orchid. Having accurately determined who is the causative agent of your disease - a fungus or a bacterium, use the right drug

Video “Orchid diseases”

From this video you will learn about the mistakes in care and the causes of diseases.