When the orchid turns yellow leaves, the hobby gardener immediately has several questions in his head. What does it mean when orchid leaves turn yellow? Should I cut off the yellow leaves? How can I save an overwatered orchid? What should I do about yellowing leaves? In this article we tried to provide an answer to all of these questions. We list the most common reasons why orchids get yellow leaves and give tips on how to solve the problem.
Orchid leaves turn yellow: is there reason to panic?
If your orchid's leaves start to yellow, it's normal to feel like something is wrong.
Of course, when a leaf gets older, it loses its green color and falls off. Yellow leaves on your orchid could simply indicate the end of its natural life cycle. To produce new leaves, the older leaves fall off near the base. Beforehand they turn yellow and then slowly shrink. Although they are unsightly, it is best to leave them until they fall off on their own.
So if the yellow leaves on your orchid are old leaves and the other leaves are not affected, then there is nothing to worry about. This is a sure sign that your orchid is growing and the life cycle of the affected leaf is simply complete. However, if this is not the case, there can be various causes for the discoloration, for example:
- too much direct sunlight
- Low or high temperatures
- Overwatering
- Root rot
- not enough or wrong fertilizer
- too much fertilizer
- Change in environment
- bacterial or fungal infection or disease
How to tell if yellow leaves are normal on your orchid
How many leaves should an orchid actually have? At aSchmetterlingsorchideethis question is easier to answer. A phalaenopsis has one leaf for every 10% humidity in the environment in which it lives. That is why orchids in the greenhouse, where the humidity is 70-80%, have about 8 magnificent leaves. Since the humidity at home is lower, between 25 and 40%, you can assume that 4 leaves is “normal”. In all orchids, the lower leaves turn yellow first, one at a time in different seasons.
This is a normal part of the orchid's life cycle. Caring for a dying leaf is not always advisable, so the orchid sheds the old leaf. A new leaf then grows on the upper part of the stem.
Should you cut off yellow orchid leaves?
Experts recommend that you do not cut off the yellow leaves because this can allow bacteria and fungi to enter the orchid. Only if your orchid is weakened or recovering from a serious illness may it be advisable to remove the leaf. This saves energy and the orchid can concentrate on what is more urgent.
Orchid gets yellow leaves after repotting: That's why
If you have recently repotted an orchid by changing the substrate from peat to bark, the orchid may react by turning the leaves yellow. This is a natural reaction of the plant, albeit a negative one. It is hoped that over time the yellow will fade and the normal green color will return. The stress caused by the change in the environment is too great for the orchid and it temporarily “switches off”. For this reason, you should only repot an orchid if absolutely necessary.
If the yellow leaf is a newer leaf, or if multiple leaves are affected, there may be another problem, not just an expiring life cycle. Now let's look at the possible causes to find out the best way to stop yellowing leaves.
Too much sunlight
In nature, the orchid is a tropical plant that usually grows in indirect sunlight under the canopy of trees. She is not used to direct sunlight. So if it is placed in a location with too much direct sunlight, the orchid may develop yellow leaves. Sun damage begins as white spots surrounded by brown circles. You may also notice burn marks, cracks in the leaves and burnt leaf tips.
Solve the problem
All plants need light, but indirect sunlight is the best choice for orchids. Make sure your orchid is in a well-lit area, but not in direct sun. East-facing windows are best as they receive the gentler morning sun, which is not as intense. North and west facing windows are also a good choice. They perfectly replicate the tropical rainforest. South-facing windows receive too much sun, so they should be avoided, especially in summer.
However, we cannot precisely control the position of our windows. So if you feel like your plants are getting too much direct sunlight, try using a sheer curtain or moving them further away from the window and placing them on a stand instead.
Temperature too low or too high
Orchids want to be kept at appropriate temperatures, in the range of 15-25°C. For most homeowners, this is the average temperature in their home. However, if your orchid is exposed to temperatures below 15°C or above 25°C, the plant will experience excessive stress.
You may notice progressive yellowing of the leaves and leaf drop. Temperature stress can also cause brown or black leaves or even plant death.
Solve the problem
Of all the problems that can cause yellow leaves on your orchid, the wrong temperature is the easiest to fix. Just get a thermometer and check that your chosen location is within the acceptable range.
In some cases, windows can be subject to significant temperature fluctuations. In the summer, with direct sunlight, your windowsill can feel like an oven, and when it's cold outside, the window can get chilly, so take these fluctuations into account too.
Overwatering can cause yellow leaves
One of the classic signs that a houseplant is getting too much water is thatthe leaves turn yellow. Orchids also follow this pattern. The yellow color means a slow loss of the green chlorophyll, which ensures energy production.
The excessive amount of water prevents the plant from absorbing water and nutrients from the soil. As you can imagine, this can become a serious problem.
Solve the problem
Contrary to what you may have read, orchids only require a small amount of water. Before watering your plant, feel the potting soil with your finger. Is it dry? If not, wait another day (or two) before watering the plant. If the answer is yes, feel free to give your plant a little – not too much – water.
Contrary to what your plant care instincts may tell you, it is always better not to overwater the plant, but rather to water it sparingly. Orchids tolerate underwatering better than overwatering.
If your orchid is severely overwatered and you feel that the substrate is taking a long time to dry, you can try to save the roots using a more drastic method. Separate the orchid from the pot and allow the roots to air dry for two days or longer. When doing this, remove all of the substrate. After a few days in the fresh air, the roots should look better. The leaves may turn yellowish-brown again because the internal structure of the leaf has been damaged too much. But you may be able to save the plant by losing just a leaf or two.
Yellow leaves due to root rot
Another problem often related to excessive watering is root rot. It is advisable to check the potting substrate regularly (or use transparent plastic pots), controlling the quality of the roots, drainage, air circulation in the pot and the compactness of the substrate.
Solve the problem
Remove the orchid from the pot and urgently change the substrate mixture. Cut off the dead roots and spray the orchid with hydrogen peroxide to kill some of the bacteria that have built up from root rot.
Make sure your orchid has good ventilation in the substrate, not just the leaves. Root rot is not impossible to cure if the orchid has some good signs of rot and you take the time to care for it.
Nutrient deficiency leads to yellow leaves
If you don't give your plants fertilizer, a nutrient deficiency can also be the cause of the yellow leaves. If the nutrient reserves are exhausted, your plant will show signs of nutrient deficiency if you do not re-fertilize.
Most often, orchids suffer from manganese, zinc, iron and nitrogen deficiencies. All of these nutrients are necessary for good growth and must be fertilized.
Solve the problem
This problem is easy to fix! You just need to start with one every two weekssuitable orchid fertilizerto put out. Make sure your fertilizer has a balanced NPK ratio.
Too much fertilizer can also turn the orchid's leaves yellow
Overfertilization can also affect the look of your plant. During your orchid's active growth, you should fertilize weekly or every two weeks. During rest periods you can fertilize once a month. If you fertilize too much, the chemicals will build up in the potting soil and contaminate it.
Some fertilizers can be applied using a mist. This is a good method, but be careful not to let the water settle on the leaves. In this case, small black dots appear where the water stains were. They turn the leaf yellow when a large area of the leaf is spotted.
Solve the problem
Once you give your plants too much fertilizer, you can't take it back. Instead, take some time to learn how to use yourFertilize plants properly.
Remember not to fertilize during the flowering period. When the flowers fall off, begin fertilizing to encourage your plant's growth and the development of new flowers.
A sudden change in surroundings
Changing a plant's location or environment can cause stress, causing leaves or flowers to drop.
If your orchid's leaves turn yellow, this is often a sign of stress. It can occur when you first bring your plant home from the store or when you move it from one room to another. This can also happen if you have to move or something similar.
Solve the problem
If you just brought your orchid home from the store, don't worry if the leaves turn yellow. There's not much you can do.
Make sure you choose a good location for your plant and it will settle in gradually. It can be difficult to prevent this problem and the only thing you can do is provide the right climate.
Orchid gets yellow leaves due to disease
Last but not least, your plants could be suffering from an infection or disease that is causing the yellow leaves. Typically, diseases cause yellow spots and spots on the leaves rather than general yellowing of the entire leaf.
Fungi, bacteria and viruses are all treated differently because they are different organisms. If you've checked all of the other causes above and none seem to be the problem, there's a good chance it's fungus. Readhere about the most well-known diseases of orchidsand what you can do about it.
Conclusion
If you notice your orchid's leaves turning yellow, the first thing you should do is go through all of these causes and figure out what the problem is. It could be the natural life cycle, or your plant could be under stress. With our tips you should be able to identify the cause of the yellowingLeaves of your orchidrecognize and treat them promptly.
After determining the reason, you can take appropriate steps and measures to resolve the problem and ensure that it does not reoccur in the future.
