It can break your heart when you come home and the long-awaited orchid buds have fallen next to the pot before they have opened. If your orchid suddenly loses buds, you should find out what the cause is and how you can prevent this from happening in the future. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the possible reasons and help you grow a profusely flowering plant.
Why does the orchid lose its buds?
The orchid buds are the most delicate part of the plant and the most susceptible to damage. Only those who have experienced it know how frustrating it is when the precious orchid buds dry up and fall off prematurely. While it's not uncommon, it's certainly possible to prevent it.
What you need to do first is to find the reason for the failed flowering. Changes in watering routine, too little light, temperature fluctuations and changes in the environment cause healthy-looking orchid buds to drop, wilt and shrink. Phalaenopsis orchids are particularly susceptible to this problem due to irregularities in care and location.
Check the following points to find out why your orchid is losing buds.
Extreme temperature fluctuations
Neithercold drafts, stilldry heating airThe orchid tolerates well. So the windowsill may not be the best location for this sensitive plant in winter. Leaky windows and regular ventilation can damage the orchid buds and cause them to dry out. Proximity to the radiator is also a problem as the orchid is ahigh humidityloves, and does not thrive if the air is too dry.
In addition, if you buy a new orchid with buds in winter, be sure to bring it home quickly and not immediately unpack it so that it can gradually adjust to room temperature.
Solutions:
- If your windows are leaking, do not place the orchids directly on the windowsill. Temporary compaction, such as a Styrofoam plate, can also serve you well if changing location is not possible.
- Choose a location for the orchid that is as far away from the radiator as possible.
- To increase the humidity, place the orchid pot on a bowl filled with water and gravel.
Lack of light causes the orchid to drop new buds
An orchid needs a lot of light to produce beautiful, magnificent flowers. AtLack of lightThe plant cannot put enough energy into the growth of buds and flowers and this leads to bud loss.
Solutions:
- To compensate for the lack of light, place the orchid in a south-facing window during the winter months (but only if there are no drafts there). Please note: Orchids do not tolerate frequent changes of location. So only change the place when necessary and a maximum of twice a year.
- For optimal light output in winter, you can use special plant lamps with artificial light.
Change in frequency of irrigation
Have you changed your watering routine?Both underwatering and overwateringcan cause the orchid to lose buds. If the plant receives insufficient water, it may draw moisture from the buds in order to survive. Overwatering destroys the orchid's root system, meaning the plant can no longer absorb water properly and transport it to the buds.
Solutions:
- Create a watering schedule that you follow strictly. As a rule, it is enough to water the orchids once a week. More about proper watering,read here.
Surprisingly, ripening fruit is also a possible cause
Did you know thatripening fruithow do bananas, apples and oranges release the gas ethylene? If this gas is exuded near an orchid, it accelerates the plant's aging process and causes it to drop its buds.
Solution:
- Place fruit bowls and baskets at least 1 meter away from your orchids.
But: there can be several reasons
If the orchid loses its buds, this can sometimes be attributed to several reasons. Even a small oneChange of locationDuring the bud formation phase this can result in their drying out. TheRepottingPicking the orchid at the wrong time also often causes it to drop its buds. Sometimes can tooPeststo blame for italthough this is not the most common cause.
How to prevent buds from falling off?
In short, any drastic change in your orchid's environment can result in bud loss. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but once you know the causes, it's no longer a secret.
Once this problem occurs, you cannot reverse it, but you can try to create more consistent conditions for your plant while it is forming its buds to save the rest of the unopened buds.
The best remedy for bud formation in orchids is a stable environment with adequate moisture levels, good light, uniform temperatures without cold or hot drafts and a humid environment.
By following the tips in this post, you can prevent your orchid buds from falling off before they open.
Also interesting:What to do if the orchid buds don't open?
Will my orchid bloom despite dropping buds?
Whether you can still save the orchid flower depends on how many of the buds have fallen off. If your orchid has formed a large number of buds during the growth phase and only dropped 2-3 of them, then the rest may still be able to be saved if you find the cause and eliminate it quickly. Take a closer look at the remaining buds: if they look healthy and show no signs of drying out, then there is a good chance that the plant will bloom soon despite the loss of some buds. Still, avoid changing location if it is the most likely reason and try to fix the problem differently.
Also read:Lots of aerial roots, no flowers? This is how orchids bloom again!
