Wrinkled, limp leaves on orchids are often a sign of care errors. To prevent the plant from drying out, you need to act quickly. We explain what you can do about wilted and yellow leaves on orchids and how to prevent them from drooping.
Wilting and yellow leaves on orchids: Possible causes
The possible reasons for limp leaves on orchids are very varied. The most common cause is a casting error. Both lack of watering and overwatering can have a negative effect. If there is a lack of watering, the leaves often turn yellow, become brittle and fall off. When watered, the leaves feel soft, turn brown and also fall off.
Chalky water is to blame for wilted and yellow leaves
We have already discussed the effect of incorrect watering on orchids in our article about sagging leaves on orchids. If the orchid leaves look wilted and yellowish, the first thing you should do is check the soil and aerial roots. If the aerial roots are dry, then you have not watered the orchid enough or the humidity in the room is too low. If the substrate is moist, then you have watered the orchid too much and the roots have most likely wilted.
Too little water:In most cases, the combination of yellow and wilted leaves is a sure sign that you have theExotics have not been watered enough. A dip can save the situation if you haven't watered it for a maximum of two to three weeks. However, if the orchid has been left without water for a long time, a dipping bath cannot help. In this case, you should repot them, cutting off any brown roots.
Water often but little:If the orchid receives water often, but not in the necessary amount, this can have the opposite effect of what is desired. The substrate is moist, but the roots cannot become saturated and wither. In this case, the entire plant can die.
Water that is too hard:Another possible cause forwithered leavesIn the case of orchids, the lime content in the drainage water. Only water the orchid with decalcified water. It tolerates rainwater even better.
Why are orchid leaves limp after repotting?
The orchid was doing quite well a week ago. This week, after repotting, their leaves are starting to wilt. What could it be?
Planted too deep:Most likely you planted the orchid too deep. The irrigation water gets on the recently sprouted orchid and the new leaves rot. The plant looks strange: the leaves below are yellow and soft, but above they look quite healthy.
The leaves are stunted and limp: how to save the orchid?
If the orchid forms wilted and yellow leaves and the stems crack as they grow, you need to act quickly. Because guiltThis is usually done by thrips, pests that almost exclusively attack houseplants.
Here's how you can fight thrips: Isolate the affected orchid. Place the pot in a sealable freezer bag to protect the substrate and roots. Then shower the orchid with soapy water.
Thrips attack orchids when the humidity in the room is above 60% and the temperatures are above 20 degrees Celsius. To prevent a second infestation, ventilate the winter quarters regularly to reduce the room temperature and humidity.
What to do if the orchids droop their leaves
If theOrchids let their leaves hang,then this is a sure sign of stress. Check first:
- whether all or only certain leaves hang.If all the leaves are hanging, it could be due to a watering error and the roots could be rotting. If only the lower leaves are hanging, you should repot the orchid and not plant it too deep in the substrate.
- whether the substrate is moist or dry.Damp substrate combined with brown roots could indicate a watering error. To save the plant, you will need to repot it and let it dry for about a week. Then dive into the water. If the substrate is dry, immerse the orchid in water.
- the leaves are affected by thrisps.If the orchids are infested with pests, you should treat them immediately and isolate the diseased plant from the other houseplants.
- the humidity in the room is over 60%.The humidity can be too highpromote waterlogging. So try to ventilate the room several times a day. Don't just open a tilt window, but actually ventilate it suddenly.
- the room temperature is above 20 degrees Celsius.Room temperature in itself is not a symptom of illness. It can only have a negative effect on the orchid in combination with other symptoms. Even then, you should never put the sensitive exotic animal in an unheated room because it will freeze to death.
