What are the reasons?
Always at the beginning of putrefactive processes in an orchid flower, it is necessary to find out the reason for this circumstance. Then it will be clear by what means to treat black or gray rot.
There are several reasons for decay:
- Lack of sunlight when moisture evaporates poorly and water stagnates in the ground.
- Crushing the soil, due to this, it becomes dense and heavy, in this case the moisture also evaporates poorly, the water stagnates.
- If the root region is damaged during transplantation, infection can penetrate through such wounds.
- The defeat of the orchid with a fungal disease.
- Another reason why your flower began to rot is an overdose of chemical fertilizers when feeding a flower, as a result, the plant receives a chemical burn.
- An attack on the orchid of click beetles, which feed on the root system of the plant.
Often, similar problems occur in the autumn-winter period, it is at this time that it is important to reduce the number of watering the plant, but inexperienced growers continue to do this. As a result, the orchid rots
In natural conditions, the orchid grows in places with frequent tropical rainfall. Rainwater does not contain as many heavy elements and salts as is present in groundwater, and then flows out of taps in apartments.
Such water is capable of burning the root system of orchids, as well as brute force with chemical fertilizers.
As a result, the roots are burned, and this causes decay processes.
Prevention measures
Preventive measures against mealybug infestation will help reduce the possible risk of disease. An important condition is the acquisition of an initially healthy flower. To do this, you should carefully examine the plant before purchasing. If there is a "mealy" plaque on it, then you should not buy such an orchid.
In order to reduce the risk of infestation of orchids with worms, the following recommendations should be carefully followed.
- Monitor the humidity in the room where the flower is located. If the room is too dry, then you need to move the plant to another room with more humid air. In this case, you can additionally wipe the leaves with water.
- Maintain optimal lighting. So, with insufficient insolation, it is recommended to think about placing a special lamp next to the orchid.
- Regularly assess the condition of the flower. The orchid should be inspected regularly. When a white bloom appears on the leaves or flowers of a plant, it is imperative to exclude the possibility of infection of this plant with a mealybug. This will help save the orchid from possible death.
Chemicals
To combat the larvae of the pest, chemical preparations of intestinal and contact action are used. Young animals that hatch from eggs or emerge from the womb are not covered with wax powder and threads. A contact insecticide enters the shell of the larva and causes death. The control of harmful insects has become more effective thanks to enteric pesticides. After processing, all parasites that feed on the plant die.
Spraying chemicals:
- "Fitoverm", "Vertimek" - intestinal-contact insecticides of natural origin, less toxic.
- "Aktara" is a drug poisonous for a large group of plant pests. The working fluid is prepared from 2 g of powder and 2.5 l of water.
- "Calypso" is an insecticide causing rapid death of insects when using a solution of 0.5 ml in 1 liter of water.
- "Actellik" is a remedy used on indoor plants in exceptional cases, in case of massive pest infestation.
Tips for working with drugs:
- Insecticides are toxic substances. Before fighting the mealybug using chemicals, the orchid is taken out to the balcony.
- Prepare and apply the solution in rubber gloves, a respirator, protective clothing and goggles.
- After processing, the orchid is covered with a pre-prepared cap made of colorless polyethylene film. Peel off the coating after 24–48 hours.
- Do not eat food while working with pesticide solutions.
- The presence of children in the room where spraying is carried out is unacceptable.
- After the procedure, they remove the protective equipment, take a shower and rinse the mouth.
If soil pests are found, the orchid is transplanted. The roots can be treated with an insecticide after clearing the soil. The flower pot is washed with water, rinsed with a weak pesticide solution. Against winged males, sticky tapes are hung near light sources.
It is possible to get rid of mealybugs on orchids with the help of chemicals that have a contact or intestinal effect. Juveniles are not yet covered with a protective wax coating. Because of this, the contact insecticide destroys the shell of the pest, getting on it. Due to the use of enteric chemicals, the treatment becomes more efficient. These drugs are able to remove all parasites on the plant and allow you to fight the scourge faster and more successfully.
The following pesticides and insecticides are used to treat orchids:
- Fitoverm;
- "Vertimek";
- Aktara;
- "Calypso";
- Actellik.
"Fitoverm" and "Vermittek" are drugs with an intestinal contact method of influencing pests. Their toxicity is not as high as other chemicals used to treat flowers with mealybugs.
Phalaenopisis treatment with Calypso insecticide quickly kills harmful organisms. It is really possible to save an orchid from a mealybug with its help, by preparing a solution of 1 liter of water and 0.5 ml of the drug.
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Treatment with the Actellik chemical is rarely used. The main indication for use is massive damage to flowers by parasitic organisms. One ampoule of insecticide is dissolved in 2 liters of water. The prepared solution is sprayed on the leaves on both sides. Also, the root part of the orchid is treated with part of the working fluid. It takes 3-4 treatments to cure it. A break of 7 days is observed between them.
Treatment of orchids from mealybug
The main causes of occurrence
The reasons for this unusual phenomenon can be varied.
- Attracting insects. Orchids in their natural habitat lure insects for pollination through sweet nectar. In this case, the formation of sticky droplets is a natural process for the processing of sugars inside the flower.
- Damage by harmful insects. With poor immunity, an exotic flower is attacked by pests, in particular: aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, ticks, worms. They feed on the sap of the plant. And the sticky layer is a kind of signal for help.
- Features of the variety. Some types of orchids regularly develop a sweet layer, while others, on the contrary, never do this. And here it is not even a matter of the conditions of detention, although they may be the same.
- Defeat by disease. Sugar drops still indicate the defeat of an infectious disease powdery mildew. At the same time, white bloom is noticeable on the leaves, and at later stages - fungal sporulation of black color (you can find out about diseases of the leaves of the phalaenopsis orchid and their treatment here).
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Deteriorating conditions of detention. This item means:
- low room temperature;
- excessive watering;
- wet air;
- oversaturation with fertilizers.
We recommend watching a video about the reasons for the appearance of sticky drops on orchid leaves:
Reasons for the appearance
The formation of white bloom on an orchid is a symptom indicating a fungal or parasitic infection of the plant. In the first case, the cause of the appearance of white bloom on the leaves is a disease called powdery mildew. In the second case, the occurrence of white bloom is due to the activity of a pest called a mealybug. If you find similar symptoms, the plant is subject to immediate isolation and requires proper treatment.
As the disease progresses, the plaque becomes grayish and spreads to all parts of the plant. With neglected forms, plaque is formed not only on the leaves, but also on flowers, stems, flowering arrows, buds and roots.
In the event that the plant has been attacked by a mealybug, it begins to become covered with a sticky whitish bloom, similar to a thin cotton layer. Very often, traces of a sticky and viscous substance are formed on the trunk and other parts of the orchid - honeydew, which is a product of the pest's vital activity. Leaving behind this sweet, sticky secret on the stems, flowers and leaves, the pest contributes to the defeat of the plant by fungal diseases. To a greater extent, the problem is aggravated by the fact that the mealybug, feeding on the juices of the orchid, dooms it to a slow but sure death.
Other well-known pests that can lead to the formation of white bloom on orchids are aphids and spider mites. Aphids, like the worm, produce a viscous whitish honeydew. The waste product of the tick, in turn, is a sticky cobweb, which visually resembles a translucent film. Both parasites feed on plant juices, and their waste products create excellent conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
Plant breeders believe that the main reason for the formation of white bloom is improper care and lack of control over the condition of the plant. As a result of non-observance of the rules of care for exotics, immunity begins to decrease, ensuring their resistance to the development of diseases and attacks of pests. Orchids with reduced immunity are very quickly affected by a fungus or are exposed to an invasion of parasites, which, in the absence of full treatment, leads to the death of exotics.
Among the main reasons due to which fungal plaque of fungal or parasitic origin appears on orchids, plant breeders distinguish such as:
- an excess of nitrogen in the substrate caused by a violation of the feeding regime;
- unsuitable level of air humidity;
- violation of the irrigation regime, waterlogging of the substrate;
- use of substandard or contaminated substrate.
Another reason that increases the risk of fungus or pests affecting the orchid is lack of proper care. So, leaving dry leaves, faded flowering arrows or flowers in a pot, an inexperienced plant grower may not even guess that they are a favorite habitat of not only pathogenic bacteria, but also many well-known pests. For this reason, the pots where orchids grow should always be kept clean.
Another reason why orchids are vulnerable to the formation of white bloom, experienced plant breeders call the genetic predisposition of hybrids due to the characteristics of the variety.
