Every now and then, as an orchid owner, you have to deal with other creatures and controls of nature, which in the form of Orchids Diseases and pests appear.
A good Care in advance and a timely treatment of the plant in case of disease symptoms prevents weakening of the plant or, in the worst case, prevents the death of the orchid.
So that you know which disease is present with which symptoms, here are now the 5 most common orchids Diseases and its symptoms.
Fungal infestation
Always check your orchids for symptoms that could be signs of disease to treat them in time. Stains on leaves. Stems from. These are brown spots that spread over time and are somewhat deeper in the skin.
Reasons for the fungal infestation are a too strong Watering in resting periods, spraying the leaves or a too high humidity. You the fungal infestation. Prevent further spread.
Sunburn
An orchid Sunburn is by far one of the most common orchid diseases and appears as a brown lump or spot on the surface of leaves and stems.
Caused by too much direct and too strong Sunlight, brown spots form on the top of the leaves of the orchid. This can be easily avoided by placing the plant in a place with less direct sunlight.
Aphid infestation
aphids are small insects that can eat small holes in the orchid leaves if you give them enough time. Aphids are usually attracted by newly blooming buds, leaves or sometimes even the orchid flowers.
Infestation by pests, in this case aphids, is easily detected by the black or green Coloring recognize the insects on the orchid.
If the orchid is infested by these pests, it is sufficient to carefully remove the aphids with a jet of water and to keep the orchid in Quarantine to put the insects so that they do not spread to other plants.
Afterwards, the orchid should be checked regularly for several days. If no new aphids appear in the following days, the infestation has been successfully removed.
For more information on how to successfully control pests on orchids, please visit the special page on the topic of Orchid diseases which deals in detail with the various pests such as aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and other pests.
Spider mites
In addition to the aphids, the spider mites are also a frequently encountered Pest that can infest your orchid.
Look for small Nets on the underside of the orchid leaves. If you find fine webs, spider mites are present. The mites themselves are too small to see with the naked eye, but pose a great danger to the orchid.
The spider mites give a Mix of substances which causes the cell membrane to dissolve and air to enter the upper parts of the cell. The affected areas get a silvery sheen.
Go to Combat the first thing you should do is carefully and thoroughly wipe the leaves with water. Spider mites do not tolerate high Humidity, therefore it is advisable to increase the humidity for the period of infestation.
For this you should pour and cover them with a transparent bag for three days to increase humidity. After that it is important to keep watching the orchid to see if all the spider mites have disappeared.
Orchid viruses
Viruses can also infect orchids. The sad thing about plant viruses is that once the virus has established itself in plant tie, it is almost impossible to treat the virus problem.
The symptoms of a viral infection are small spots that are arranged in the shape of rings, stripes or arrows. Unfortunately, the orchid can no longer be helped in this case, but plant viruses are very rare nowadays.
You should always look for a clean Cutting tool be careful, as a tool that has not been disinfected could possibly transmit viruses.
Keep the infected plants immediately in Quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus. This is especially important if you yourself Grow orchids. A spread of the viral disease could otherwise destroy your entire plant stock.
General information on the treatment of diseases and pests
It is recommended that you Treatment of pests and orchid diseases always try to use a natural method instead of using a chemical product. So try to avoid the use of pesticides and biocides.