Orchid Problems - Pests and Disease - Prevention is Better Than Cure (Part 2)
In this part of the article on orchid problems I talk about orchid disease and how to deal with it.
By keeping your growing area clean you can reduce the occurrence of many orchid problems caused by pests and disease.
You can also minimise the effects of pests and disease by maintaining correct orchid care procedures such as are watering, temperature, lighting, and air circulation as well as feeding to keep your plants healthy.
Unhealthy orchids are more susceptible to the following problems from disease.
Prevention is better than cure.
Orchid problems and their Symptoms - DISEASE NOTE:- this is just a guide and by noticing any of these symptoms does not necessarily mean the problem exists.
If you discover any of the following symptoms visit your local nursery or garden center (preferably from where you purchased your orchid or one that is suitably knowledgeable about orchids).
Fungal and Bacterial Disease When conditions are suitable all fungi and bacteria can spread rapidly and should be dealt with immediately.
Unlike pests that that attack healthy plant tissue orchid disease usually attack through cuts or damaged areas.
It is recommended to treat every cut or damaged area immediately and sterilize all tools before use.
Brown Spot This may first appear as a soft wet area on the leaf's surface, but could easily spread and change to a brown colour if not treated.
Cut out any affected area with a sharp knife.
Petal Blight First appears as small circular spots, dark brown or black, on the flower and is most common in early autumn flowers, and especially prone are Cattleyas and Phalaenopsis.
Viral Disease Even plants showing good health may be infected with some kind of viral infection.
Pests are often responsible for orchid problems including spreading disease and should be controlled at all times.
It is also important to Sterilize your tools before use to reduce the spread of infection and any plant suspected of having a virus should be isolated immediately.
Symptoms will be different depending on both the genus and virus, you may find blotches or irregular color stripes in the flowers petals and / or sepals.
The only cure unfortunately is to destroy the plant by burning it.
If you suspect anything is wrong consult your local nursery or garden center.
These days with digital cameras it is easy to take a photo in order to show it to them.
If not attended to, orchid disease can lead to your whole collection being destroyed.
For most of these orchid problems there are effective treatments, many of which require chemical treatments.
As with all things chemical, there can be detrimental affects to humans and pests so use them wisely and when available explore green environment friendly alternatives.
Don't panic if your orchids show signs of being "sick" as it may also be as simple as changing some aspect of your environment or routine such as under or over watering or over feeding.
However don't delay in diagnosing and fixing or eradicating any orchid problems immediately.
By keeping your growing area clean you can reduce the occurrence of many orchid problems caused by pests and disease.
You can also minimise the effects of pests and disease by maintaining correct orchid care procedures such as are watering, temperature, lighting, and air circulation as well as feeding to keep your plants healthy.
Unhealthy orchids are more susceptible to the following problems from disease.
Prevention is better than cure.
Orchid problems and their Symptoms - DISEASE NOTE:- this is just a guide and by noticing any of these symptoms does not necessarily mean the problem exists.
If you discover any of the following symptoms visit your local nursery or garden center (preferably from where you purchased your orchid or one that is suitably knowledgeable about orchids).
Fungal and Bacterial Disease When conditions are suitable all fungi and bacteria can spread rapidly and should be dealt with immediately.
Unlike pests that that attack healthy plant tissue orchid disease usually attack through cuts or damaged areas.
It is recommended to treat every cut or damaged area immediately and sterilize all tools before use.
Brown Spot This may first appear as a soft wet area on the leaf's surface, but could easily spread and change to a brown colour if not treated.
Cut out any affected area with a sharp knife.
Petal Blight First appears as small circular spots, dark brown or black, on the flower and is most common in early autumn flowers, and especially prone are Cattleyas and Phalaenopsis.
Viral Disease Even plants showing good health may be infected with some kind of viral infection.
Pests are often responsible for orchid problems including spreading disease and should be controlled at all times.
It is also important to Sterilize your tools before use to reduce the spread of infection and any plant suspected of having a virus should be isolated immediately.
Symptoms will be different depending on both the genus and virus, you may find blotches or irregular color stripes in the flowers petals and / or sepals.
The only cure unfortunately is to destroy the plant by burning it.
If you suspect anything is wrong consult your local nursery or garden center.
These days with digital cameras it is easy to take a photo in order to show it to them.
If not attended to, orchid disease can lead to your whole collection being destroyed.
For most of these orchid problems there are effective treatments, many of which require chemical treatments.
As with all things chemical, there can be detrimental affects to humans and pests so use them wisely and when available explore green environment friendly alternatives.
Don't panic if your orchids show signs of being "sick" as it may also be as simple as changing some aspect of your environment or routine such as under or over watering or over feeding.
However don't delay in diagnosing and fixing or eradicating any orchid problems immediately.