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Why do orchid leaves turn yellow: is it normal or should you start worrying – expert advice
29.01.2024 22:40
An orchid at home rarely pampers its owners with its blooming, so it adds another reason for panic.
Suddenly, the plant's leaves start to turn yellow. It is not clear whether this is a consequence of improper care or a natural process.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", an agronomist and landscape designer, told what happens to orchid leaves.
Why do orchid leaves turn yellow?
There may be several reasons, but in general, we can distinguish between a natural process associated with the aging of the flower or diseases.
The orchid is getting old
In this case, nothing is artificially disturbed. The production of pigments decreases, and the green leaf of the plant changes its color.
Usually the process starts from the tips. At first they become pale yellow.
The process begins on the lower tier leaves. 1-2 leaves can start turning yellow at once. This phenomenon is most often observed by breeders of phalaenopsis, dendrobium, paphiopedilum.
Most varieties shed their leaves once every one and a half years.
The leaf withers from several weeks to several months, but there is no reason to worry.
Diseases
It is difficult to make a mistake. The fact is that the disease affects young shoots, or there is a massive dying off of foliage.
This can be caused by rot (overwatering, bacterial or fungal infection, lack of light, contaminated substrate, etc.).
In this case, the leaves not only turn yellow, but curl at the edges, brown spots appear, the plant turns gray, rots and dies.
Avoiding problems is not difficult if you follow preventive measures and recommendations for plant care.
Previously we talked about why stratification is needed and how to carry it out .
