Capricious beauty: why does an orchid wither and drop its flowers? Why do orchid buds fall off? Why do orchid buds dry out without blooming.

It is impossible not to fall in love with the beauty of orchids. According to one of the ancient legends, they are nothing more than fragments of a rainbow that fell to the ground. The German botanist Ritter von Blume mistook orchids for living butterflies. Flowers of some species really look like these fabulously beautiful creatures. Orchid owners love them and are proud of them. Unfortunately, sometimes the plant fails to bloom. Why do orchid buds fall off? What is she missing?

Species diversity

Many will be surprised to learn that orchids are distributed throughout the globe. They are found only in the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. And the variety of orchids is no less amazing than their beauty. According to the latest data, there are about 35 thousand species of these flowers. There are even some that bloom underground! But the vast majority still live in the tropics. One of the main reasons why an orchid's buds fall off is that the conditions under which it is kept do not correspond to natural conditions.

Dimensions various types orchids vary greatly. Some are very tiny, just a few millimeters, others are real giants, growing up to 30 meters. And their life expectancy is also different. Some live a short life, others delight with their beauty until they are 70 years old. IN room conditions Unfortunately, this period is much shorter and ranges from 7 to 15 years, depending on the type and proper care. It happens that an orchid’s buds fall off due to its advanced age, although it still throws out the flower arrow. After all, when purchasing, the seller hardly disclosed her date of birth.

Aerial roots

Despite the huge species diversity, all orchids are divided into epiphytes, that is, those that live on other plants, lithophytes, living on stones, and terrestrial ones. In our homes you can often find epiphytic orchids, for example, phalaenopsis. To some of us, their intricate interweaving seems wonderful, but phalaenopsis breathes with them. In addition, in the roots of orchids, which are unusual for the eye, there is velamen, a special suction tissue. With its help, the flower stores moisture. These “light” orchids live for about 2 years, then they die and are replaced by new ones. It is important that everything is in order with the root system of the plant. This applies to both aerial roots and ordinary underground ones. If there are few living, healthy roots, this means that the area of ​​absorption and respiration decreases. This is another reason why the orchid's buds fall off. This is especially true for species with thin leaves. Therefore, it is imperative to monitor the root system and protect it from both excess moisture and excessive dryness.

Floral stress

It often happens: you buy a magnificent blooming beauty in a store, and when you bring it home, it sits for a day or two and withers. There may be several reasons why the orchid's buds dry out in this case. One of them may be that the flower’s usual environment has changed. Don't be surprised, plants are also susceptible to stress. If this is the case, the orchid will definitely bloom again. It is much worse if you purchased a diseased plant. A healthy orchid has no spots on its leaves, aerial roots silver color, slightly green after watering, and the underground root system is rot-free and well developed. Some may ask why the seller’s plant bloomed, but didn’t want to go home? Because in the store he had the usual environment, and perhaps he was stuffed with various stimulants there. At home it lost all this, so it dropped its buds.

Sun, air and water

The most common thing in our apartments is that the buds fall off, even in completely healthy ones, due to proper lighting. There should be enough of it, so you can’t place a flower pot deep into the room. If a flower shoots out during a period when there is little natural light, you need to provide lighting for it. But also a large number of The sun is harmful to orchids. In summer, they need to be hidden from direct sunlight, which dries out the roots and harms the leaves. To do this, shade the plant, for example, with a curtain. If the window faces sunny side, it is advisable to move the flower to a place where it is warm, but not hot.

But even in winter you can harm the plant by overheating. In many houses, batteries are seriously damaged. The heat coming from them greatly dries out the air. Orchids don't like this. If possible, it is better to move them to another place. If this is not possible, you can install air humidifiers near the orchids. You can also spray the plant regularly. For this you need to take only purified water.

In addition to proper lighting and humidity, the orchid also needs proper watering. It is clear that when there is too much water, the roots rot, and when there is too little, they dry out. Experts advise checking the humidity of the substrate in a flower pot by touch. The plant should be watered when the soil is only slightly moist. Some recommend not watering the orchid, but placing it in a bowl of warm water for 40 minutes. clean water. The plant itself will take as much moisture as it needs.

Warm and cold

Wrong temperature regime- another reason why the orchid’s buds fall off. Firstly, she may become hypothermic on the way home from the store, especially if it is frosty outside. Secondly, it is possible that where the orchid pot is located, a window often opens for ventilation. Thirdly, the flower is bothered by drafts. And fourthly, the temperature in the room does not correspond to what the plant needs.

As noted above, orchids are common in almost all climatic zones. To correctly determine the temperature for each orchid, you need to find out where its natural habitat is. For residents of the tropics, 26-30 degrees Celsius is suitable in summer, 15-20 in winter. For those plants that are distributed a little further north, in summer the air temperature should not exceed 22-25 degrees Celsius, and in winter - 12-15. Well, for cold-loving beauties, the temperature is maintained within 20-22 degrees in summer, and up to 15 in winter.

For all plants, temperature differences of more than 5 degrees Celsius, for example, day and night, are extremely undesirable.

Diseases

Second pest - gray mold. It is a fungus that appears due to improper care. If there are spots with a gray coating on the leaves of the orchid, and watery dewdrops on the flowers and buds that darken over time, it can be assumed that the flower is sick. It must be treated immediately. The success of plant conservation depends on this.

Flowers on an orchid many are waiting impatiently, closely monitoring the process of arrow grazing, the development of branches, and the appearance of buds.

And at the most inopportune moment the buds begin to dry out or just crumble, what to do about it and what is the reason for what is happening?

During the flowering period When buds and already blossoming flowers suddenly drop abruptly, you should pay attention to them. A question that many orchid lovers ask is: why do the flowers fall off?

Reasons why the flower behaves this way, maybe several. Almost all of them boil down to the fact that the trunk was not properly cared for.

It is possible to prevent and avoid this, but first you need to find out the reason.

Phalaenopsis buds and flowers may wilt and fall off for these reasons:

Important! When choosing a permanent place of life for an orchid, you need to remove indoor banana trees and tomatoes from the windowsill. IN summer period do not place pots with stems on open window, near which apple trees and nuts grow.

Basic mistakes when caring

Improper care of phalaenopsis is often causes the buds to dry out, beginning flower growers usually make the following mistakes:

Most often because of this, the phalaenopsis orchid and drops buds and flowers.

Methods for preventing and saving peduncles

The consequence of the reasons is the falling of the buds, but this can be stopped. Why do the buds fall off? What to do in such a situation?

Different methods, they depend on the root cause:

Advice! To spray the plant, it is better to take special solutions with nutrients, and moisten the air around with plain water.

• Don't let the straight sun rays influence the plant, they will leave burns on the leaves, roots, and flowers. It is best to choose a place for phalaenopsis in partial shade or put up an artificial fence. This is done using a simple sheet of paper or a piece of fabric.

Rules for feeding during budding

plays important role for all flowers that grow in pots.

There is no other way for them to get the necessary micro- and macroelements. for normal growth and development.

Without fertilizing, indoor plants will not bloom, that’s what they need I just don't have the strength.

Orchids also need help; they use special types, it is not advisable to use universal ones.

It’s worth feeding the trunks during a period of active growth, when the plant acquires new leaves and expels a peduncle.

They do it according to such rules:

• The plant in the pot is briefly soaked in water, this is done in order to absorb nutrients passed as efficiently as possible;
• Then feed concentrate is added to the water, and the phalaenopsis is left in this solution for 15-20 minutes;
• After the time has passed, the pot is removed and excess water is allowed to drain.

After feeding, you should carefully ensure that there is no liquid in the tray or saucer, it may burn tender roots phalaenopsis.

Her worth draining every time, as soon as it appears.

Feed orchids once every two weeks with root fertilizers; in between, you can apply foliar remedies.

Large inflorescences are located at the base of the peduncle. Each variety has a different number of flowers and can reach up to 80 pieces. The aroma can be described as soft and delicate.

The color palette can vary from delicate pastel tones to those painted in intricate patterns. The buds open gradually, the lateral and upper leaves appear first, and then the lip. The opening of the bud takes about a day. Need to create reliable support for the peduncle so that it does not break off under the weight of the blossoming buds. Usually the flowering period lasts for several months, which pleases the owners.

What speeds up the process of flower buds withering?

Various factors can speed up the process of bud wilting.. One of them is the lack of consecration; professionals advise placing the plant on a well-consecrated windowsill. In this case, you should avoid direct sunlight.

Reference! Ideal option there will be artificial lighting, which will become a lifesaver on cloudy winter days.

Another reason is sudden changes in temperature, including being close to batteries and other heating systems. You should also monitor the watering schedule and insects that may unwittingly fly through the window and pollinate the flowers. Another reason may be insufficient or excess humidity air.

How to distinguish natural shedding from sudden shedding?

The natural fall of orchid flowers can be easily distinguished from a sudden drop. The flowers that bloomed first are the first to die and fall off. When they fall from the peduncle, the flowers fall off in a chaotic manner. When purchasing, it is usually unknown when the flower began to bloom, so it is worth buying orchids with barely opened buds.

Why can they fade quickly?

Among the main reasons for the falling of buds are the following::

• Insufficient light.
• Overwatering or an insufficient amount glaze.
• Insufficient air humidity.
• Finding a flower in a draft.
• Sudden change in temperature.
• Changing the place where the plant stands.
• Diseases or pests.
• Being close to fruits and vegetables that are a source of ethylene (apples, bananas and others).

What remedies can help?

To solve many problems associated with orchid flowering, you can solve them by moving the flower, finding the ideal light source and avoiding drafts. But the problem can also be solved with chemical additives or folk remedies.

Chemical additives

Chemical additives should be used when the plant suffers from various pests, including mealybug, which sucks the juices from flowers and buds, causing them to wither. In this case soap solution insects are removed, and then the affected areas are treated with any insecticide. After treatment, all remaining insects die.

The plant must be immediately isolated from other plantings and all plants must be inspected for insects.

Folk remedies

Insecticides can be replaced folk remedy, which can be prepared at home. Pour boiling water over 5 cloves of garlic, about half a liter. Leave for at least five hours. And after using the resulting mixture with a moistened brush, we treat everything from the leaves to the buds. We leave the resulting tincture; the plant must be treated every three to four days, observing the condition of the flower daily.

What to do when the plant drops its buds?

What to do if the orchid’s flowers begin to fade or all of them suddenly fall off? The reasons for the fall of opened and just beginning buds are the same. First, it is necessary to determine the main reason why both blooming and unopened buds may fall off, which must be dealt with in order to return the plant to its previous flowering. And then carefully monitor general condition flower.

How to care for the plant further?

It is worth paying attention to the conditions in which the orchid is kept, this includes indicators such as.

Why do orchids lose buds is a fairly common question. Flower growers often make mistakes that, at first glance, are completely frivolous. However, they can deprive the plant of flowering, which is always awaited with trepidation and impatience.

What to do next if the orchid has dropped its flowers and buds? First of all, it is important to understand the reasons. This will avoid a recurrence in the future. We will talk about what can trigger the dropping of buds in this article.

The main reasons why phalaenopsis buds fall off

The answer to the question of why the buds on an orchid fall off is quite simple. This is non-compliance with the conditions of keeping and growing. Any discrepancy between the microclimate in the house and that required by the orchid can lead to such a sad consequence as the loss of buds and flowers. Let's look at each aspect in more detail.

Low humidity

Although phalaenopsis does not require high humidity, and he feels comfortable at 40-50%, a drop in air humidity below this level will lead to a deterioration in his health.

Externally, it is not immediately possible to determine the cause, since the plant does not fade abruptly. However, it will be almost impossible to stop the process of shedding buds.

Typically this happens during heating season when heaters evaporate all moisture from the air. This leads to the orchid’s flowers falling off. Therefore in winter period It is recommended to additionally humidify the air with any accessible ways: humidifiers, water containers, sprays.

Violation of the watering regime

Lack of watering is quite common cause along which the buds of an orchid fall. But it is worth noting that, unlike a lack of moisture, the need for watering can be diagnosed quite quickly. During Taken measures will save flowering and preserve the remaining buds.

By appearance the plant is visible when it needs urgent watering. The leaves don't look very attractive. They become depressed and may dry out. The buds and flowers themselves lose their elasticity and become softer to the touch. You can notice that they begin to hang, looking down, not towards the light.

In this case, you need to urgently water the plant. Place its pot in a container of water for at least 30 minutes. Then you can spray the leaves. After this, immediately return the flower to its usual place. If measures were taken not too late, the flowers will be transformed again and become fresh.

Lack of lighting

Phalaenopsis orchids are demanding in terms of the amount of light and the length of daylight hours. If there is insufficient light, they simply will not begin to bloom. When the daylight hours increase by at least 1-2 hours, the flower understands that it is time to start blooming. However, if the daylight hours end up being less than 12 hours and does not increase further, then flowering will stop.

This will serve as a signal to the phalaenopsis that the time for flowering has not come, and it will drop its buds. This behavior can be difficult to predict. Therefore, it is better to make sure in advance that the light reaches the flower for at least 12-14 hours in a row.

Temperature violation

With minor or short-term temperature changes, the orchid does not shed its buds. But if the room was stable at +23, and then you decided to reduce the temperature there to 19 degrees, and it stays at this level constantly, then the flower will most likely consider that the warm season is over and it’s time to prepare for the resting phase.

The resting temperature for phalaenopsis is about 18 degrees. That is, the closer to this mark, the higher the risk of stopping flowering.

But even very high indicators do not benefit phalaenopsis. Already at 30 degrees, the process of flowers withering begins. So it is important to choose optimal temperature and support it constantly.

Drafts

Sometimes the reason why an orchid drops flowers is not at all clear. It seems that the conditions have been good and stable. But suddenly, the buds begin to fall off.

You need to understand that phalaenopsis is a rather capricious and wayward plant. There is no direct connection between a draft and the falling of buds. However, the flower may not be comfortable - the air may be too cold, or, conversely, too hot. As a result, flower loss is possible. But it is worth noting that this is a fairly rare reason.

Aging

It may also be that the orchid is old and its energy supply is not enough to complete the flowering stage. The situation is quite unusual, since when proper care With timely transplants and treatments, this can be completely avoided.

Stress from changing conditions

Unopened buds quite often fall off if the conditions of keeping the flower are changed. It is not uncommon to see flowers fall from a recently purchased plant. And the reason for this is usually a change of situation.

This can be avoided by providing the flower with excellent care and a microclimate as close to natural as possible.

It is also undesirable to rearrange the flower inside an apartment or house. If you want to do this, then you need to wait until flowering completes and enters the resting phase.

But this often happens when you want to put a blooming flower in a more prominent place. But the result is the opposite - after a few days it loses all the flowers and buds.

Methods for preventing and saving peduncles

To prevent the orchid from falling off its buds and flowers, you need to install it on a permanent place. The best window for her would be on the northwest side. The temperature in the room should not be lower than 22 degrees. In this case, you need to monitor the humidity.

By providing the flower with such conditions, you can still for a long time enjoy the beauty of its inflorescences. And subsequent flowering will not take long.

And if the flowers have already begun to fade, what should you do? First of all, check whether watering is required. Then determine the correspondence between temperature and humidity. Make sure there is enough daylight.

If everything is in order, then inspect root system and leaves - perhaps pests or diseases are to blame.

Rules for feeding during budding

Why do orchid flowers fall off, except for a bad microclimate. It could be a lack of nutrition. Orchids need to be fed with special fertilizers, which can be purchased at flower shops. Top dressings are divided into root and foliar.

With roots, the pot is placed in a container with a nutrient solution for about 20 minutes. Otherwise, the plant is sprayed.

Usually you can’t do without fertilizing if the plant has not been replanted for a long time or blooms too often.

One way or another, it is usually not possible to stop the process of shedding flowers and buds. This happens quite quickly, and before you have time to take action, you will see that all the flowers have fallen from the orchid. It is much easier to provide the flower with conditions under which it does not want to stop flowering. This is the most the right way never ask why flowers fall and what to do.

WHY DO ORCHID BUDS FALL OUT:

Orchid is one of the most beautiful flowering plants and the appearance of each bud is a whole event for a true flower lover. But what to do if after a few days the orchid’s buds fall off? Of course, you should never despair, but rather look into the root causes of this problem.

Under normal conditions, the plant can bloom for 3 to 4 months, then there is a break for about 2-2.5 months and buds appear again. There can be many reasons for an orchid’s buds to fall off, but we will look at the most common ones.

Natural aging

In its natural environment, an orchid lives up to 70 years and is considered a long-liver, but indoor plant live from 7 to 15 years. After 5 years, there is a high probability that your indoor orchid will no longer bloom. The flower stalks will still grow, then buds will appear, which will only fall off and in this case nothing can be done.

Improper watering

Beginning gardeners very often simply overwater an orchid (on topic: video on how to water an orchid). Excessive amounts of water cause root rot and, as a result, the plant begins to shed flowers and even leaves. The soil in which the flower is located must dry out, and there must be a break between waterings.

Hypothermia or overheating

Buying an orchid in winter requires special preparation from you. Cold can have a detrimental effect on the condition of the plant and cause the buds to fall off. To protect the orchid from frosty air, it needs to be packed in a box and covered with several layers of paper. Too much heat is also detrimental to the plant, as is hypothermia. During summer heat the temperature on the windowsill can reach above 30 0 C. If the orchid is even on a shaded windowsill, but at this temperature, the buds will gradually begin to crumble. The oldest will fall first, and then the turn will come to the youngest.

Insufficient light

In autumn and winter, the length of daylight hours is significantly reduced. During this period, the question of why unopened buds of an orchid fall off is very relevant? The answer is very simple - lack of light. To prevent falling, you need to install a source of additional light for the plant. You need to provide additional lighting for at least 12 hours a day. A plant with blossomed buds is not affected in any way by a lack of light.

Cold draft

A cold draft can shorten the length of time an orchid blooms and cause buds to drop. By draft we should not mean ventilation, which is so necessary for the plant. The main thing is that it is not in the path of cold air movement. In winter, the orchid will still have to be removed from the windowsill, but only for the period of ventilation.

We hope we have answered your question why orchid buds turn yellow and fall off.