Orchid leaves are frozen, what should I do? Let's talk about why the orchid's leaves froze: what to do? Different parts of the plant

It is not for nothing that Phalaenopsis is considered an orchid for beginners; it adapts well to the conditions of our living quarters. Phalaenopsis care, which is not very difficult to maintain, compared to other types of orchids, but still requires attention and care, and in return it pays with long flowering, flowers similar to exotic butterflies.

You should know that phalaenopsis is very heat-loving; in summer, the temperature at which it feels good is +25 -30C, but not more than +32C; in winter, its temperature completely coincides with the comfortable temperature of our homes and is +20 - 25C. At any time of the year, the temperature at night should be 5 - 6C lower than the daytime temperature, I think this is not difficult to arrange. Temperature fluctuations are very important for the plant, as they ensure the formation of flower buds and determine when your pet will bloom. If the temperature exceeds the recommended standards, instead of flowers, you may get a baby orchid on the peduncle. Orchids often standing on the windowsill are exposed to hypothermia in winter; lowering the temperature the next day to +12 - 15C will not do much harm to the phalaenopsis, but a longer cold spell can destroy the plant. When overcooled, the orchid's roots lose their ability to absorb water, and the phalaenopsis takes on the appearance of a plant exhausted by drought, its leaves wither and wrinkle. A common mistake is excessive watering, which can lead to rotting of the roots, the development of fungal diseases and the inevitable death of the plant. Phalaenopsis care, which stipulates that compliance with the temperature regime should not “freeze”, to avoid this, you can place a thermometer next to the pot, and you will always be able to notice changes in temperature in time. In the cold season, you need to make sure that the leaves do not touch the cold glass of the window, and a draft is unacceptable in any season. Particular attention should be paid to the temperature before the orchid begins to bloom; if the temperature drops below +15 - 17C, the phalaenopsis may drop its buds that are ready to bloom.

Orchids of this species grow on the bark of trees and are always in the shade of the “parent” tree, so they prefer diffused lighting anywhere in the room, but no further than 1 - 1.5 m from the window; it should be placed on the windowsill only towards a window facing north . Sunlight can also be a good substitute for artificial lighting, which is important in winter, since the duration of daylight for phalaenopsis should be about 12 hours. Lack of lighting will negatively affect the flowering of the orchid. During the formation of buds, the plant should not be disturbed by turning and rearranging the pot; as soon as the last flower on the peduncle blooms, the orchid can be rearranged and deployed so that the flowers look most impressive.

Phalaenopsis care, which requires proper watering, is quite capricious regarding water quality. Use boiled, melted or purified warm water with a temperature of about +27C. There is no need to get carried away, watering too frequently can lead to rotting of the roots; between waterings, the substrate should dry out sufficiently and allow air access for ventilation. You can determine when it is time to water by assessing the moisture content of pieces of bark taken from the pot; if the pot is transparent, the color of the roots may become a signal for the next watering; from greenish they become light gray. Or you can simply weigh the pot in your hands; the substrate that requires watering will be very light. You will determine how often to water the phalaenopsis individually, because each room has its own microclimate, in the summer the orchid is usually watered every 3 days, and in the winter once every 14 - 15 days, in the off-season once every 7 - 10 days. When watering, it is important that the substrate is completely saturated with water; the easiest way is to lower the orchid pot into a basin filled with water and leave it there for 20 - 25 minutes, then remove it and let the excess moisture drain. If the substrate inside the pot is still wet, but the top is completely dry, just sprinkle it with water, avoid getting water into the middle of the rosette of leaves, this can lead to rotting, but if water does get there, it must be blotted with a corner of a napkin or a cotton swab. Phalaenopsis requires high air humidity, this can be achieved by placing the pot on a layer of damp expanded clay.

Feeding is of no small importance. For phalaenopsis, only special water-soluble fertilizers intended for orchids are used; adding dry preparations to the substrate can lead to burns of the roots and death of the plant. You can also use preparations for ordinary indoor flowers, but then reduce the rate of fertilizer application by 2 - 2.5 times. The frequency of fertilizing depends on the season but, as a rule, it is carried out every 3 waterings. During flowering, focus on fertilizers with a high phosphorus content; during growth, nitrogen-containing additives are preferable.

Phalaenopsis blooms for a long time, but even after flowering has ended, you should not immediately remove the peduncle; re-blooming often occurs due to the awakening of dormant buds. The peduncle is cut off after it has completely dried out.

Phalaenopsis care, which is placed correctly, will delight you with delicate flowers for a long time, almost a year.

If, during transportation in winter, the plant has suffered from hypothermia or the temperature in the room has dropped to a critical state and threatens the life of the orchid, it is necessary begin rescue measures.

Below in the article you will find out why the orchid froze and what to do.

Signs of freezing

If you have frostbite on your orchid, you need to identify the cause. A drop in temperature to 17 degrees Celsius can lead to frostbite of the flower. Even a cold draft, caught during ventilation in winter, is quite capable of killing a leaf that gets in its way.

When frostbite occurs, orchid leaves become covered with wet spots.

Signs of frostbite plants:

1. Wet spots appeared on the leaves, which quickly increased in size;
2. Mucus or liquid is released from the spots;
3. After a short period of time, the color of the leaf changes to , after which it dies.

First aid

If a flower is exposed to cold air and receives even slight frostbite, it is necessary take urgent action so that wet spots do not spread to the plant trunk. Otherwise, if you start this moment, the whole flower will become slimy and...

When is resuscitation not possible?

impossible when frostbite received the entire vegetative part. In this case, the plant cells die, and there is simply nothing to revive.

If only part of the leaf blade is damaged, you must try to save the plant. For this, the florist must have with you:

• Sharp knife or scalpel;
• And alcohol for disinfection.

The frozen parts of the leaf are necessary.

Saving frozen leaves

If parts of the plate are frozen, then you can save the rest of the sheet. orchid leaves are cut off. To do this, you need to take a sharp knife and disinfect it. Then carefully cut the stain out to healthy tissue. That is, you need to completely remove the wet stain. All sections are treated with one of the antiseptics:

It should be noted that if the leaf is completely affected or the spots are located almost near the trunk, then the plate needs to be removed.

IMPORTANT! In order for the plant to quickly come to its senses, after 2 weeks it can be sprayed with one of the stimulants: HB-101, Epin or Zircon.

Disinfection of sections

To ensure that the wounds heal well and do not become infected, they needs to be treated with charcoal. To ensure that the entire cut in the wound is processed:

• Place a piece of paper under the hole;
• And carefully sprinkle along the edge of the cut hole.

When everything is processed, turn the flower over or lift the leaf so that the flower does not fall out of the bark, and processing the hole from the bottom edge.

After this procedure it is forbidden within 2 weeks:

• shower;
• And spray with a spray bottle.

The care itself follows the standard path, you just need to keep an eye on in the room where the orchid is.

Remove affected leaf blades

For this necessary:

• We cut the tip of the leaf from the edge along the leaf along the vein;
• And stretch it in different directions;
• Then we remove it from the base of the plant.

This method ensures that on the main bush there will be no decaying leaf left behind.

IMPORTANT! Carry out all actions carefully, without jerking, so as not to damage the plant.

Further care

Reanimated plant put in a warm place, away from the cold, and follows it according to the usual pattern. The only thing that can be recommended is treatment with solutions:

In the coming year, the orchid will not bloom after frostbite, as it will give up all its strength to restore vegetative mass.

What to do if the orchid is frozen and:

Have all the leaves fallen?

This is a difficult case and here don't ignore advice experienced flower growers.

To save an orchid in which all the leaves are frostbitten, it is necessary that it still has a healthy root system and growing point. Without this, there is no chance to save the flower. With all this, in the room where the plant will be reanimated, the temperature should be around 23 degrees Celsius.

Are the root and growing point ok?

With the remaining parts of the plant it is necessary remove all damaged leaf plates using the method described above. It makes it possible to completely remove the affected leaves without leaving even scales on the trunk.

The remaining stump with a growing point is good process with charcoal to avoid infection entering the plant trunk.

Dry the plant and its bark so that only the roots get wet when watering. After some time, the top will begin to grow, or they will emerge from dormant buds on the trunk.

Use of zircon

This drug is widely used during resuscitation of orchids. He helps:

• Survive plant stress;
• Take root;
• Helps with adaptation after resuscitation.

To treat frostbitten parts of the plant, you need to dilute an ampoule of the substance into 7 liters. water. If such a large amount of the drug is not necessary, then you can divide the ampoule using a medical syringe. Then it will be enough for several treatments.

Flowering after resuscitation from freezing

After the stress suffered, it may not be earlier than a year. And this is only if the plant is provided necessary conditions for continued growth.

The orchid will not bloom soon after resuscitation.

It should be taken into account: if the frostbite was minor, the flower will recover quickly. And if all the leaves have died, then it can take more than a year to recover.

Useful video

Watch the video to see what a frostbitten orchid looks like:

Find out in the video how to save a frozen orchid:

Interesting facts in the video about why leaves:

Video instructions for cutting leaves from an orchid:

Conclusion

To prevent the plant from freezing, it is best in the cold season put it in the back of the apartment, so that even a draft does not fall on it. It is problematic for the plant to recover from frostbite, since it spends a lot of energy on restoring the leaves.

In contact with

If the plant freezes during transportation in cold weather, then you need to know how properly resuscitate him so as not to destroy the plant.

When the leaf blades of a plant become frostbitten, they become covered with wet spots, and if most of the leaf blade is affected, then it dies off gradually.

These spots are slimy to the touch and resemble jelly. At the same time, they can increase in size. If such jelly-like spots are detected, it is necessary to urgently begin to treat the plants.

If you have frozen an orchid, you must urgently begin resuscitation.

Frostbite spots can appear not only during transportation in the cold season, but also when keeping a tropical beauty in cold home conditions. After all, a temperature of +16 is destructive for this exotic flower. The frozen one needs urgent resuscitation and at the same time it can be restored.

If weeping spots are detected on the leaf blades, it is necessary to begin treating the flower so that it does not die completely. So, what to do if the orchid is frozen? How to save a frozen plant?

IMPORTANT! You can save a flower if there are very few spots. But if it has completely turned into mucus, then the flower cannot be revived.

What to do if your orchid is frozen:

Leaves

Frostbitten leaf plates will not recover, and over a short time they will turn yellow and fall off. But at the same time, if they are close to the trunk of the plant, it is necessary shoot as quickly as possible so that the spots do not creep onto the flower trunk.

How to revive a frozen orchid? To do this, you need to make a cut at the tip of the leaf plate, and stretching it in opposite directions, remove it from the trunk.

With such a removal the leaf is removed completely from the trunk and does not leave residues that can decompose when exposed to moisture. But it is better to sprinkle the trunk where the leaf previously grew with wood ash to avoid the appearance.

Leaf with frostbitten parts must be deleted as fast as possible. How to save a frozen orchid? Read about this later in the article.

Peduncle

Different parts of the plant

Frostbitten leaf blades and peduncles do not recover, and in case of severe frostbite almost immediately turns into a lump of mucus. The flower can be saved if its small upper part is frostbitten.

Roots

If you froze the root system during transportation, experienced gardeners believe that it cannot be saved. Because blackness is fast spreads throughout the plant.

Most often, if the roots become frostbitten, the orchid cannot be saved.

At the same time, young orchids on sale often have a very small trunk. Therefore, if the roots are frozen, there is practically no chance of escape. But you can try:

1. To do this, use a disinfected pruner to remove the damaged root system to the healthy trunk body;
2. After which the cut is treated with charcoal and the trunk is placed on the bark, not the plant at all. This is necessary for wound healing;
3. If the blackness does not spread further, then there is a possibility for the flower to take new roots.

Situations in which frostbite is possible

On the window

If the flower was kept on a window in winter, where there is an occasional cold draft when ventilating, most likely he got frostbite. To save a frostbitten orchid, you must urgently place it away from the cold and trim off the damage. In this case, a frozen orchid cannot:

• Bath in the shower.

If the roots begin to die, the plant is removed and assessed for the presence of healthy roots. If there are damaged roots, then they should be removed, and treat the cut areas with a dry antiseptic. After which the flower is placed to build up the root system.

Flowering in such a plant can occur only after 2 years. If a peduncle appears during restoration, then it's better to remove it, because without roots or part of the leaves, full flowering will not happen, and the growth of missing parts on the bush will stop.

IMPORTANT! When growing roots on a frozen flower, it should not be placed in a greenhouse, as excess greenhouse moisture may cause the flower to rot.

During transportation

If during transportation of the orchid it froze, you need to immediately begin resuscitation flower. How to revive an orchid after frost? To do this, remove damaged vegetative parts and try to grow them again using the methods described above.

How to transport an orchid in frost? To avoid getting a frostbitten plant, it must be carefully packaged before transportation so that cold air does not come into contact with the plant.

How to transport it correctly in cold weather?

In order for a tropical plant to be transported in the cold, you must have a car with a working stove. Because even after wrapping the plant, it must be held in the cold for no more than 2 minutes. That is, from the exit you need to immediately get into the warm interior of the car.

The more tightly you wrap your orchid in winter, the less likely it will get frostbite.

Protection from the cold should be practically airtight and protect all parts of the plant. That is, when wrapping, the plant is wrapped, starting from the flower to the last flower. At the same time, the number of layers of protection depends on how cold it is outside.

When the outside temperature is about zero degrees, it will be enough for an orchid if it is wrapped in two layers of wrapping paper. To be on the safe side, she also can be put in a package and secure it at the top with tape.

When the frost is below 10 degrees, it is necessary to add a padding polyester to the previous flower packaging, in which the plant is completely wrapped and secured with a stapler to avoid unfolding in the cold.

With this cold weather, below 25 degrees is better don’t risk buying a plant, but if there is a need, then it is worth packing according to all the rules:

• We put the flower in a plastic bag, wrap it well and hermetically, fastening everything with a stapler, being careful not to pierce the leaves or peduncle;
• Now we put everything in a paper bag. The paper should be thick;
• We wrap the entire structure in padding polyester.

IMPORTANT! When transporting a flower in the cold, you must remember that, having brought it into the warmth, you cannot immediately unwrap it, you must let it acclimatize for half an hour, and then unwrap it. Otherwise, the flower may receive temperature shock.

What is temperature shock and how to prevent it?

Sudden changes in temperature have a bad effect on the orchid.

Temperature shock in a plant can be caused by sudden temperature fluctuations. For a plant, this stressful situation can manifest itself:

• Dehydration;
• By desiccation;
• Burn;
• Destruction of chlorophyll;
• The accumulation of ammonia in the leaves and their rapid death.

To avoid all this, when skidding in from the cold we need to let the flower adapt gradually to room temperature. Therefore, the bag with the plant is left warm for 30 minutes and only after this is its new tenant unwrapped.

Useful video

Find out in the video how to save an orchid from hypothermia:

Watch the video on how to properly revive an orchid:

Interesting facts in the video on how to transport an orchid in winter:

Video instructions for picking an orchid in winter:

Conclusion

To avoid getting frostbitten plants and then nursing them for a long time, you need to will take care of their proper transportation. But if frostbite occurs on an orchid, resuscitation must be started immediately and then the plant has a chance to live.

In contact with

In recent years, more and more exotic plants have appeared in our homes, displacing traditional ficus, pelargonium and violets from window sills. Increasingly, trivial bouquets in cellophane are being replaced with more original gifts - blooming orchids. These are bizarre inhabitants of the tropics, alive and strange, to whom you need to find an approach in order to preserve their health and beauty.

Most often, the first guests of city apartments are phalaenopsis. In connection with the appearance of this miracle, as a rule, a lot of questions arise: how to water, where to put it, what to do if the orchid has faded, what to do if it drops flowers, and so on.

In order to provide the plant with optimal conditions, it is necessary to have an idea of ​​its life in its natural environment. Phalaenopsis is a genus of orchids native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, Australia and New Guinea. Like many other orchids, it is an epiphyte that uses other plants as support. Its fleshy roots are designed to absorb atmospheric moisture, so one of the most important growing conditions is high air humidity. At home, this is heavy rainfall, which in captivity is replaced by frequent spraying. In this case, the temperature should be stable and preferably high (25-300C).

When purchasing an orchid in winter, you may encounter the plant freezing. Brought in from the frost, it sheds drooping flowers and sometimes leaves, resulting in complete death. What to do if phalaenopsis flowers are frozen? Damaged yellowing flower stalks need to be cut off, but the leaves should not be touched - they should fall off on their own. In this case, the main thing is to preserve the growth point (the central part of the rosette), then the orchid will recover. The remaining leaves can be treated with Epin-extra, and when watering, add Zircon to the water. These drugs are adaptogens that will help the plant invigorate.

One of the main components of caring for orchids is, of course, watering. You need to use only soft water and only the immersion method. The frequency of watering depends on the conditions in which the plant develops, but in any case, the indicator is condensation on the walls of the pot - as soon as it disappears, you need to water. What to do if a flower is flooded? It needs to be removed from the pot and urgently resuscitated. If there are rotten roots, cut them back to the living ones and sprinkle the wounds with crushed coal or fungicide. Then the orchid is planted again in an airy substrate, placed in a warm, moist and bright place, and watered very carefully.

Many amateurs, unknowingly, completely remove the peduncle after the orchid has bloomed, which is not at all necessary. It is better to cut it back as much as possible because there is a possibility that new buds or even babies will appear on it. If the phalaenopsis feels well, it blooms for 3-4 months. Before asking a question like “the orchid has bloomed - what to do next?” you need to make sure that this moment has actually arrived. To do this, you need to carefully examine the tip of the peduncle. Only if it has turned black, yellowed or completely dried out, you can no longer expect new buds. Now you can cut the peduncle to the nearest dormant bud, while the care remains the same, and there is a possibility that re-blooming will occur.

You can try to get babies after the orchid has bloomed. What should you do in order to one day see a small copy of it on a plant? As a rule, babies on phalaenopsis appear in the summer, with good lighting, high temperature and And, despite the widespread belief about the difficulty of orchid reproduction, this is not such a rare occurrence. The main thing is to love your pets and understand their nature.

Exotic plants are not as difficult to care for as they seem at first glance, but in order to provide them with the necessary growing conditions, it requires an understanding of how a flower makes it clear that unwanted changes are happening to it.

In caring for phalaenopsis, all the steps are quite simple, and the same applies to the prevention and treatment of diseases.

In this article we we'll tell you about the most common diseases with photographs.

All diseases that may occur in this plant, can be divided into groups according to the source of their occurrence:

• incorrect agricultural technology;
• the appearance of harmful organisms.

The second group, in turn, can be divided into diseases caused by fungal microorganisms, bacterial and viral.

Success in the fight against disease is directly related to how correctly its cause and source are determined.

Eliminating the root of the problem and the right approach to treatment will ensure that you can take the necessary measures in a timely manner.

Frostbite

Phalaenopsis is one of the plants that must be kept warm, they can tolerate a drop in environmental temperature to +16°C, however, prolonged exposure to these low temperatures can lead to the death of the plant.

Phalaenopsis hypothermia can be stated if you notice the following signs: wet, slippery spots are visible on the leaves, the appearance of which leads to further death of the leaf plate.

Photo of frozen orchids.

If you are sure that the phalaenopsis is frozen, what should you do? If such spots affect the entire plant, then it cannot be revived, but if individual parts of the leaf are damaged, you should try to help the flower:

1. Part of the damaged sheet is cut off, the cut area is treated with charcoal powder or an alcohol-free antiseptic;
2. If a whole leaf is damaged, then it must be removed completely, dividing it in half vertically and pulling both ends of the leaf, carefully without damaging the stem, then the stem is powdered with crushed charcoal or cinnamon.

Important! In no case should you water with warm water immediately after the plant has been in uncomfortable conditions of low temperatures. This will cause temperature shock and make the situation worse.

Why are the flowers small?

Do not panic if your orchid blooms with smaller flowers than those with which you purchased it. Often When adapting to new growing conditions, this flower may slightly change the shape of its leaf or flower.

However, the reason why phalaenopsis has small flowers may lie in the following:

• lack of nutrition. During the period of bud formation, fertilizing will help to obtain larger and brighter flowers;
• lighting level. With a lack of light, flowers can not only change the size of the flowers, but also their number on the peduncle.

Flowers may become smaller in low light.

Treatment with phytosporin

Fitosporin is a very popular remedy both for preventive treatment of plants against diseases, and for treatment.

Its value lies in the fact that, being a biological product, it does not harm either the plant or the person, it is safe to use at home.

They are processed in several ways:

• spraying green mass with a solution;
• watering with the addition of concentrate to the water.

Fitosporin is sold in the form of paste, powder and concentrate, its action and effectiveness do not depend on the form, choose the one that is more convenient to use:

• if you choose a paste, then to treat phalaenopsis you need to prepare a solution of 200 ml of water and 100 g of paste. The resulting concentrate is diluted in water at the rate of 4 drops per glass;

Important! When processing, use water that does not contain chlorine!

• if the powder is convenient for work, then you need to prepare a disease-fighting agent from it as follows: dissolve 1.5 g in a liter of water;
• A solution is prepared from liquid phytosporin in a ratio of 10 drops of the substance per glass of clean water. The resulting solution is used to treat the leaf plates or root system.

Diseases of phalaenopsis orchids and their treatment with photos

Leaves

Orchid leaves can be affected by the following diseases:

• spotting– clearly defined round spots with uneven edges appear on the leaf plate;
• powdery mildew– a white coating appears on the leaves, peduncles and buds, which over time spreads to most of the green mass.

Leaf spotting.

Powdery mildew.

You can read more about leaf diseases.

If you are interested in why phalaenopsis leaves dry out, then read.

Roots

The most common disease of phalaenopsis is root rot, with which:

• leaves lose turgor and become brown;
• the roots become loose and quickly die.

Root rot.

Read more about root diseases in.

The buds dry out and fall off

Phalaenopsis buds may fall off and dry out for a number of reasons, the main ones of which:

• incorrect watering regime;
• dry air;
• lack of basic nutrients;
• insufficient lighting.

You can read more about the reasons for drying out of buds. If you are interested in why the buds fall off, then read.

Drying of the whole plant

Orchids of this type can dry out for several reasons, the main ones: non-compliance with watering regime and temperature, too dry air. If the roots dry out, it is possible the appearance of rot.

Pests and their control

Among the pests that can damage an orchid, it is worth highlighting the following:

• ticks– their appearance is accompanied by the appearance of a thin white cobweb on the leaves;
• aphid– this pest is easy to detect, they are located on the lower part of the leaf plate and are visible to the naked eye: small black and gray dots. During their life, a sticky coating may form on the leaves;
• whiteflies- these are small white flying insects, whose vital activity has a detrimental effect on the condition of the leaf; it turns yellow and dies.

To combat these pests it is better to use systemic insecticides such as Fitoverm. The working solution should be prepared according to the instructions on the package, observing the frequency of treatments.

In addition, try to optimize your care at home and pests will not bother you.

You will get more information about pests and their control from.

Useful videos

Watch a video about orchid diseases and their treatment:

The video below talks about why the buds dry out and fall off:

The following video talks about phalaenopsis pests and how to combat them:

Conclusion

In caring for phalaenopsis Organizing proper care plays an important role.

When a flower is happy with everything, receives a sufficient amount of moisture, nutrients and sun, it grows with pleasure and optimism, quickly developing a leaf rosette, blooms and pleases the eye!