How To Protect Yourself From Orchid Diseases

Introduction

Orchids are one of the most beautiful flowering plants, and growing an Orchid is truly a very rewarding experience. However, maintaining a healthy Orchid requires a lot of dedication and passion. The best method for preventing Orchid diseases is by regular monitoring of the plant. There are almost 35 known orchid diseases, out of which the most common one are Cymbidium mosaic virus and Odontoglossum ring spot virus. The most important thing here is that these two Orchid diseases do not have any treatment, so is very important to prevent these diseases from occurring in the first place. If the entire Orchid gets the disease, it is better to discard the affected Orchid Plant and protect the remaining once.

Preventing the onset of Orchid diseases

As said earlier, the best means of protecting an Orchid plant from being affected by Orchid diseases is by constant monitoring and inspection. Because Orchid plants grow slowly, it is quite difficult to notice the onset of Orchid diseases. Regular monitoring of Orchid plants helps to identify the onset of disease more easily. For example, some of the diseases cause the plant to wilt and lose their leaves. However, if you are not regularly watering your plant, and the leaves start falling one might mistake the cause, as due to not watering the plant. The disease of Orchid is mostly due to the action of bacteria or fungus. The presence of high humidity and low temperature will further help in the growth of these microorganisms on the Orchid Plant. The first commonly seen symptom is the presence of black or brown spots on the flower, roots and bulb of the plant. When these symptoms are noticed the affected plant should be quickly removed. Sterilized knife should be used to cut the plant at the level of the clean tissue, and the cut surface should be dusted with sculpture powder.

Features

Another important thing to do for preventing the onset of Orchid diseases is to maintain a proper well-balanced environment. The temperature humidity and air supply should be regularly monitored. The place should not be stagnant with stale air, and proper ventilation is a must. Temperature should always be maintained in a narrow range. Any fallen leaves from the Orchid Plant should be removed otherwise it can cause fungal varieties of Orchid diseases. If the plant has any exposed tissue it should always be dusted with sculpture powder. Always make sure that you're cutting tools are sterilized openly by heating over a flame or by cleaning it with alcohol. During the summer months, the Orchid Plant should be moved into a shady spot with a bit of sunlight. To bring down the ambient temperature, it is advised to mist the leaves of the plant in the morning. Watering more often will also help maintain the roots in a good hydrated state.

Comments

Most Recent Articles