Dear Orchid Doc:

Why are my buds turning yellow and falling off?

Sudeen

Dear Sudeen:

This is referred to as bud blast, and can be caused by the following conditions:

The plant has been too dry between watering, causing it to withdraw moisture from the buds.

There may be some wide swings in temperature, where it may be too hot in direct sun, or the plant may be too close to an air-conditioning or heating vent.

There may be some fumes in the air caused by paint, natural gas leaks, or other chemicals. Flowers naturally create their own methane and collapse after pollination to save energy for seed production. Certain forms of methane or ethylene may trigger bud or flower collapse.

Cattleyas in particular are sensitive, while in bud, to overwatering, causing the buds to actually turn black in the sheath.

Dear Orchid Doc:

I’ve got black spots on my leaves. What could this be?

Carl

Dear Carl

This is generally a leaf rot caused by types of fungi that are commonly classified as cercospora or colletotrichum. Many times this rot will start out as yellow spots, gradually turning to a brown or black colour. Note that certain plants such as most oncidium hybrids often get several small black spots on the leaves due to the sun. In this case, it is natural spotting and will not harm the plant.

Dear Orchid Doc:

How can I keep my orchid healthy?

Orchid lover

Dear Orchid lover:

Keeping an orchid healthy is a complex topic, but in a nutshell, it all comes down to maintaining the proper environment for your plant at all times.

If it needs a lot of aeration, don’t keep it bogged down in a heavy mix. If it needs indirect sunlight, don’t put it right in the sun. If it needs high humidity, don’t put it somewhere dry.

Take steps to make sure that you know what the particular needs of your orchid are. Also, take care to watch your plant to observe how it responds to different techniques you try on your orchid-growing adventures.

Information courtesy of: www.orchidweb.com and www.orchidcarezone.com