What are the reasons for orchids to shed old growth in spring
After Qingming Festival, rainfall increases, and the earth takes on an appearance of spring warmth and bright scenery. In this season, all things "expel the old and take in the new," welcoming the breath of spring and realizing the transformation from yin to yang.
The hearts of orchid growers begin to surge again! On one hand, delightful spring shoots come one after another, while on the other, old growth occasionally shows yellow leaves and dieback. New orchid enthusiasts get frightened when they see yellow leaves on orchids - is it sick again? Should the pot be repotted? Actually, this is the normal manifestation of the cycle of metabolism in spring orchids. So it is still necessary to observe the orchid plants more often in daily care!
There are many reasons for orchid plants to shed old growth in spring: 1. Too much fertilizer and water. Some orchid enthusiasts, in order to make orchids grow better, apply heavy fertilizer, which damages the orchid roots and causes the orchid to shed old growth prematurely. 2. Too much sunlight. Although orchids should get more sunlight in spring, some orchids have many old seedlings and poor root systems, so they should get less sunlight, otherwise it will be either scorched tips or shedding old growth! 3. Too much water! Spring has a lot of rain, and if watering is also excessive, the orchid roots do not get good aeration, and old seedlings easily shed old growth.
Of course, there is still a difference between normal old-growth shedding and diseased orchids! Normal orchid seedling shedding starts with yellowing from the leaf tip; the initial yellow has a green tinge and generally does not have spots. The direction is from top to bottom, or half of the orchid leaf turns yellow. It is definitely the edge leaves that yellow first, and the yellowed leaves finally dry up and become very brittle and break easily. When yellow leaves appear on orchids, observe carefully and do not repot hastily. But when it is confirmed to be the two rots, then you must divide and repot immediately. It is popular online to tell people to repot and disinfect, divide into single plants and plant separately, and so on at the drop of a hat - do not take it all as gospel!
Advancing together with beginners! Here are a few photos of normal old-growth shedding in orchid plants!
Cymbidium goeringii 'Xishen' three-seedling old growth.
Half of the orchid leaf is yellow!
Normal old-growth shedding, brittle! It breaks with just one bend!
I will publish orchid knowledge and pictures every day, taking you to understand orchids in depth and teaching you to easily grow orchids well. If there is anything about orchids you do not understand, you can ask me at any time or leave a message below. If my knowledge has brought you help, I hope you can give me a like or share it to help more people!