Orchids are prone to these two diseases in autumn. Netizens say: I thought it was safe once summer was over.

When soft rot strikes, the rot starts from the new leaves at the center and gradually spreads outward. Beginner orchid growers often mistake it for the decline of old pseudobulbs, but in fact it is completely different from old pseudobulb decline. Old pseudobulb decline starts with the outermost leaf tips turning yellow and withered, while soft rot is exactly the opposite."

In June this year, Haoshe Nongfu wrote a dedicated article about orchid soft rot, and also made a video of treating a pot of soft-rot Cymbidium goeringii to share with fellow orchid growers. Orchid double rot (soft rot and stem rot) mostly occurs from early May to mid-July each year, and then from late August to mid-October. The outbreak of double rot pathogens requires suitable climate, and high temperature and high humidity are the climatic conditions in which they are most active.

After Chushu (End of Heat), the weather gradually becomes relatively cooler. As the farming proverb says: fog in the seventh month, decline in the eighth month. This means that if there is a lot of fog and rain in the seventh and eighth lunar months, you must guard against crops declining from disease. Orchid double rot is caused by fungi and bacteria, so during this period after Chushu, careful observation and meticulous care are needed.

The Huangdi Neijing says: When vital qi is stored within, pathogenic factors cannot invade. Although this saying refers to human health care, is it not the same for plants? If an orchid plant is robust enough, it will have its own disease resistance. And the two annual outbreak periods of double rot happen to be when orchids are putting out new shoots and budding flower spikes, precisely because the orchid plant has relatively weak resistance during these periods. Just think about it: a pregnant woman and a new mother who is breastfeeding, are they not the best targets for viral attack?

Recently, when communicating with fellow orchid growers, Haoshe Nongfu has consistently emphasized the key points of autumn fertilizing, and also raised the importance of preventing double rot in early autumn. For all diseases, prevention comes first. Observe more in normal times, and when diseased plants are found, isolate and treat them promptly. For specific treatment methods, please refer to Haoshe Nongfu's article dated June 5.

If double rot is found in autumn, you can unpot the plant and cut away the diseased plants completely. In June, Haoshe Nongfu recommended conservative treatment because the hot summer was coming next, whereas cutting diseased plants in autumn avoids the intense heat and allows the orchid plant to regain its vitality in the cool autumn. When repotting, the pseudobulb base can be raised slightly, exposing half of it to the air, which is more conducive to the orchid's growth. Of course, orchids treated this way must be covered with moss in late autumn to prevent the pseudobulb base from suffering frost damage.

The above is from the original author of the WeChat public accountHaoshe NongfuOriginal article, welcome to reprint and share, please do not pirate or plagiarize.