Reasons and Solutions for Damaged, Yellowing, and Falling Leaves on Phalaenopsis Orchids

In recent years, Phalaenopsis orchids have become the "white moonlight" in many people's hearts for many reasons. One is that this orchid species is available in many varieties and colors. Another is that after blooming, its flowers flutter like butterflies, carrying an auspicious meaning of prosperity, making it very suitable for display in a prominent living room. So on the road of care, what issues should be noted with Phalaenopsis orchids?

On the road of caring for Phalaenopsis orchids, it is generally enough to coordinate factors such as sunlight, watering, humidity, and soil medium, and the plant can basically be grown well. However, during care, a flower enthusiast asked: when the plant was first purchased and brought home, it had many leaves, but after several years of growing it, the leaves became fewer and fewer, and the leaves near the root system gradually rotted or turned yellow. Now there are only 2 to 3 normally green leaves on the plant. When this happens, should they be cut off directly or left to fall off naturally?

Based on many years of experience in Phalaenopsis orchid care, the problem of leaves rotting or turning yellow mentioned by the flower enthusiast above can be summarized into three situations. First, the plant itself may be diseased, which causes the leaves near the root system to begin turning yellow. This disease is called "black head disease" and is caused by Fusarium. This disease must be treated immediately and cannot be delayed, otherwise the plant will die from disease within a few days.

Then there is the possibility that it is caused by root rot, so it is recommended to grow Phalaenopsis orchids in a transparent vase so you can observe more. If the root system has black rot coloration, at this time you must not only deal with the leaf part; the entire plant needs to be pulled up, the roots trimmed again, and it must be replanted.

Finally, if none of the above situations apply, it is recommended to leave it alone, because if you use scissors to cut them off at this time, there is instead concern that other pathogens on the scissors may create a new virus. If it is simply leaf drop after repotting, this is normal, because the new roots have not yet established themselves, and due to a lack of nitrogen and potassium, the nutrients for the leaves cannot be supplied upward, causing the leaves to sacrifice themselves to grow roots, so they rot and fall off.

In addition, note that when trimming roots again and replanting, be sure to keep the scissors sharp and clean, and disinfect them before and after each operation. After finishing the trimming of the plant's rotten roots, the plant also needs to be given fresh soil.