What to Do When a Phalaenopsis Orchid's Leaves Are Sunburned? The Simplest Fix
What flower has been the most popular in recent years? You can tell just by looking at which flowers shops place in the prime spot when you visit a flower market, and that star is, of course, none other than the Phalaenopsis orchid. After flower lovers bring it home, its gorgeous blooms and varied petal colors mean it instantly lifts the mood no matter where you casually place it.
However, such a beautiful pot of flowers may look completely different after a few days of care. Some develop yellowing leaves near the base of the pot, some buds begin to wither, and a plant that was once full of vigor suddenly becomes sickly. But what should you do when you run into a situation like this?
In the Lingnan region, even before midsummer, the temperature on a balcony at noon can easily sit around 30-35°C. On your plant-care journey, if a Phalaenopsis orchid gets sunburned, its leaves cannot absorb nutrients properly, and the whole plant may become sickly within a few days. So how do you deal with a situation like this?
In fact, Phalaenopsis orchids are especially afraid of sun exposure, simply because their native environment is always a cool, shady, and humid place, and even the light they receive is mainly indirect. So no matter the variety, they all share a fear of strong sun, and some varieties turn yellow the moment they get even a little direct sun. Generally speaking, after direct sunlight, parts of the leaves may turn black, the edges may dry out and become sunken, or the leaves may turn yellow or soften, and once this happens it is very hard to recover.
If you notice any of these signs on your Phalaenopsis orchid, move it away from direct light right away. When it comes to light exposure, you can let it bask in the morning when the sun is not so strong, then move it to a spot with indirect light in the afternoon. In addition, if you live on a high floor or in a place with relatively strong UV, you also need to change the orchid's environment; otherwise its leaves cannot take it and will easily get sunburned, and this kind of situation is actually quite common.
If the scorched area on a leaf is very large, that leaf is basically useless, and keeping it may even affect the plant, so the course of action is simply to cut it off. If the scorched area is small, it is not a big problem; it will gradually dry up and will not continue to rot.