Signs and Treatment of Soft Rot in Phalaenopsis Orchids
When growing flowers and plants, the worst thing is to place them in a dark spot without sunlight, and this is especially true for the universally adored "Phalaenopsis" orchid. It is a sun-loving plant, but it fears the scorching light of the blazing sun, which is actually similar to human skin. As April arrives, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter, and temperatures gradually climb. At this time, the most common issue in Phalaenopsis care is "leaf rot," which some also call "soft rot" or "water rot." This condition is caused by excessively high humidity, insufficient light, and overly high summer temperatures.
Generally speaking, leaf rot mostly grows on the leaves. If it grows on the neck of the plant, then it is called stem rot. Although the names are different, the cause is actually the same. If a plant contracts this disease, the leaves will first turn yellow, and a gentle pinch with your hand will leave a mark. In severe stages, an entire leaf can be squeezed until water comes out. This kind of condition means the plant's metabolism has gone wrong.
Therefore, when growing orchids, if you find even a slight sign of leaf rot infection on a leaf, do not sit by and do nothing. You must immediately pull off the entire leaf. Note here that you must absolutely not cut off only part of it, otherwise you will not be able to stop other leaves from becoming infected. When pulling it off, growers can use sterilized scissors. If you do not have sterilization tablets, you can also hold them over a flame. The removed leaf must also be thrown away immediately, and not left near the flower pot.
Leaf rot occurs mostly in summer, and not only in plants like Phalaenopsis, but also in Oncidium and Cattleya orchids. If you want to prevent it, you should strengthen ventilation when temperatures are high. If it reaches the temperature of the dog days (above 35 degrees), you can turn on the air conditioner to cool the orchids down, but not every household can do this, so prevention becomes rather difficult. In short, pay more attention in daily care and achieve early detection and early treatment, because leaf rot develops especially fast; you may discover it in the morning, and by the afternoon it may have infected everything.
If the condition becomes severe, you will have to open up the sphagnum moss again and trim the orchid's roots. The specific steps are: first, find all the hollow and rotten roots and trim them all off, then disinfect the roots with alcohol for about ten minutes, then place the roots in a cool place to dry for a day. Once they are dry, replace with new sphagnum moss and start caring for them again.