Orchid leaves problems

Orchids are beautiful plants that can be seen in many living rooms. The orchid is very popular and sought after because of the beautiful colours on the flowers. These beautifully coloured flowers are accompanied by leaves and these leaves can sometimes cause difficulties. After a bad experience with orchids you may think that these plants are only suitable for advanced plant caretakers, but nothing could be further from the truth. What problems do people actually have with the leaves of orchids? And what can you do about this? You can read it all in this article!

Orchid leaves problems

The leaves of orchids are very sensitive and there can be a lot wrong with it. The leaves can turn white, brown or even yellow. It is also possible that the leaves of the orchid fall off the plant. What causes these spots on orchid leaves or yellow leaves on orchid? Orchid leaves turning yellow or brown could mean that the beautiful plant has probably been in the water for too long. Have you been giving the orchid a little too much (cold) water? The result will be that the leaves on your orchid will turn yellow or brown in a few days. If you keep giving the orchid too much cold water the leaves will probably fall off. 

Why are the leaves on your orchid turning yellow

As we told you before, the leaves on your orchid are turning yellow because the plant got too much cold water. You can solve this problem by giving the orchid less water, or making sure the water you give the orchid is not extremely cold. Another explanation from the yellow leaves may be that your orchid is exposed to direct sunlight. When the leaves are turning yellow and the orchid is for instance standing in a window frame, the leaves will turn green again if you put the orchid in a place with less direct sunlight. When the yellow leaves no longer turn green, it is best to cut them off. This can be easily done by a very gentle tug. Only remove the yellow leaves and not the green leaves or your orchid may not grow again! Orchid leaves going yellow is a sign that your plant is sick and something needs to be done to prevent it from dying. The next time you are thinking: ‘’Help! Why are my orchid leaves turning yellow?’’ You will know exactly what to do. 

How to save an orchid without leaves

We have some bad news for you. If your orchid does not have any leaves anymore, it is almost impossible to save your orchid. If your orchid does not have any leaves, the orchid can not manufacture food and this will cause the orchis cycle to break down. Without current leaves, new leaves will not be able to grow on your orchid. This is why we told you before that you should only be cutting orchid leaves that have turned yellow. New orchid leaves grow from the middle part of existing leaves. Sadly, there is not much to do when your orchid does not have any leaves anymore other than watch it break down.

2 hints to prevent orchid leaves problems

To prevent the orchid leaves from falling off, we made sure you will be able to take care of your orchid in the best way. These 3 hints will avert your orchid from getting sick:

1. Orchid leaves falling off are often caused by giving the orchid too much water. The roots will start to rot if they are trapped in the water. Always put the orchid into a pot with a drainage hole. This way the water has a way to escape if there is too much.

2. If you just bought a new orchid, there is a big chance that the orchid has had too much water in the nursery or at the local grocery. Let the orchid dry out completely before you start giving water again.