Relax, It’s Just the Dormant Season
As we move through the last few days of autumn, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, don’t panic if your orchid drops some leaves or looks a little peaked. With less light and cooler days, many orchids are resting in their dormant periods. If your plant is otherwise healthy, and a few leaves drop, it’s probably your orchid settling into dormancy. Older leaves, or ones that are lower on the plant, may drop as part of this seasonal cycle. Of course if your orchid is dropping all its leaves, turning black, or turning to mush, you have a problem. Your first reaction may be to water more, but this will only exacerbate the problem. Overwatering at this time of year can cause orchids to rot and die. Instead let the plant and its roots dry thoroughly before watering again.
For myself, as someone who tends to overwater, I have a trick to limit the damage I can do. Instead of a watering can, I do my daily plant check with a a spray mister in hand. That satisfies my urge to tend to my plants, and reduces the chances that I’ll overwater them.
Explore posts in the same categories: Dormancy, Problems, Watering
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