What is going on with the yellowing tip of the orchid leaf
The web tells everyone about why the tip of the orchid leaf turns yellow and the introduction of green plants and flowers that understand the distress signals released by the yellowing tip of the orchid leaf. If there are any mistakes, please correct them!
Although orchids are very famous, there are not many flower friends who actually grow them. The reason is not much different from the difficulty of maintenance. Compared to ordinary flowers, growing orchids requires more time and patience. Caring for orchids is a profound knowledge, and many old flower friends only gradually figure out the ropes after years of maintenance. The leaves of orchids are like their "signal lights," and we can judge whether the orchid plant is healthy by observing the condition of the leaves. When the leaves show the following conditions, it is a sign that the orchid is releasing a "distress signal," and it should not be taken lightly.
Signal One: Yellowing Tips
A healthy orchid leaf should be completely green, without any spots or uneven color, with a relaxed shape, looking vibrant. During the maintenance of orchids, it is common to encounter the problem of yellowing leaf tips, which is usually caused by the following three reasons:
Senescence
Like humans, orchids also have birth, aging, illness, and death. When orchids gradually age and approach withering and death due to various reasons, this phenomenon is called "senescence." A pot of orchids has both new and old sprouts. If you see that the leaves of the new sprouts have no problems, but the tips of the leaves of the old sprouts start to turn yellow and wither, and the yellowed part gradually spreads to the entire leaf, it likely indicates that the old sprout is senescing.
Senescence in orchids is a normal physiological phenomenon, and flower friends don't need to worry too much. When encountering senescence, just cut off the yellowed leaves and continue normal maintenance.
Long-term Drought
Orchids are typical southern flowers, and wild orchids mainly grow under the shade of tall trees in deep mountains and old forests, developing a preference for humid and shady environments. If you water the orchid too little for a long time or the air is too dry, causing the plant to be short of water for a long time, it can lead to yellowing of the leaf tips.
If you have watered the orchid less recently and the growing medium is always dry, seeing yellowing leaves reminds us that we should increase the watering frequency appropriately, keeping the growing medium slightly moist. In autumn and winter, the weather is dry, especially in the north, and it is most likely to cause yellowing of the leaf tips due to excessively dry air. If possible, flower friends can use a humidifier to humidify the orchid or spray water on the leaves in the morning and evening to keep them moist.
What is going on with the yellowing tip of the orchid leaf
Sunburn
As mentioned above, wild orchids grow under the shade of trees and are shade-loving plants. Their leaves are very delicate and can easily be sunburned by strong sunlight. Especially in summer, the sun's ultraviolet rays are very strong. If you are not careful and let the orchid be exposed to the sun, the healthy leaves will show yellow or brown sunburn spots within half a day, with the leaf tips turning yellow.
Usually, in early spring, late autumn, and winter, orchids can be exposed to direct sunlight, but at other times, they should be placed in a semi-shaded area to avoid direct sunlight, with sufficient scattered light. Leaves that have been sunburned cannot be restored, so we can continue normal maintenance and wait for the problematic leaves to age and wither, or we can cut them off directly with scissors.
Signal Two: Black Tips
If the tip of the orchid leaf turns black, with the black area forming patches and not small spots, it usually indicates a major problem with the roots, and immediate measures must be taken to save it:
Problematic Growing Medium or Overwatering Leading to Root Rot
The roots of orchids are aerial roots that require high porosity and drainage in the soil. Ordinary nutrient soil cannot grow orchids, and special growing medium for orchids is usually used. If the quality of the growing medium is poor, and the porosity and drainage are not up to standard, the roots may rot, leading to black tips on the leaves. Moreover, if the watering frequency of orchids is not controlled, and the pot has long-standing water, it can also cause root rot and black tips.
Whether it's poor growing medium or excessive watering, it's all about root rot. In this case, we need to repot the orchid and change the soil, cutting away the rotted roots with scissors and replacing them with new, high-quality growing medium. Watering should be controlled appropriately and not too frequent.
Over-fertilization
If black tips appear suddenly after fertilizing the orchid, it is likely due to over-fertilization. Using too much or too concentrated fertilizer can raise the soil fertilizer concentration too high, causing damage to the orchid's roots. When the roots cannot absorb enough water to supply the leaves, the leaf tips will turn black.
The method of dealing with excessive fertilization in orchids mainly depends on the amount of excess fertilizer. If the fertilizer is only slightly excessive and the blackening of the leaf tips is not severe, the fertilizer can be dug out from the growing medium and the pot soil can be flushed with a large amount of water, then placed in a shady and well-ventilated area to wait for the plant to recover slowly. If the fertilizer is excessively excessive, and there are black leaf tips along with yellowing leaves, the only option is to repot the orchid, removing all the excessive fertilizer and replacing it with new growing medium (do not add fertilizer to the new growing medium). Place the repotted orchid in a shady and well-ventilated area for slow maintenance.
The above is [www.lvzhimi.com]'s detailed explanation of why the tip of the orchid leaf turns yellow and the distress signals released by the yellowing of the orchid leaf, hoping this article can bring you some help in green plant management!