Orchids are mostly famous for their extraordinary blooming of flowers. It is a very pleasant scenery to watch an orchid plant that is full of flowers, completing the beauty of the plant. At the same time, it can be a heartbreaking moment for the grower to see their newly bloomed flower become wilt. This is because orchids are notoriously difficult to take care of, a flowering plant that most gardeners tend to avoid! The last thing you would want to watch is the orchid flowers have become wilt. It is a very disappointing feeling, isn’t it?
It takes a lot of care, attention, nervousness, and patience to grow an orchid plant to see its blooming flowers. So whenever our orchid flowers start to wilt all of a sudden, a lot of question pops into our mind like why they are wilting. Worry not my friend! This is not the end of the world. Read this article thoroughly to understand why your orchid flowers are wilting, how to prevent flowers from wilting, reviving wilted flowers, and many more.
Key Takeaways
- Orchids are very sensitive in terms of temperature, humidity, and moisture in the soil.
- You can prevent wilting your orchid flowers and revive the plant after wilting happened.
- Taking frequent take care is the most effective way to prevent the orchid flower from wilting.
- Orchid flowers usually bloom once in wear and stay for 8-12 weeks.
7 Reasons Why Your Orchid Flowers Are Wilting
There could be several factors that can cause your orchid flowers to wilt. These reasons can vary from case to case such as if you had grown the orchid plant in the first place or recently bought them with bloomed flowers. But the technical reasons apply to all. Here are 7 probable reasons for your orchid flowers to wilt:
1. End of lifecycle
If it is your first time having a bloomed orchid plant, one probable reason is that the blooming period for that batch might have expired. Orchid flower’s lifecycle duration varies from species to species. One species named Cattleyas has a usual blooming duration of 1 to 3 weeks. Whereas Phalaenopsis species can bloom each batch for as long as 12 weeks. But if your orchid plant is old and has bloomed several times without a hitch, it means the plant’s life cycle might be coming to an end.
2. Moving into a new place
Orchid plants along with the flowers are very sensitive in terms of the place they are in. Orchid flowers are wilt prone to a sudden change of place. Factors like temperature, light availability, humidity, and air circulations are all things that need to be regulated for orchids to grow properly. If the plant feels that its location has been changed and the new environment isn’t favorable, then it can cause wilt. So remember to ease the orchid in a new environment so as to not shock it into wilting!
3. Temperature change
As mentioned earlier, orchid blossoms are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. Now you may be wondering, temperature is a natural element. How am I supposed to change it? Well, the answer lies in two different probable causes. One is if you have brought it from a shop. From online stores to transportation, even taking it from the shop to your home is a big change for your orchids! Two is if you have relocated your flower-bloomed plant from one room to another, like from the balcony to the living room. Sudden temperatures like this can cause your orchid flowers to wilt. So make sure that the ambient temperature is not too far off when changing the location of your orchid plant.
4. Lack of humidity
Don’t confuse the humidity with the moisture of the soil or how often you watered the orchid plants. Humidity means the water particles mixed in the air of surrendering areas. For the orchid plant, it is the humidity of the room the orchid plant is within that matters. Just like the temperature change, relocation can also affect the humidity to change. This is because when the orchid was with other plants or orchids, that place’s humidity was higher due to air condensation. But when the plant got relocated to another place alone, it can cause the flowers to wilt due to the lower presence of humidity. A bloomed orchid plant requires at least 40-60% humidity for wilt-free blooming.
5. Watering more or less
Orchid plants require a moderate amount of watering to keep up the photosynthesis process. That is once a week in the winter and twice a week in the summer or spring when it is hot and dry. The amount of water varies for different species and sizes. Note that, too much watering will make the soil unnecessarily moist, causing the root to rot. Vice versa, less amount of watering will make the soil dry. Dry soil means the plant isn’t getting enough nutrition to maintain its stem and flowers healthy. So it goes both ways for watering too much or less to make your orchid flowers wilt.
6. Insects and pests
Plants are home to various insects and pests and you can’t simply just keep them away. These insects live on plants by eating the cell contents from the stem and sometimes from the root. There are also some living organisms like bacteria that creates a disorder within the genetic structure of the plant. Altogether, these insects and pests can damage the natural flow of the orchid plant, causing it to become weaker and lumpy. So if your orchid flower is growing wilt then insects and pests residing it might be one of the reasons for sure.
7. Improper fertilization
Just like other plants, orchids too need natural contents to live up. For that, they rely on the soil to inherit natural ingredients through its root. But as we know, most orchid plantation occurs on a small pot or similar medium, and the soil is rarely changed. That’s why it needs external fertilization by the grower for ensuring sustained growth. But if there is a lack of fertilization or an improper method of implementation, it can affect the overall structure over time. This can also ultimately lead the orchid flower become wilt along with the whole plant. So make sure to look up orchid fertilizers to best suit your orchid plants.
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How to Prevent Orchid Flowers from Wilting?
It has always been recommended by professional gardeners to take care of orchids for their better growth and blossoms. Though there remains the uncertainty of orchid flowers to wilt you can always take some preventive measures to reduce the chances. Here are a few of them:
Proper Placement and Synchronization
It doesn’t matter if the orchid plant has been to you in the first place or has been brought recently, a perfect place is needed to keep it healthy. By a perfect place I meant, a place where there is ideal light, enough humidity, and other elements which are necessary for the orchid. Usually, orchids prefer temperatures of 75° or more at daytime and 65° or more at night. An extensive synchronization effort is also needed if it is imported from outside. This placement ensures the healthy growth and well blooming of the flower.
Fertilization
Using the same soil over and over again causes the soil to be naturally resource free. That’s why an external source of fertilization is needed to keep the ingredient supply continued. Use “balanced” fertilizer such as 20-20-20 that includes all ‘necessary trace elements’. Don’t use urea type fertilizers as they take longer time to break down. Instead use natural waste materials such as eggs cell, tea leaves, etc.
Avoid Under or Over Watering
It is very important for you to understand the time and amount of water you will provide to the orchids. There is no fixed amount for this but you can try a 6-inch pot/every 7 days and a 4-inch pot/every 5 days. Before watering the orchids, touch the soil to understand the moisture level. Water more in the summer than in the winter. Use a bottom-holed pot for a better drainage facility.
Keep Pest and Insect Free
If you identify there is pest and insect attack in the orchid plants you have to take some quick steps. First, separate the orchids from other plants. Then gently spray pesticides or wash the leaves using a mix of water and dish soap. You can use diluted neem oil too to prevent pests from coming.
Is It Possible to Revive Wilted Orchid Flowers?
Yes, you can always revive wilted orchid flowers by taking some measures. For that, you have to identify the reason first. Even if it is about temperature or humidity then understand your location thoroughly and relocate it to a suitable place. Here are some signs that you need to watch out for and a very easy solution for it:
- If flowers have flopped backward on themselves, then it requires watering.
- If the root is yellow or brown, means it has been overwatered and needs new soil.
- If the oldest flowers in the spike start to wilt it means the plant has become aged.
- Check on the roots if they are enough in quantity.
- Make sure there is no pest attack and apply appropriate pesticides for it.
- Keep up regular fertilization for the flower to revive itself.
There are various signs that can tell you that your orchid can possibly be revived! However, there is one sign that would mean that your orchid flowers are beyond saving. If any part of your orchid plant has started to rot, that plant is not likely to recover. I hope keeping these things checked can help your wilted orchid to revive.
Healthy Plant for Healthy Flowers
Keep in mind that, a healthy plant is always a key to having a healthy flower. If the plant is wicked and lumpy then one way or another, it is going to affect the flowers. Take intensive care of your orchids. Try to replace the soils with more compost mixed ones once every 2 years for better breathing for the plants. Place sticks by the stem and use clip for better steadiness. Take other preventive measures mentioned above for a better, stronger, and healthy plant.
FAQs
Orchids are in-house plants but they need sunlight for blooming flowers. Some plants need direct sun lights for the full day and some species can grow in the shade.
In most cases, wilting orchid flowers can be saved with proper care. Wilting is a part of their growth process. It gives a signal that the plant is not healthy enough.
Most of the orchid species bloom once a year or a bit often if they are happy. The flowers usually remain for 8-12 weeks based on their species.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, the reasons behind your orchid flower’s wilting are variable based on various internal and external factors. They are homegrown plants and they will likely rely solely on you to have all the supports to bloom healthy flowers. Take preventive measures by analyzing the details. But remember that they are just plants. Even after taking every preventive measure, it can still cause wilting to your beloved plants as they grow older. Until happening keep taking care of the orchids. At the end of the day, you will be blessed with wilt-free orchid flowers. They will put a smile on your face every morning, that’s for sure.
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