How to Troubleshoot Orchids

Keep an eye on the orchid's foliage for signs it needs the lighting reduced. Burnt leaves indicate the plant has been in direct sun. Move it by an east-facing window, for example, where the light is bright, but indirect.

Increase the light, without placing the plant in direct sun, if the orchid fails to bloom and shows little growth in the active season. If you can't increase the light naturally, place the orchid 6 to 12 inches under a fixture with two cool-white 40-watt fluorescent tubes 12 to 16 hours a day. Lady slipper and moth orchids grow well under artificial lighting.

Examine all orchid parts regularly to spot insect colonies. Scales, for example, congregate on the underside of the leaves to suck the plant's juices. They are usually stationary and protected by a waxy shell. Smother small infestations with a cotton ball saturated with alcohol or scrape the insects off with your fingernails. Discard plants with severe scale infestation. Mealybugs have a white cottony cover over them. Spray them with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil according to the label instructions of the brand you select.

Inspect the orchid's foliage for brown or black spots, signs of a fungal infection. Prune and discard all of the affected parts. If the disease persists, spray the plant with a fungicide labeled for use on orchids. Follow all the instructions listed on the product label. Spray the plant outside to keep your home toxic-free.

Throw away orchids with black, mushy, water-soaked foliage. Those symptoms indicate a bacterial infection, for which there is no cure. Likewise, discard plants that produce deformed flowers and discolored leaves, and whose growth is stunted, especially if you find aphids on them. The insects transmit viruses that cause the symptoms. There's no cure for viral infections.