How to Care for an Orchid With Brown Leaves

There are several varied reasons that your orchid may be exhibiting brown tips or browning on its leaves. Excessive fertilizing, mineral build up in the water or a fungal disease can all cause leaf browning. Since, it is had to know if it is just one or a combination of factors causing the browning, it is important to simply address basic orchid care issues. Known to be somewhat temperamental, orchids need specific care in order to survive.

Coffee can
Bottled water
Saucer
Pea gravel
Fertilizer
Knife
Bypass shears
Denatured alcohol

Instructions

- 1
  Place a coffee can in the backyard to collect rain water for your orchid plant. Tap water can lead to a mineral build up of salt in the soil. Water softener in your orchid's water can lead to the demise of the plant. Change out the can to collect the water each week. During dry spells, you can use bottled water.
- 2
  Hold the orchid container over a sink when watering. Pour the rain water at the base of the plant until it runs through the draining holes at the bottom of the container. Set your orchid plant on a saucer that has 1 inch of pea gravel. Refrain from watering the orchid again until the top of the soil has dried out.
- 3
  Fertilize every week with all purpose liquid fertilizer, diluted to one-fourth or one-half strength. Pour the fertilizer around the orchid, but away from the base according to instructions. Replace the container on the saucer.
- 4
  Dip a blade or bypass shears in a mixture of 70 percent denatured alcohol and 30 percent water to sterilize the pruning tools. Remove the brown leaf next to the stem.
- 5
  Apply a powered fungicide to the wound.

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