How to Care for a Sick Orchid

Fungus and Bacteria

• 1

  Check leaves for brown patches that get bigger with time.

• 2

  Cut off the affected area with a sharp single-edged razor blade dipped in alcohol.

• 3

  Dust a small amount of ground cinnamon around the area affected by the fungus. Cinnamon works as a drying agent and dries the infection. It also protects against bacteria.

• 4

  Prevent further infection by keeping the growing area tidy. Do not allow water to touch leaves when watering or stems to sit in water.

• 5

  Use a commercial fungicide, per package instructions, as a last resort. Fungicide does not work on bacterial infections. Try spraying full-strength Listerine on leaves affected by bacterial infections, or apply Neosporin to the affected area.

Orchid Virus

• 6

  Check leaves for a mosaic pattern of dark and light green, deformed flowers, streaks in the leaves or black and brown spots. The spots may spread to the flowers.

• 7

  Treat all tools that touch the affected orchid with solutions of alcohol or bleach and water. This prevents from spreading the virus to other plants.

• 8

  Destroy the plant and potting medium. There is nothing that works to cure a virus.

Pests

• 9

  Check both top and undersides of leaves and flowers for insects. Scale are small, hard brown bugs that hide on the undersides of leaves. Most are flat and round. Mealybugs show up as a cottony ball on the leaf axis and on new shoots. Aphids are small brown to green flying insects, and spider mites look like small black pin pricks.

• 10

  Wipe leaves with a cloth soaked in a solution of methylated spirits, or use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Apply it to areas where pests hide.

• 11

  Repeat every five days for at least three weeks.

• 12

  Dilute Murphy's Oil Soap per container instructions. Put it in a spray bottle and spray tops and undersides of leaves liberally.