Sticky drops on orchid leaves: causes and treatment methods

It happens that sticky drops form on the orchid. The reasons may be physiological or pathological. The first is the negative impact of the environment. Pathological causes are various plant diseases. It is necessary to eliminate the cause in a timely manner so that the pathogen does not go to the roots or peduncles. Therefore, you need to know what to do when sticky droplets appear on the orchid.

Causes

In order not to harm the phalaenopsis, using various drugs, it is necessary to identify the root cause of the condition. It can be physiological, then there is no need for drugs.

Natural drops on the leaves

High probability of natural processes. Normally, the plant is covered with flower nectar. This is due to natural metabolism - the processing of sugars.

To check whether this is a natural process, it is necessary to inspect the plant for the presence of various parasites, slightly reduce watering. Be sure to increase the temperature in the room.

The cause of the formation of drops may be a deterioration in the conditions of detention:

• overflow. If a gardener pours an excessive amount of water into the ground, and also it accumulates in a sump, this negatively affects the plants;
• poor environmental conditions. Sticky spots appear if the flower is on the windowsill, a large amount of sunshine falls on it. The condition worsens if the room temperature is low;
• poor-quality top dressing or their excess. Not sticky drops appear, but leaf damage is noticeable anyway. Pigmentation is formed, which is not characteristic of the plant.

The plant can be affected by insects:

• scale shield. Blotches of sticky droplets are formed on the leaves of the orchid, deformation and tubercles in connection with the nutrition of the parasite with orchid juice;
• aphid - a midge that, after consuming plant juice, leaves sticky dew, lives in a rhizome or near a flower growth point;
• powdery mildew. First, drops appear on the surface, gradually forming a white coating with black patches.

Pathogen penetration

Orchid grown at home is the most moody plant. Therefore, it should be carefully looked after in order to achieve good flowering and the absence of various diseases. Even if insignificant drops or bloom appear on the leaves, it is necessary to immediately change the temperature and humidity in the room, to remove bright sunlight.

Even a small number of pests can lead to death of the flower. Therefore, treatment should be started immediately, use only high-quality drugs.

Composition of sticky drops

If the condition is caused by excessive watering, the fluid is concentrated in the soil, as well as various parts of the plant. There are so many of her that she cannot hold herself inside. As a result, excess moisture is released through the leaves. A large amount of dew is formed, which a person can take for education from pests. The stickiness of the liquid is minimal, since the ratio of sugar to water is less.

The plant can itself produce fluid. It is necessary to attract insects for pollination or the destruction of parasites. Then drops contain particles of sugar that attract insects.

Liquid can also form due to the spread of parasites. They join the leaves of the orchid, starting to suck out the juice from it. Then they fly to another part of the plant. In the place where the puncture was made, the output of the remainder of the juice is formed. It also contains a lot of sugar, so the touch is sticky.

Flower Treatment Options

If the orchid contains only a transparent, sticky coating, but there are no other symptoms of the disease, first change the conditions of detention. They should be as follows:

• elimination of bright sunlight that can fall on an orchid located on the windowsill;
• reducing the amount of water for irrigation (this action cannot be completely eliminated);
• elimination of various top dressings, which could be too much to prevent decay, death of flowers and the whole plant;
• ambient temperature should be average, not more than 23 ° С;
• the ambient temperature must always be stable, differences are not recommended, as well as drafts;
• drying the top layer of soil in the pot;
• creating a drainage layer for water that enters the pot during irrigation.

Next, monitor the plant for a week. In the absence of various diseases, the condition of the plant is normalized, sticky formations from the leaves will completely disappear. If no changes are observed, additional symptoms of the disease appear, it is necessary to begin treatment. It is necessary to carefully examine all parts of the flower, as parasites and midges can be contained in various areas.

The action of parasites on the leaves

Fluid on the orchid may appear to attract parasites that have settled on it. When they stick to the liquid, they cannot move, so they gradually die. The plant will not be able to cope for a long time on its own, therefore it is necessary to help it with the help of various chemicals.

In the presence of parasites, follow:

• eliminate the possibility of infection of other plants in neighboring pots by moving the orchid to another room;
• take a cotton swab, with which they carefully rub all parts of the orchid from the bottom up to remove midges and other parasites;
• if any parts of the leaves, trunk or stems are badly damaged, they should be removed;
• spraying with a solution of insecticides (Nurell-D, phosphamide, actellik), which destroy the causative agents of the disease, but do not harm the orchid itself;
• carry out soil cultivation by lowering the pot into a container with a liquid into which an insecticide tablet, for example, alirina-B, is added;
• so that drops do not appear again, you should thoroughly rinse the pot, leaves, stems, flowers once every 10 days.

Transparent drops on the leaves

Only after complete processing and passing the risk of a second disease, phalaenopsis can be returned to its previous place, so it can not harm other flowers.

If the flower is not severely affected, you can try using alternative methods of treatment. These include the following methods:

• washing the leaves with a diluted soap solution daily;
• if ordinary soapy water does not help, you can add a small amount of alcohol or vodka to it to disinfect;
• a shower with water at room temperature with further treatment with aromatic oils;
• the use of a mixture that contains garlic and oil;
• the manufacture of tinctures containing field horsetail. Filter the liquid and process the plant daily;
• processing various parts of phalaenopsis with water, to which a small amount of soda and iodine are added.

Alternative methods of treatment have a gentle effect. They do not harm the phalaenopsis itself, so it will not only survive, but will begin to bloom faster.

Disease prevention

It is much easier to prevent the negative impact of the environment and the action of parasites on the flower than to further treat it. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of prevention:

• in summer, the ambient temperature should be no more than 23 ° C, and in winter up to 18 ° C;
• in the summer, the flower must be watered in a larger volume (compared with winter), but in reasonable quantities, so as not to provoke rotting of the roots;
• watering should be carried out once a week in the winter and 2 times a week in the summer;
• water for irrigation should be settled, it is not recommended to use various additives for other purposes, for example, salts, impurities;
• humidity in the room should not be low or excessively high, 60% is considered optimal;
• if it is necessary to transplant phalaenopsis or propagate it, it is necessary to check all its parts first for the presence of parasites, darkening, changes in pigmentation, the presence of sticky spots;
• daily ventilate the room so that the flower receives a sufficient amount of oxygen;
• the pot is not allowed to be on the windowsill or in another place where direct sunlight falls on it;
• fertilizers can be applied to the soil no more than 2 times a month, be sure to do this during the flowering period;
• plant nutrition should contain minerals, especially iron and potassium, due to which phalaenopsis can constantly bloom and be healthy;
• daily spraying all parts of the flower with water to eliminate the possibility of dust accumulation and pests.

If all conditions are met correctly, this will prevent lethargy of flowers, damage, dryness, rotting of rhizomes and leaves.

Insecticides are not used as preventative measures. Misuse of them can lead to poisoning of the orchid and its subsequent death. Therefore, the tool can be used only in the presence of insect parasites.

Plant care after treatment

After the sticky drops on the leaves of the orchid have been eliminated, therapeutic measures are necessary. This is due to the fact that the development of a parasitic infection is at risk of relapse. That is, insects can appear again, go to neighboring flowers.

Therefore, you should adhere to the following rules for the care of orchids after treatment:

• daily washing of the stem, leaves and flowers with a cotton pad soaked in water or a soap solution;
• transplanting phalaenopis into another pot to eliminate the risk of relapse;
• the pot in which the orchid stood during the disease must be thoroughly washed and disinfected;
• watering should be carried out no more than 1 time per week with a moderate amount of water;
• fertilizing with fertilizers is carried out only a few months after the recovery of the plant;
• Do not bring the humidity in the room to the maximum limits, since such an environment is optimal for the development of various pests.

Not everyone knows why orchids have sticky leaves.

If it was carried out correctly, phalaenopsis will recover in the coming days. In the future, it is recommended to follow the rules of prevention in order to prevent the risk of relapse.