White plaque on an orchid: what is it, why does it appear, how to fight and treat with home remedies, that is, what to do if the leaves of the plant are covered with it?

Indoor orchid is a fairly hardy, persistent and unpretentious plant. Temperature changes, irregular watering or contaminated soil are the main causes of flower diseases.

One of the most common symptoms is white or gray plaque on a leaf plate.

What is the reason for this phenomenon, and what danger does it carry?
How to get rid of it, than to treat? Answers in the article.

What it is?

Orchid leaves are the part on which the first symptoms of illness or parasite infection appear. If the cause of the change in the appearance of the leaf is the presence of a fungal infection, its lower plate is covered with a thin light coating. As the affected area increases, the plaque turns gray, becomes wet. This is the main symptom of powdery mildew.

Plaque when infected with a mealybug resembles flakes. It is white, similar in structure to cotton wool. Before it appears on the leaves, sticky drops can be noticed. On closer inspection, the nests of the parasites and the pests themselves are visible. During the breeding season, small white dots appear near the nest - these are the mealybug larvae. Later, plaque develops into spots of marble color.

Now you briefly know what it is.

Why does it appear?

The main cause of the problem is poor quality care, which weakens the plant. A healthy orchid is rarely exposed to parasites or diseases due to its high immunity. Under inappropriate conditions of detention, metabolic processes are disturbed, the composition of the juice changes. What factors make an orchid particularly susceptible to infection?

Frequent fertilizing, excess nitrogen in the soil.
Severe dryness is the optimal environment for the propagation of pests, moist air - for the progression of fungal diseases.
Waterlogging of the soil. Under such conditions, fungi are especially active, putrefactive processes proceed quickly.
Fallen orchid parts are not cleaned in a timely manner.
The soil itself is infected with pests.
Temperature conditions not observed.

REFERENCE! Powdery mildew spores carry insects or wind from one bush to another. High risk of onset of fungal infections in spring and summer (with open windows in the room).

Now you know why he appears.

What can its presence lead to?

The danger of powdery mildew is that the fungus multiplies rapidly and affects all parts of the plant. In the absence of help, the infection leads to decay of the leaves and roots, the orchid dies.

Of the pests, the mealybug females pose the greatest threat. They are attached to the sheet plate, they drain the juice through the holes made, and poison is injected instead. Parasites slowly kill orchids, sticky traces of their activity are also an excellent medium for the appearance of sooty fungi.

How to deal with home remedies?

In this section, we describe how to treat if the leaves of the plant are covered with a coating.

Common actions in the presence of powdery mildew or powdery mealybugs - isolation of the plant, careful inspection to determine the exact cause, removal of the most affected parts.

If the plant is on the windowsill, it must be rearranged, and the window sill and adjacent window should be thoroughly washed (since spores or larvae can live not only on the orchid).

Further steps depend on the root cause.

Powdery mildew

To combat the disease, several options are offered. These are folk, biological and chemical agents. If the lesion area is small, the following methods will help.

Garlic tincture. In a jar with a capacity of 0.5 l, you need to put 5 garlic cloves, knead them, leave for 5 hours. Dip a brush in the tincture and treat the infection site.
Horsetail decoction. Pour boiling water over 100 g of raw material, cool, spray the diseased plant.
Promanol AF Neu - biological product from Germany. The composition includes paraffin oil. Apply only to affected areas.

In extreme cases, chemicals are indicated - fungicides. These are Topaz (6-8 g per 10 l of water, not more than 4 treatments), Vectra (3 g per 10 l), Alirin and Gamair (1 tablet per 10 l).

Worm

The first action is the mechanical removal of parasites. Using a cotton pad, you need to remove pests, then treat the surface with a soapy solution. An alternative is an alcohol solution (1: 2 alcohol and water). Spray no more than 1 time per day. Before the procedure, conduct a susceptibility test - process a small part of the sheet. If there is no curative effect, more powerful methods are required.

Neem oil. The product smothers insects. Use according to instructions.
Insecticide treatment of plants and soil - Aktara, Actellik, Mospilan (breed according to instructions). The maximum number of repetitions is 4 times, the time interval is 10 days.

ATTENTION! Among the options for combating the parasite are adhesive tapes from flies, a solution of alcohol in medical and soapy water, pulp from garlic and vegetable oil.

Now you know how to deal with the problem with home remedies.

Photo

In the following photos you can clearly see what a white coating on orchids looks like:

Prevention

The main preventive measures relate to temperature conditions, moderate watering and adequate air humidification. It is forbidden to put a pot of orchid in brightly lit places. Regularly need to inspect the leaves for infection by pests. Several times a month, spray with Fitosporin in a weak consistency. To prevent fungal infections, make drainage at the bottom of the pot, to prevent moisture stagnation.

Further plant care

Among the main aspects that are important to pay attention to are the following.

Where to put an orchid?	Daylight hours	Temperature indicators	Humidity	Moisturizing	Drainage
An ideal place is a windowsill on the west or east side of the room. On the southern windows, the flower must be shaded, set aside from the glass.	13-15 hours. In the cold season, put a phytolamp next to orchids (no closer than 20 cm from the flower).	20-25 degrees. The minimum is 12 degrees (for a period of rest).	Not lower than 70%.	3 times a day, spray the orchid with clean water, without affecting the buds, flowers. The irrigation frequency is affected by the season.	The pot can be placed on a pallet with pebbles. They regularly add water - this will moisten the flower. It is important that the roots are not in the water.

So, improper care provokes illnesses even in such an unpretentious home plant, like an orchid. Do not flood the soil, maintain the same room temperature, regularly inspect all parts for pests. If you find the first symptoms - be sure to isolate the plant and take emergency measures to help.

Now you know what to do if an unhealthy coating appears on the leaves.