Why Are My Orchid Leaves Turning Yellow? Reasons & Fix

The orchids incorporate almost 28,000 species dispersed in about 763 genera. Each species of orchid grow attractive and colorful flowers with a pleasant fragrance.

Yellow Orchid Leaves -In Short: Overwatering, light exposure, and Change of place are the common reasons for yellowing leaves.

If your orchid plant is near dying: Avoid trimming or pulling off the yellow leaves from your orchid plants. Check for root rot, remove mushy roots, and repot your plant to a sterile planter with a fresh potting mix. Make changes to your watering schedule to keep the soil moist enough but not soggy.

It is up to you what species you are going to cultivate in your garden. However, each option will delight you at the end of the growing session with just a few basic needs!b

You can cultivate an orchid plant in an open outdoor garden under direct sunlight or carefully as a houseplant. Both processes will be unproblematic in every manner.

Using Ice Cubes for Orchids: Yes you can use ice cubes to hydrate your orchids which slowly moistens the soil. Apart from using ice cubes for succulents, for orchids too, it helps to prevent overwatering and gives your orchid roots enough time to slowly absorb and hydrate the plant

How to know if my orchid plants are healthy? Brighter green leaves without drooping and yellow leaves are a good sign. Go for eastern and north windows for indoor orchids to get enough bright indirect light.

How to Care for Orchid Plants: Quick Precap

Soil: Loose, slightly acidic soil, rich in perlite and organic fertilizer and the mix is well draining
Water: Twice a week in normal weather and once a week during frosts
Fertilizer: One in a month with a high-nutrient organic fertilizer in diluted form
Sun Exposure: Sun with partial shade to full sun (for some specific species)
Climate: Warm temperature with 80-90% of humidity
Hardiness Zones: 6 to 11 (depending on the selected species)

Only you need to take care of a few things and pay attention while having a growing orchid plant around. Here are some of those facts you need to validate a little in this regard-

Why Do Orchid Leaves Turn Yellow?

It is not rare to find that your orchid leaves are yellowing. However, it indicates that you should be a little more attentive to the care procedure of your plant.

There are always some specific reasons that work behind this common orchid plant problem. You just need to treat those problems well to solve the issues permanently.

Reasons for Yellowing Leaves:

Watering issues like overwatering or underwatering
Root rot due to too much moisture buildup in the soil due to poor drainage
Due to direct scorching heat for keeping your plant under direct sunlight for long (temperature more than 80 degrees F)
Improper climate like keeping your plat in a high-humid place in a colder temperature (less than 50-55 degrees F)
Repotting shock when you repot your orchid plant more frequently
Season changes that happen due to temperature fluctuation
Lack of nutrients due to irregular and inadequate fertilization
And for the aging process, as the leaves and the plant become older, it brings this inevitable outcome of an orchid plant eventually.

Try to find out the real cause behind this problem of your plant and then, solve it accordingly. Proper care and attention sometimes even can retrieve the light yellow leaves green again with proper remedy methods.

How to take Care of Orchid Plants:

You should remember that the exact caring methods of a growing orchid plant always depend on its selected species. Different types of orchids have different types of growing needs.

However, you can take care of most of the orchid species with the below-mentioned caring guide expertly-

Soil and Potting Mix:

Try to make the potting mix fertile enough with a fine mix of some beneficial growing materials. Wood perlite, cork nuggets, rock wool, fir bark, dried fern, peat moss, coconut fiber, lava, rock, etc. are good materials to add to your growing medium.

How often to water:

Orchid plants have a tricky root system and thus, need watering regularly. Try to plant an orchid in a well-draining potting mix that can drain water very fast.

Plants can handle watering easily as long as keeping the drainage system well. Water your plant once every 7 days consistently.

Fertilization:

Orchids are heavy feeders. So, you need to fertilize your plant steadily twice or thrice a month. Apply it in a diluted liquid form or powdered form but make sure you keep the nitrogen a bit high than the other contents.

Lighting needs and Climate:

Orchids can tolerate warm and high temperatures but through indirect sunlight. So, if you are growing an orchid plant indoors, try to place it near an eastern or western window.

For outdoor orchid plants, use a partial shade to filter the direct light a little. Keep the temperature between 75 to 85 degrees F and the climate higher to provide the best growing climate.

Pruning and Repotting:

Try to prune your growing orchid plant, once you find it is getting leggy or over bushy. Trim off the fade blooms and discolored leaves along with any infected part of the plant, once you detect it.

Wait till your plant overgrows the current planter. due to their tricky root system, they usually, need to repot orchid plants once every year. See when the blooming session is done, to do the job properly in an undamaging manner.

Related: Yellowing leaves of dumb cane

Similar issues on your orchid plants:

Some common issues you can face with a growing orchid plant are-

Shriveled or wrinkled leaves
Yellow leaves
Stunt growth
Buds drop
And not a blooming problem

Improper watering, insufficient feeding, inadequate light or pests, and bug infestation all can be reasons for such issues. Try to validate the real cause behind those issues to smear the remedy consequently.

How to Propagate Orchid Plants?

Propagating orchids is an easier process than any other normal flowering plant. The best part is that you can do the job in several ways, according to your aptitude. Here are the three best ways you can regrow an orchid plant proficiently from a fully mature parent orchid plant-

From Stem Cuttings:

Find out the healthiest stem from your orchid plant that is 10-12 inches long
Trim it out near the base using a disinfected shear and remove the leaves from the bottom
Dip the end of the nod in rooting hormone and place it in a pot of moist sphagnum moss
Place the pot in a warm spot with indirect sunlight till the stem start sprouting
Then, keep the sprouting stem out of the pot and plant in a pot filled with potting mix
Once you have done this job properly, place the pot in a tray with water and pebbles
This will give your growing orchid the best growing climate with preferable humidity

Through Keiki:

Find out the Keiki part on your parent plant that is mostly found on the base of an orchid
Make sure the Keiki or baby plant is at least 1-1.5 inches long before trimming it off
Cut the stem of the Keiki exactly beneath the root and place it in a pot with orchid bark
Water the pot to make the orchid bark moist thoroughly and place it in a warm spot
Don’t forget to sow the Keiki in a pot that has a proper drainage system
Wait till the Keiki sprouting normally to replant it in a large suitable planter accordingly

Division Method:

Wait till your orchid plant reaches the stage of repotting to try this process
In the process, you need to water your fully mature and overgrown plant thoroughly
Now, take the entire plant carefully from its current planter
Observe the plant thoroughly and remove any damaged or problematic parts carefully
Now, divide the plant separately along with their liked root and pseudobulbs part
Use a shear or sharp cutter to do the job, if you can’t make it easy with your hands

Finally, replant them separately in different planters with adequate growing essentials, and your orchid propagation will end successfully