Orchid suffer from many of the same common problems as the majority of house plants. But they also suffer from some fairly specific ones too. This includes many of the same pests and fungal infections plus environmental factors such as over-watering, poor lighting and general damage.
Most of these problems can be easily identified and solved with a little time and attention.
Common Orchid Pests
Pests come in two varieties, those that are harmful and those that are not. Of the non-harmful types most are there just to feed on decaying plant material and some can even be beneficial but depending on how you feel about them you just might not want them in your home, centipedes for example.
Aphids are a nuisance common to most plants, attacking new plant growth where the surface is thinnest and easier to break down. Although they can be quite destructive they are relatively easy to keep under control with general house plant insecticides.
Slugs and snails are often brought in from outdoors if you kept a plant outside during the summer or in a greenhouse. They can also hide pretty well in potting media coming out at night to eat your plants. The dead give away that these are your problem pest is the silvery trails they leave. Fortunately they are large enough to be picked off by hand, but check your potting medium for any that are hiding themselves or simply replace it entirely.
White Scale may show up as yellow spots on your leaves with a small white or cream coloured centre which is the hard outer shell of the insect itself. You can treat this directly with some oil based solution to suffocate the occupants but they can survive in the roots for around six months so you'll need to apply insecticide on a regular basis for some time.
Environmental Conditions
The conditions and care you give your orchid will have a big effect on it's ability to thrive and even its chances of falling victim to viruses and fungal infections. A weak plant is far more susceptible to these things.
Too much strong direct sunlight can cause burns on your orchids leaves and may leave nasty marks too. Avoid placing your orchid in direct sunlight, you could simply move it, shade it with something or diffuse the light with frosted glass.
Over-watering will cause many problems including root loss and limp leaves. If your orchids leaves are limp this may be a sign of root loss usually due to them being in contact with water for too long. If you think this may be the case then first check that the potting media is not to compacted through decay.
Decaying potting media will prevent adequate drainage and retain a lot of moisture next to the root. Replace the media and make sure your orchid is tightly potted. If the problem remains then you should probably water it less often, make sure that the roots are completely dry before you water again.
Some problems can be caused by incorrect feeding, too much and young leaves could turn brown and die. Too little feed and your orchids leaves may be mottled, yellowing or abnormally developed. See if your fertilizer is suitable for orchids, non-specialized orchid feed may not contain the required nutrients and trace minerals that your orchid needs.
Fungal Infections
If you're plant has a fungal infection it's possible that it was already weakened due to conditions or damage. These infections usually show up as blackened areas of the plants originating from the pseudobulb and spreading.
In this case prevention is easier than cure, as damage from a fungal infection is usually permanent. Treatment in most cases involves removing the infected area with a sharp clean blade and treating the wound with a fungicide or hydrogen peroxide solution applied directly to the infected area. Don't worry about rinsing the solution off as it will break down safely and naturally.
You can prevent many of these problems with your orchid by taking a little time to check that it's being kept in the optimum conditions. Check that your orchid is kept in a suitable temperature range for its species and avoid watering or misting with cold water as the shock can weaken your plant making it more susceptible to disease.
Treat cuts when they occur, you can do this with an application of sulphur powder or everyday cinnamon powder.
If you're treating an infection or pest problem with spray or other solution make sure you don't miss the underside of the leaves.
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