Why are my orchid leaves turning yellow!? Six reasons why - not all are bad! - and what to do!

[@kevins9242]

Hi Matthew, this is one of the best videos I have ever seen on how to logically interpret leave yellowing. The use of various plant examples made a great teaching aid. Thank you for all of the time and effort spent; this video is going to help a lot of home growers.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you Kevin - that's very kind - stumbling my way through learning like us all!

[@galecunningham1250]

Thank you for making this very interesting video, Matthew! It was fascinating and helpful too.🦋🦋🦋

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was useful!

[@lorrainecoulter4011]

Thank you for explaining the yellowing process now i can stop panicking

[@helloplantlovers]

Yes! Thanks for watching!

[@christinenorton2510]

Good job Matthew, great information.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@sannekemartha7737]

All you plants seem so healthy ! Could you please make a video of orchid diseases ? I have several orchids with black, brown or yellow spots on the leaves. Is that bacterial or fungus infection ? Thanks in advance !

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - I couldn't really say. If you make sure you're not over watering, not giving too much sun, or too much/too little food - that's a great start!

[@alisehuisman9842]

This was alsof FUN to watch !! Thanks from the Netherlands ;)

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@keepsmiling704]

Love watching and Thank You for all your knowledge .. I have an orchid now doing the yellow leaf thing and it's making me batty .. I do think I have been giving it to much light after watching this video. Thanks for the heads up on lighting..

[@helloplantlovers]

Good luck! It's often a process of elimination - thanks for watching!

[@bibicheknauf4163]

I just read you had dangerous, unheard (for your area) winds. Hope you and your orchids are fine and survived this terrible weather🙏

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh thank you - yes! All's well. Only one casualty - a gesneriad which needed a re-pot anyway! Quite scary though I must say!

[@deemaxwell4172]

Very helpful video! It works great as new info and as a "refresher", especially based on personal experience and with examples that can be clearly seen.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you - it's always a learning curve!

[@kathyskirbst5061]

Thank you! Just what the doctor ordered.

[@helloplantlovers]

Excellent! Thanks for watching!

[@annette6420]

This was so helpful! I thought my new dwarf oncidium was dying 😮 but it’s very much as you said pseudo bulbs shutting down after flowering and I have three new shoots so I’m no longer panicking. I’m also so thankful this was the first suggestion in the list ❤

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - glad it was useful!

[@matthewcondon1985]

Love your attention to quality, Matthew...the glass, the terracotta, your home decor...it's all very nice. Although I use a lot of plastic pots for my orchids, I'm not a fan of plastic anything. One of these days I hope to invest in more ceramic containers for all my plants.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching Matthew!

[@wonkyduchess69]

Hi Matthew! Thank you for this video! I'm branching out from the basic phalaenopsis to others such as dendrobiums and oncidiums. I'm learning VERY quickly that all orchids are not created equal ;). Again, thank you! Are you still making videos?

[@helloplantlovers]

They most certainly are not! Good luck! Finding what works for you and then expanding to things that like similar conditions will provide you YEARS of orchid adventures!

[@MarieEngelbrecht-k6j]

Very interesting. Thank you ❤

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@dianecollins2735]

Hi Matthew, your video was very helpful. Thank you.

[@helloplantlovers]

I'm glad - thanks for watching!

[@wandashaw3551]

Hello Matthew and thank you for this information! Really enjoyed this video, think we can get one in the future about Spots on my Leaves? Scary! 😮😮😮😮

[@helloplantlovers]

Oooh! Not sure I know enough about spotty leaves! So many things can be afoot! Light - viruses - insects - fungus! But I will make a video about other bugs and problems I've encountered!

[@ajaytigga9793]

Nicely explained 👍

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@cherryz.1419]

Thanks! The video just answered my concerns for my new den

[@helloplantlovers]

I'm glad! Thanks for watching!

[@besottedorchids3605]

Great seeing your different orchids. I was actually researching the kriptonite orchid this morning . It's quite a large orchid! Thanks for sharing yours.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - it is - but the flowers are gorgeous and long lasting.

[@besottedorchids3605]

@@helloplantlovers once a yr, blooms?

[@helloplantlovers]

@@besottedorchids3605 Yes - early spring here - but multiple spikes and on mine they opened successively so I had blooms over about 6 weeks.

[@besottedorchids3605]

@@helloplantlovers great! Have you done a video on it? I can't find one if you did. Thanks

[@helloplantlovers]

@@besottedorchids3605 Yes - here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZuzfZSCityAa6M

[@plantyhappyandneedcoffee]

Hi there! Do you have any videos about pests control on your orchids?

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - no I don't. There's no magic answer I think, just observation, vigilance and your spray of choice!

[@plantyhappyandneedcoffee]

@@helloplantlovers sounds about right! Thank you very much for your reply!

[@monica11760]

This was so interesting and informative. Thank you so much. There was only one thing I could not understand that you said, and I rewound it several times to listen again, so I'm asking! It was at 16:41. You said the leaves browned over night and they ________ ___________ for years??

[@helloplantlovers]

"And then they all sulked for a year."! I do speak a little fast!

[@monica11760]

@@helloplantlovers thank you!!

[@patriciad333]

Hello Matthew: I wrote to you before about my Sarcochilus leaves turning yellow and you suggested maybe too much water. I am still observing these orchids and it seems that the yellowing of the leaves is occurring above and below newly developing aerial roots. I am only watering when the medium is pretty close to dry so not sure that was the cause. Can the aerial roots be doing this? Have you ever observed this? Grow on!!

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi Patricia - Oh no! Sorry to hear you're still having difficulties! The aerial roots will not effect the plant negatively at all - so let those do their thing and don't worry. The yellowing will be some other cause. The check list would be: Is the plant getting enough light? They need strongish light especially in winter. Watering you're on - these are tough so can take a dry a between watering but dial it up a bit in the spring growth season. How are the roots? Were they in good condition? Are they healthy? Is there enough of a root system to support the plant? If not it will take some time to rejuvenate. Is the growing tip still green and healthy - producing new healthy leaves? If so, then it could just be the stress of shipping and a new environment? Is the potting medium light and free draining? Have you over fertilised them? A little topical slow release in spring - not on or near any roots - and then in the growing season the occasional diluted liquid feed - never too strong. Is the plant in a draught? What's the ambient temp? Is it too near heating? As I mentioned - these orchids are tough and can take high day time temps and low night temps and need a winter cool - not below freezing though. And good air movement. I don't grow mine indoors so perhaps I'm not much use! Perhaps if you can find an orchid group somewhere in the NE and then find a member who is successfully growing them indoors in your area, they might have better local insights. Either way good luck! With mine neglect seems to be the best care - but that's no help to you! Matthew

[@AkeoGreen2059]

Nice info

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@vincchou]

root rot would be my guess..

[@fouziamohideen4925]

What about the cymbidium’s

[@helloplantlovers]

Cymbidium bulbs as they age will also lose their leaves, first turning yellow, then dropping off. These old leafless bulbs though can be used to start new plants if you divide them.

[@unniunni00712]

My orchid canes are becoming yellow 🥺

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh!.....some will as they age and die off. Depends upon the type of orchid but a lot of Dendrobium canes turn yellow as they age and die off, a totally natural state of affairs!

[@unniunni00712]

@@helloplantlovers But my Dendrobium is still a sapling

[@helloplantlovers]

@@unniunni00712 Oh dear - that's no good! I could only suggest making sure you've got the conditions right, not too much water, good light, check it has a healthy root system, plenty of air movement. Good luck!

[@CristaVenn]

I'm an orchid expert when the new pseudo bulbs start to grow and mature the oldest growth will start to die of its the natural plant cycle if see the actual pseudo bulbs look healthy so the leaves start to die first then the bulbs will strivel up slowly that the plant can all it's energy into the new growth don't what so ever cut the leaves of you need the energy to go back into all the new growth and don't feed at this stage it's in it energy restoring stage of it life cycle

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!