Are there any visible pests on your orchid?
Has your orchid developed a flower spike with buds, that slowly turned brown and died off, with the flower stem the following suit and drying up?
Do you feed your orchid frequently with strong fertilizer solution?
Some pests might cause orchid's stems to look unhealthy, wilt and eventually dry up. Their presence is usually signaled by changes to other parts of the plant. Spider mites can infest a plant, especially if grown in a dry, indoor environment. Spider mites make delicate but visible webs that cover young leaves and growing tips on stems, eventually causing buds to drop and entire stems to dry up and die back. Mites are best controlled by spraying with insecticidal soap. Mealybugs can also injure and eventually destroy stems. These white, cottony insects collect in leaf and bud axils and are best destroyed by dabbing them with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.
These symptoms might indicate a problem called bud blast. This is more likely in certain types of sensitive orchids, like Cattleyas (Cattleya spp.), commonly called corsage orchids. Environmental problems like wide fluctuations in temperature are often the cause of bud blast. Placing a plant far from windows, doors, and vents can help prevent bud blast, as can growing it on a tray filled with moist pebbles or frequently misting all its parts with water.
Orchids generally grow best when fertilized regularly with a weak fertilizer solution. Water orchids once each week with a weak fertilizer solution, like a 20-20-20 formula diluted to half strength, or 1/8 teaspoon per gallon of water. If an orchid is over-fertilized, the roots can be burned, which causes darkened areas on stems and leaves that eventually turn black and dry up, endangering the plant.
For some types of orchids, a flower stem that dries up completely can be normal, indicating that the plant is finished blooming and ready to start a new growth cycle. For example, a dendrobium or spray orchid (Dendrobium spp.) produces a flower stem at the end of each of its leafy canes. After flowers have faded, the stem dries up and turns brown. It eventually drops off, or you can trim it back for a neat appearance.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/orchid-stem-completely-dry-100589.html
Sreten null
Hi! I’m Sreten Filipović. I graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, with a master's degree in Environmental Protection in Agricultural Systems. I’ve worked as a researcher at Finland's Natural Resources Institute (LUKE) on a project aimed at adapting south-western Finland to drought episodes. I founded a consulting agency in the field of environment and agriculture to help farmers who want to implement the principles of sustainability on their farms. I’m also a founding member of the nonprofit organization Ecogenesis from Belgrade whose main goal is non-formal education on the environment and ecology. In my spare time, I like to write blog posts about sustainability, the environment, animal farming, horticulture, and plant protection. I’ve also published several science-fiction short stories.
You can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreten-filipovi%C4%87-515aa5158/
