Question
I am new to orchids and all of a sudden the leaves are falling off my orchid.  It will be bare soon.  Help..


Answer
Hello Helen,

Unfortunately, without a orchid name, it is hard to tell you if what is happening to your orchid is normal or not.  But here is some information I hope will be helpful.  

There are some orchids that are deciduous, losing their leaves in the fall.  The orchid plant is not dead, just dormant over winter.  These orchids produce blooms on leafless growths in late winter or early spring.  These types of orchids need to be kept on the dry side over the winter, only restarting to water when new growth is evident.  

On those orchids that are not deciduoous, there are many reasons for leaves to fall off prematurely.  The usual causes are overwatering, getting water splashed on the leaves that remains on them overnight and lastly, a heavy insect infestation.  Here is a brief explanation of each:

Overwatering: most orchids prefer the potting mix to become barely moist between waterings.  Watering before this and the mix remains constantly wet which can lead to root rot.  

Water on leaves: water that remains on the leaves overnight is a prime breeding environment for fungus and bacteria.  They can cause the leaves to die and fall off and if the infection is severe enough - plant death.  It is always best to water orchids in the morning to allow enough time for water droplets to evaporate before nightfall.  Also, it would be goodness if there is some light air movement around the orchid plant to aid in the evaporation.  

Insect infestation: the usual insects that afflict orchids are mealybugs and scale.  Both of these survive by sucking the life out of the plant.  They usually can be found on the underside of leaves.  They also are very prolific breeders, just a couple can soon become hundreds if not thousands.  

Hope this is of some help.  If you have further questions or have more information, please write and I'll try to answer them.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.