7 Reasons Why The Buds Are Dropping From Your Orchid

While orchids may be particular, they reward us with stunningly exotic blooms for weeks and months at a time. Once you find the sweet spot of their preferred growing conditions, they’ll flower happily for years, even decades.

Because of their elegant beauty, It’s especially disheartening to await the spectacular flowers and witness healthy-looking buds suddenly brown and drop. Orchid bud blast is a common problem, where the plants drop sensitive buds respond to fluctuations in their growing environment. There are several reasons that orchid buds drop, and sometimes the cause is genetic, but usually, it’s related to cultural conditions.

The good news is that not all is lost, and the situation is likely corrective for future flowering. Use bud blast to hone in on your selection’s preferred environment. With a bit of detective work, discover the primary reasons for the drop, possibly due to temperature changes, lighting, or water issues. With a few adjustments, your orchid can return to its blooming glory.

Bud Blast Overview

Bud blast reflects the response of tender buds to changing conditions. The orchid enters conservation mode to direct energy to roots, stems, and foliage rather than reproducing (flowering). Cattleyas, phalaenopsis, and dendrobiums are especially susceptible.

Knowing your type of orchid helps navigate its specific care requirements. Light, temperature, and water are important to fruitful budding and flowering. Fertilizing correctly, repotting, and pest and disease management are also key considerations in orchid care. Mimic your orchid’s natural environment for best growth and flowering.

Temperature Response

Drastic temperature fluctuations that stress plants are a leading cause of bud drop. While many types benefit from a difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures to initiate blooming, quick extremes halt budding. 

To avoid sudden chill or heat, keep orchids away from drafts. Heating and air conditioner vents, open windows, and fireplaces cause sweeping fluctuations that may inhibit budding. 

In their rainforest habitats, temperatures vary 10 degrees or more between night and day. They bud and bloom in response to cooling nighttime temperatures. Phalaenopsis develops flower spikes in response to a cool period of about two to four weeks with nighttime temperatures of 55-60°F (13-16°C). Provide temperature variation and a cool period. Afterward, it helps to move the plant to a warmer spot (between 60-80°F or 16-27°C) to stimulate budding. 

Temperature impacts cymbidium orchids the most, and they need more cool exposure. Move cymbidium outside in late summer or early fall for six weeks to promote flower buds.

Inadequate Lighting

Most orchids need plenty of bright, indirect light to flourish. Insufficient light doesn’t support the energy needed to flower. But, too much light also prevents buds from holding – it can overheat or scorch them. 

Different species require varying amounts and intensities, and finding the correct amount is the key. Cattleyas (cat orchids) benefit from lots of light to bloom. Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) need intermediate levels and adapt to lower light, making them easy-care options.

In addition to dropping buds, leaf color is the most visible factor in whether or not the plant is receiving sufficient light. Leaves should be grassy green, not the lush, dark green we envision. A light-to-medium green with yellow tones is a healthy leaf. Leaves should also be upright or horizontal instead of long and floppy. Droopy leaves indicate not enough light.

If your orchid drops its buds and shows other signs of low light, try moving it to a brighter spot, like a windowsill facing a different direction, or outdoors in summer in a canopy-shaded area.  Err on the shady side rather than too bright, as it’s easier for an orchid to acclimate.

Watering Issues

Fluctuations in water are another cause of losing viable buds. Overwatering damages the roots and leads to their inability to uptake water and nutrients necessary to support flowering. Underwatering causes the plant to conserve energy and direct moisture to sustain roots and foliage.

Epiphytic orchids need regular water, but since their roots are adapted to absorb water from rain and moisture in the air, they won’t survive in consistently wet soil. A well-draining pot and bark-based potting mix promotes root health, with regular watering about once a week.

Water thoroughly when potting media feels dry one inch below the surface. Err on the dry side rather than overwatering, but don’t allow media to dry out completely.

Use room-temperature water during each session to avoid shocking the roots. Water at the base of the plant to prevent droplets from settling on the bud sheaths. Excess moisture on the buds can lead to damaging fungal and bacterial issues.

Over or Underfertilizling

In the wild, orchids receive nitrogen through raindrops and other nutrients from decaying plant material on trees. Houseplants get a boost from balanced, low-grade, diluted formulas. An overload of nitrogen promotes foliar growth but inhibits orchid bud development, resulting in dropped buds and less flowering.

Opt for a specialized formula or an organic houseplant fertilizer and use it at ¼ strength. Apply it every other week in the warmer months. Stop fertilizing when the active growing season ends, as temperatures cool. Once a month, water thoroughly to rinse the roots of any fertilizer salts and deposits.

Pests and Diseases

If you see signs of pests or common diseases, the invaders may be causing bud-drop. In severe cases, aphids, thrips, and mealybugs may steal the show. They feed on leaf and flower tissues, and buds may fail to develop or open to distorted blooms.

Aphids

These sap-sucking pests are all-too-common sap-sucking insects that feed on a variety of plants. They don’t often pose a severe threat but can cause stress and leave behind sticky honeydew, leading to black, sooty mold. They also spread fungal spores and are vectors for viruses.

Aphids are pear-shaped, soft-bodied, and light yellow, green, pink, brown, or black. They gather in large numbers on the undersides of leaves. Plants may show curled, yellowing leaves and stunted growth.

Thrips

Thrips are tiny insects with long, narrow bodies. Adults have fringed wings, and their color ranges from translucent white to yellow, brown, and black. If you suspect thrips, give the plant a shake over a piece of paper. You’ll dislodge the insects to know for sure. When thrips infest petal tissues, blooms develop white spots or distort. Leaves may appear silvery and stippled or brown and papery.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are soft-bodied and look like tiny tufts of white cotton on leaves and stems. Infestations are visible by the insects themselves and by yellowing, wilting, or stunted leaves.

Aphids, thrips, mealybugs, and other sap-suckers like spider mites gravitate toward specimens stressed by under or overwatering. For small populations, run plants under a stream of water to displace the pests. Dab them with a Q-tip or cotton ball soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils are effective as more potent treatments.

Fungi

A common fungal disease to look out for is root rot. Overwatering creates saturated conditions that are perfect for fungus to develop (usually Rhizoctonia in orchids). Rot causes the roots to turn brown and mushy; as they decay, they can’t function to support growth.

Plants in overly soggy media with poor airflow may show yellowing and wilting leaves. Check the roots and clip off brown or damaged ones. Replant the selection in fresh media and water thoroughly. Continue with a regimen that prevents prolonged oversaturation. If caught early, you may see rebounding growth. 

Discolored leaves are a tell-tale sign of a problem, whether as minor as a watering misstep or indicating a disease issue. Double-check the light, watering, and fertilizing conditions to get to the bottom of leaf changes.

Atmospheric Changes

The delicate beauties are sensitive to pollution, gases, chemicals, and smoke. Ethylene gas from ripening fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas may cause premature buds dropping from your orchids. If your plant is in the kitchen near the fruit bowl, it may be wise to give them some distance.

Buds also need high humidity to develop. Fluctuations in air moisture and dry conditions can cause them to fail.

Needs Repotting

The tropical growers need space and air circulation to thrive. If you’ve explored the other options for dropped buds and loss of flowers, try repotting your orchid into a larger vessel with fresh potting media.

To repot an orchid, remove the plant from its pot and separate it from the potting media. Trim off any brown roots and declining plant parts. After trimming, It may not need a bigger pot – just add fresh bark mix and water thoroughly. Decaying bark drains less readily and can limit air circulation to roots.