Should You Trim Dead Orchid Leaves?
Is your orchid carrying some dead weight, and you're not sure if you should leave it alone or do some trimming? In this article, orchid enthusiast Melissa Strauss talks about dead orchid leaves and what you should do about them.

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In roughly 20 years of caring for orchids, I’ve learned two things. One, they can be rather fussy about their care, and two, they really prefer a bit of neglect. Finding that balance between meeting their precise needs and not loving them to death takes some effort.
In general, these plants don’t benefit from pruning. Unless you’re propagating one, there is typically little reason to do any cutting of a healthy orchid. But what if your plant starts looking unhealthy? Dead and dying leaves can be concerning when you are caring for one of these evergreen epiphytes.
There are a number of reasons that your leaves could be suffering. The important thing is that you identify what’s causing it and do what you can to bring it back to health. Once you do, you’ll need to know what to do about those dead and dying leaves. Let’s answer the question about what you should do when your orchid has dead leaves hanging on.
The Short Answer
In most cases, you should remove dead orchid leaves. The degree of damage is important to note when deciding when you should make the call. Not all dead leaves are a sign of trouble, but some can indicate a serious issue.
The Long Answer
Sometimes, dead or dying leaves on an orchid can indicate a serious problem. Most of the time, it’s important to remove them. However, it’s good to know what to look for and at what stage you need to remove them. Let’s take a look at some reasons your plant may have sad-looking foliage and what to do about it.
Natural Causes

Orchids do naturally shed leaves about once per year. They will typically do this in the time leading up to, or just after, they bloom. There is a simple reason for this process. Your plant is applying extra energy to produce those beautiful blooms.
Since the energy has to come from somewhere, the oldest leaves feed the new growth with their reserved energy, and then they fall off.
What Does It Look Like?
Naturally, dying leaves will always be the oldest. On a monopodial species like phalaenopsis, these will be the ones at the base. For a sympodial species, it will be the oldest pseudobulb.
How to Fix It
Just allow nature to run its course. The nutrients stored in those leaves will help propel new growth. They will eventually turn dry and brown and either fall off themselves or you can remove them. Just wait until they look completely dead first.
Root Rot From Overwatering

Overwatering is the most common problem gardeners face with orchids. Especially those growing indoors. Orchids are epiphytes. They grow on trees and have exposed roots. This means they need a lot of air circulation and a specific type of potting mixture.
The roots are susceptible to fungus and water mold, which tends to grow best in cool, moist settings. Even with the right potting mix and a well-draining container, watering too often can lead to a breakdown in the organic matter surrounding the roots. This invites fungus into the situation, which breaks down and rots the roots.
It can be difficult to detect root rot without looking at the roots themselves. Often by the time it shows in the leaves, it’s significantly progressed. Learning to identify this early and take action can make a big difference.
What Does It Look Like?
Root rot shows up first in the lowest foliage. You may see yellow discoloration begin at the base and creep slowly outward toward the tip. It will gradually become soft, and the leaves will loosen from the rhizome and may fall off.
How to Fix It
Timing is important. If your plant recently bloomed, it is unlikely that it has root rot. Remember that your plant will commonly drop its oldest leaves at or just after the time of blooming as it redirects energy from those leaves into the flowers. If this discoloration happens at a time that is not in line with the natural shedding process, you’ll want to check for root rot.
You can check the roots by re-potting or simply moving the potting material around to get a better look. If you see any brown or black, mushy roots, you’ll need to take action. A rotting odor can also be an indication.
If you have a case of root rot, act swiftly, and you may be able to save the plant. Remove the plant from its container and use a clean, sharp tool to remove all rotted tissue. Rinse the healthy tissue of any debris and allow it to dry completely. While you’re at it, remove any leaves with signs of damage, such as yellow or mushy bases.
Then, re-pot with fresh, clean potting mix. Make sure your potting media and container both have excellent drainage. Adjust your care routine so that your roots and potting material dry slightly between waterings. Most indoor orchids need water about once per week.
Nutrient Deficiency

Orchids are heavy feeders, they take in a fair amount of nutrients, and they like fertilizer. You should be fertilizing your plant at least once a month, if not more often. Most can handle twice monthly fertilizing while in a growth phase.
What Does It Look Like?
A nutrient deficiency will result in a general yellowing of established foliage. Usually, the newer leaves will be darker than the older ones, but the entire plant will begin to look faded and sickly. An orchid with a nutrient deficiency is unlikely to produce flowers, which can be another indication.
How to Fix It
It may take some time to get back to normal, but getting on a good fertilizing schedule will help. Use a specialty orchid fertilizer or a balanced one diluted by one-half. Fertilize every two weeks during active growth by immersing the roots in a sink or bucket of water with fertilizer mixed in.
You can also do some foliar fertilizing initially to help give it a boost. Mix some water-soluble fertilizer with water and mist the entire plant with it. Be careful not to overdo it with fertilizer, as this can cause root damage. Resist the urge to give more than recommended. Just be patient with the process. If the foliage doesn’t continue to worsen, leave it alone. If it begins to rot, cut it off.
Fertilizer Burn

This will seem contradictory, but you can over-fertilize your orchid, and this can lead to leaf damage as well. When you give a plant too much fertilizer, it can’t take in those nutrients, and salts build up on the roots. This often happens when owners don’t adjust their fertilizing schedule to account for dormancy.
What Does It Look Like?
Fortunately, this one is easier to identify and isolate from other issues. Fertilizer burn will show up in the tips of the leaves. The ends will turn dry, brown, and papery. You may also notice a white, crusty buildup of salts on the potting mix and roots.
How to Fix It
You can re-pot with fresh potting mix if you like, but it may be just as effective to flush the potting material and roots. As long as you have proper drainage, this should do the trick. Run the entire container, including the roots and potting mix, under clean, fresh water for a minute or two. This will clear out any residual build-up.
Adjust your fertilizing routine so that it doesn’t happen again. Aim to fertilize every two to four weeks during growth phases and reduce to no more than once monthly in dormancy (if at all). Unless they are winter-blooming orchids, they’ll go dormant when the temperature drops and daylight hours become shorter. When spring comes back around, return to your normal schedule.
If the brown tips don’t progress to rotting tissue, you can leave them intact. They may continue to dry out until they fall off. You may want to remove them for appearance reasons, but I advise allowing the plant to absorb any nutrients they contain. Only cut them off if you see signs of rotting.
Underwatering

Underwatering is far less common than overwatering, as orchids tolerate a bit of neglect. A combination of low humidity and underwatering can be damaging, though.
What It Looks Like?
This one is also easy to identify. Under watered, orchid foliage will look droopy, listless, and wrinkled. Eventually, they will turn yellow and may even fall off. If the plant is blooming, it will drop flowers much faster than it should.
Another sign of underwatering is dry roots. If you notice the exposed roots looking shriveled or dry and gray, it’s a sure sign of dehydration. Roots should be plump, fleshy, and white or green.
How to Fix It
Water your orchid weekly. If it’s outdoors or in a warm space, it may need more frequent watering. You don’t want the potting mix to stay wet all the time, but you don’t want it to be bone dry before you water again. You may also have a humidity issue, which I will get to in a minute.
The way you water these plants is an important factor, and in my opinion, there is a superior method. I water my orchids by immersion. When you pour water over the roots from the top, the roots don’t absorb much.
Instead, fill a sink or bucket with water and submerge the pot in it for a few minutes. This allows the roots to take in all the water they can. Then, allow the water to drain out completely. You shouldn’t have to remove these leaves, and hopefully, they will recover and rehydrate.
Light Issues

Orchids can be particular about how much sun they need and how much they tolerate. Too much or too little can leave your leaves in bad shape. In terms of killing leaves, it’s better to give them too little than too much.
These epiphytes grow predominantly in tropical rainforests. They grow on trees beneath the canopy, where they receive mostly filtered sunlight. They will prefer more or less light depending on whether they grow close to the ground or higher up in trees.
What Does It Look Like?
Well, that depends on whether we are looking at too much or not enough light. If your plant is not getting enough light, you’re probably not worried about dying leaves. An orchid that needs more light will put on a lot of dark green growth and no flowers.
If it’s getting too much sun, you will see signs that vary accordingly. The foliage of a healthy orchid, getting the right amount of light, should be medium green with a yellow tint. It should also bloom at least once per year. One that gets too much light will suffer.
Signs of sunburn on your leaves can look like bleached spots initially. These spots of faded tissue may only have light damage, but it’s important to fix the issue immediately. Progressed sunburn will turn black. Once this happens, the tissue will begin to rot and die.
How to Fix It
Learn what type of light your specific species needs. Some, like phalaenopsis, need all of their exposure to be indirect. Direct light will burn that thick, waxy foliage. Others, like cattleya, can tolerate and even prefer a few hours of direct sun in the morning. The intense afternoon sun isn’t great for any orchids, though.
Most orchids will thrive in an east or south-facing sunny window with a sheer curtain to filter the light. Privacy glass also provides a sufficient filter. If you get direct exposure in the afternoon, place your plant out of reach from that.
If your leaves have more than a slight burn, they are probably going to, or have already begun to rot. You want to remove these as soon as possible to prevent fungal infection from affecting the entire plant.
Low Humidity

Finally, there is the issue of humidity. Going back to their native environment, rainforests are usually pretty humid places. Most orchids need a level of between 40-70% humidity to thrive. They may survive on less, but they probably won’t flower, and their health will eventually decline.
What Does It Look Like?
An orchid that isn’t getting enough humidity is a dehydrated one. It will look much the same as one that is underwater. Shriveled, limp, and droopy leaves can be a symptom.
If you know that you’ve been watering enough, and it still looks sad, look at the humidity level. You can also use a humidity monitor in the space to see if you’re hitting the mark. If it’s below 50%, depending on the species, that is an issue.
How to Fix It
You have a few options when it comes to raising the humidity level in your space. I keep most of mine in a bathroom where the shower runs at least once a day. It tends to stay pretty humid in there as a result, and my orchids are happy.
A humidifier is a fantastic tool for anyone with a houseplant collection. Many of the plants we keep indoors are tropical and appreciate some additional moisture in the air. Running a humidifier in the room where you keep your plants will have a positive effect. I still recommend a humidity monitoring device, as you don’t want it to make your wallpaper peel or do other damage.
Another option is to use a pebble tray. If you have only one or two tropicals, this is a great way to add just enough humidity.
To make a pebble tray, get a dish or tray that is an inch or two deep and cover it with pebbles or river rocks. Fill it with water so that the water lies just below the top of the stones. Then, place the orchid container near the tray of stones. As the water evaporates, it raises the humidity just around that plant. Replenish the water in your pebble tray as needed.
Key Takeaways
Dying orchid foliage isn’t always a cause for alarm; it could simply be the natural yearly shedding of old leaves. However, it can also indicate a more serious issue that will need attention if you want to save the plant. If you pay attention to the signs and focus on proper care, your orchid should recover and live a long, beautiful life.