Just like us orchids also need extra supplements to show better growth. In their natural habitats orchids live a very tough life. The nutrients are hard to come by, for the epiphytic as well as terrestrial orchids. This is the reason that orchids have a shorter life span in their natural habitats and some of them are living a threatened existence. Lack of particular nutrients will produce symptoms of deficiency in the orchids. The following article is based on an summed up list on Pinterest.

Listed here are some of the observable mineral deficiencies, as seen in the leaves and remedial measures :

Nitrogen deficiency:
Symptoms - the leaves turn yellow or pale green with half of the leaf turning yellow along mid-veins). The leaves near the bottom of the plant might also show a mosaic of yellow spots. You might also see black rot in these leaves. Solution: try adding some coffee grounds directly to your soil. You can also plant nitrogen-rich plants near nitrogen-deficient plants. Common nitrogen-rich plants include beans and peas.

Phosphorus deficiency :
Symptoms: The leaf tip first turns yellow then brown. There also might be darkening around the edges of leaves. Solution: try adding bone meal directly to the soil. If you have a fish tank or aquarium, you can also use this fish tank water for watering phosphorus deficient orchid, provided it does not contain salt water. This water is also a good source of nitrogen.

Potassium deficiency:
Symptoms- Leaves start showing brown spots, brown or yellow veins or yellow edges. Potassium deficiency increases the orchid’s susceptible to disease and drought. Black rot can appear on the older leaves. Orchids can also experience leaf drop. Solution: Cut banana peels into small pieces and bury inch deep into your soil. Though, the peels take a while to rot, this is a method that will slowly help your plants. Banana peels will also deter aphids.

Magnesium deficiency:
Symptoms-The edges of leaves as well as the veins will turn yellow. Some times, the leaves might also take a marbled appearance, having a mosaic of yellow spots on the bottom leaves. As well as black rot on the bottom leaves as seen in Nitrogen deficiency. Solution: Adding Epsom salt directly to the top of the growing medium before watering bring down the magnesium deficiency. Epsom salt is especially beneficial for tomatoes, peppers and roses.

Calcium deficiency:
Symptoms- Black rot appears on the tips and the margins of new leaves. You might see yellow spots in between leaf veins. Solution: Calcium deficiency symptoms can be reduced by adding powdered egg shells to the growth medium. Like in case of banana peels, this method is also a slow process, so make sure that the powdered egg shells are properly mixed with the growth medium to help the process along.

Other common symptoms:

Dehydration: The leaves become wrinkled which may or may not be accompanied with rot settling on the roots.
Sunburn: The orchid will show discolouration on top of the leaves. Remove from direct sunlight and keep in partially shaded area.
Plants also show a stunted growth when deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus. Phosphorus deficiency can also lead to small or absent flowers. Calcium deficiency can also cause blossom end rot, stunted growth with weak and dying stems. I hope this helps. Take care all of you, covid making a come back, though it’s not that serious this time (hopefully!!!)