The orchid is one of the most popular indoor plants, pleasing the florist with its beautiful and bright flowers. But sometimes flower buds crumble even before they open, and flowering does not occur. In this article we will look at the main reasons why an orchid can drop buds; we will define ways to save the plant and how to care for it in the flowering process.
Why do orchids have unblown buds?
If you provide the plant with all the necessary conditions and properly care for it, then flowering can last 3-4 months. After a short break of 2 months, the buds are formed again, and the flowering repeats. If the orchid suddenly begins to discard unopened buds, this signals the presence of problems caused by improper care, inappropriate conditions or other factors. Next, we consider the most common causes of bud fall.
Did you know? In 1991 in Somerset the largest orchid in the world was grown. She belonged to the species Paphiopedilum sanderianum and had petals 122 cm long.
Violation of conditions of detention
Frequent reason for the fall of orchid buds are the wrong growing conditions. In order for a flower to grow normally and enjoy regular flowering, it requires a certain indoor microclimate. 
The main violations of the conditions of detention, which can cause the reset of the buds:
- lack of light - usually occurs in winter during a short light day and affects the plant only at the beginning of the flowering period. An orchid with open buds can bloom even in dim light;
- insufficient air humidity - observed in the hot season or in winter during the heating season. In a room with dry air, the orchid begins to save moisture and discards unopened flowers;
- direct sunlight - lead to burns of buds, causing their yellowing and falling off.
Wrong watering
This mistake is often made by new growers who do not know how to water a flower properly. Fearing that the plant receives an insufficient amount of moisture, they water it too plentifully.
Find out why leaves fall off orchids and what to do.
As a result, the following phenomena are observed:
- waterlogging;
- growth retardation;
- leaf fall;
- root system decay;
- drop of unopened buds.
The lack of moisture in the substrate also provokes the discharge of inflorescences. Determine the lack of water can be on the appearance of the roots of the plant - they become dry and white. 
Draft
Moving streams of cold air adversely affect the plant. Regular airing is necessary for a flower, but if it stands in a draft, then the fall of the buds cannot be avoided. A cold draft can occur not only during the airing of the room in winter, but also as a result of the operation of the air conditioner in summer.
Abrupt change of conditions
The reason for the fall of unopened buds can be the movement of a flower, as a result of which it has fallen into new conditions. This usually happens after buying a plant in a store or after moving to a new place.
Important! When grown in a permanent place, no sharp changes in temperature should be allowed in the room with an orchid.
In this case, the plant is experiencing severe stress, which is associated with such external factors:
- temperature change in the room;
- mechanical flower shakes;
- other level of humidity;
- changes in lighting mode.
Other reasons
In addition to the reasons listed above associated with improper care and inappropriate growing conditions, an orchid can throw unopened buds under the influence of other factors.
Here are some more possible causes of this phenomenon:
- natural flower aging - in natural conditions, the orchid lives up to 70 years, but the life span of indoor varieties is much less - only 7-15 years. Therefore, after 5-6 years of growing, the process of formation of peduncles may continue, but the buds will fall off, and the plant will stop pleasing the florist with its flowering. In this case, nothing can be done;
- hypothermia - most often occurs when improper transportation in the cold season. The frosty air has a detrimental effect on the plant and provokes the falling off of unopened flowers;
- overheat - occurs in summer, even if the flower is in partial shade, but the air temperature in the room exceeds the mark of + 30 ° C. In winter, the plant can overheat when located near heat sources;
- lack of fertilizer in the soil - Orchid does not find strength to bloom, if it is deficient in potassium, phosphorus, boron and magnesium;
- mechanical damage - inaccurate transportation of the plant, the fall of the pot, damage by domestic animals injure the orchid and cause the buds to fall;
- gray rot - it is a sign of small spots on the buds, which eventually turn brown, causing drying and falling off of an unopened flower;
- mealybug - first strikes the leaves, causing them to yellow and fall off, with the result that the orchid sheds its buds.
Did you know? The orchid of the species Platystele jungermannoides has the most miniature flowers, the diameter of which does not exceed 1 mm.
What to do and how to save the orchid
If the process of dropping the buds has begun, then actions should be taken immediately to save the flower. If you correctly determine the cause of the fall of the buds and eliminate it in time, then the plant will be able to recover from the resulting stress and will again be pleased with the lush flowering. 
To save the flower from dropping inflorescences, you need to perform the following actions:
- with a lack of lighting, rearrange the flower in a more lighted place, shading it from direct sunlight;
- at low air humidity, use humidifiers and spraying the plant with warm water, avoiding moisture ingress on the buds;
- in the cold season, you can cover the hot battery with a wet towel to further moisten the air in the room;
- adjust the irrigation mode, not allowing the substrate to be dried or over-wetted in the pot;
- remove the flower from the cold window sill in winter and eliminate drafts;
- in case of strong heat, move the plant to a cooler place, more often carry out airing and spraying;
- when there is a shortage of nutrients in the soil, add fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus;
- when rot appears, remove all affected parts of the plant and transplant it into a fresh substrate, adjusting the care of the flower;
- if a mealybug is damaged, pests should be removed from the surface of the flower with a cotton swab dipped in soapy water, and then spray the flower with a fungicide.
How to care for orchid during flowering
Most often, the fall of unopened flowers is associated with violations of growing conditions and improper care of the plant. As a result, the orchid is under stress and may even die.
Important! Air temperature lower than + 14 ° С is destructive for orchids. A flower can only withstand a short-term cold snap in a room up to + 15 ° С.
The main features of flower care during flowering are listed below:
- It should be watered with a moderate amount of warm water 1 time per week after the substrate dries in the pot. It is recommended to pour water into the pan, so that the roots themselves absorb the required amount of moisture;
- provide the plant with a comfortable air temperature of about + 22 ... + 26 ° C without sudden drops;
- place the orchid on a well-lit window-sill, but shade it from direct sunlight;
- use additional lighting in the cold season with a short light day, placing the flower under the source of artificial light for 12 hours;
- to carry out regular airing of the room to prevent air stagnation, but to prevent the occurrence of drafts;
- maintain the humidity level in the room not lower than 60%;
- feed the flower with phosphate and potash fertilizers every 7-10 days;
- avoid moving the plant during the formation of buds and flowering;
- place the support in a flowerpot to prevent the stalk breaking off under the weight of flowers.
Preventive measures
It is best to prevent the occurrence of a problem than to deal with it and its consequences, therefore, when growing orchids, you need to remember about preventive measures that will help prevent buds from falling off.
Did you know? The most expensive flower in the world is considered an orchid "Gold Kinabalu". It begins to bloom only after it reaches the age of 15 years.
These preventive actions include:
- cold protection - if the orchid is transported during the cold season, it should be put in a cardboard box and covered with several layers of paper;
- accommodation away from heating appliances in winter - helps to avoid overheating of the flower;
- cold draft protection - Do not leave the flower under operating air conditioning in the summer or near the open window in the cold season;
- permanent place - it is better to pick up immediately according to all the above conditions and try not to move the flower unnecessarily;
- no nearby fading bouquets, fruit and nuts - all these elements release ethylene into the environment, which negatively affects the buds of the plant and causes them to fall off.
Orchid bloom is a joyful and long-awaited event for each grower. With the help of the recommendations listed in this article, the plant can be provided with the right conditions and care so that all the buds open on time.
