Prevention

• The first step in keeping your moth orchids from dying is maintaining the proper cultural requirements they need. Healthy plants have a greater capacity for avoiding, and recovering from, problems. Home growers should keep moth orchids in filtered sunlight as direct full sunlight can cause injury. Moth orchids thrive in potting mix like bark chips or coarse peat moss. Good drainage is essential to maintaining healthy orchids. Gardeners need to keep potting mix moist without allowing it to dry out by providing consistent irrigation with room-temperature water. Best irrigation entails fully saturating growing media, preferably over a sink, allowing water to thoroughly drain through to avoid creating waterlogged conditions, according to the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Additionally, moth orchids thrive in nighttime temperatures greater than 65 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime temps ranging from 75 to 80 degrees.
  
  

Types of Problems

• Moth orchids may suffer from decline and appear to be dying due to cultural problems as well as the disease and pest issues that often arise as a result. Common pest problems include sucking bugs, like aphids and scales, which feed on plant fluid tissue. Aphids are soft, tiny bugs with bodies that resemble the shape of a pear. Scales are tiny, round pests that cause confusion when they resemble bumps that appear to be an extension of plant surfaces. Rot disease is also a common issue that occurs as a result of excessively moist conditions.
  
  

Effects

• Rot disease leads to the decay and destruction of your moth orchid's root system which, in turn, kills your orchid flowers. Excellent drainage is the best bet for avoiding this problem. Aphids and scales result in the distortion and discoloration of flowers and leaves. Aphids and many scales excrete honeydew, a stick, sugary substance, as they feed. As honeydew drips onto plant surfaces, it encourages the growth of the fungal infection sooty mold. Sooty mold produces a black fungal growth that can cover plants, inhibiting sunlight absorption.
  
  

Considerations

• Going above and beyond cultural requirements to address the particular needs of your moth orchids is typically all your plants need to remain healthy, particularly when addressing specific problems. Growers should consider re-potting their orchids every three years as new root growth appears to maintain a healthy growth space. The monthly application of an orchid fertilizer like a 30-10-10 at half potency promotes good development for disease prevention.
  
  

Solution

• When dealing with pest infestations and diseases, gardeners should begin with the most natural management methods available to avoid further damage to orchids. Growers should release natural enemies onto moth orchids for pest problems. Enemies like predatory insects, available in garden supply stores, hunt and kill pests without harming plants. For severe problems, insecticide applications are effective. An insecticide with the active ingredient acephate, for example, controls aphids. For diseases like root rot, gardeners should contact a local county extension agent for assistance in determining whether a fungal infection is involved and to create a control program.