Buds dropping

Compare the signs below, find the one that matches your plant, then follow the fix.

1. 1A sudden change of place

   Signs

   Buds drop within a few days of coming home. Moth orchids and gardenias do this often.

   What to do

   Move it less. Keep the temperature and the light steady.

2. 2Too cold

   Signs

   A moth orchid drops buds most easily below 15°C

   What to do

   Put it somewhere warm. At night, keep it off the windowsill.

3. 3Swinging from dry to wet

   Signs

   Sometimes you forget, sometimes you pour on a lot

   What to do

   Keep the soil evenly moist

4. 4Too close to fruit

   Signs

   Apples or bananas sitting next to the flowers

   What to do

   Fruit gives off ethylene, which ages flowers early. Keep them apart.