I am not an expert on seedlings that small, but it sounds like damping off
to me. When you pot them up, do you treat for fungus at all?

Diana

"someone" wrote in message
...
Over the years I have occasionally on holiday bought orchids in test-tubes
from botanical gardens in places like Singapore and Malaysia, and the
tubes have all had phytosanitary certificates.

They have mostly come along fine, but one small one has been struggling
for years. It's now about 4 inches high, and every time it puts out a new
shoot, the shoot blackens and dies. So I cut it off wiuth a sterilised
Stanley knife. Then it puts out another one, and this black spot starts
again, and I cut it off, so it never really gets going. I now have about
ten almost-starting shoots with bulbil things, but it comes to nothing.

Is there anything I can do about this, the plant is itching to grow, but I
don't know what to do to help it. Is this a virus or what?

I have several other orchids in the same room and they've all been fine,
whatever it is hasn't been transmitted to them, apparently.

Any help appreciated.

someone