Hi, All,

I just posted two pictures over on abpo, along with explanations. Would
appreciate any comments.

Diana

Diana Kulaga schreef:
Hi, All,

I just posted two pictures over on abpo, along with explanations. Would
appreciate any comments.

Diana



Hi Diana,

Phal #1: The heart of the plant is rotting away. With Phals that means
that they are as well as dead, although there still is (a very small)
change that it will make a new sprout at the bottom of the plant.
(according to the healthy roots this chance might not be that small
after all). If you are very attached to the plant, I would carefully
take/cut off the yellow leave and powder the bad center of the plant
with sulphur or cinnamon to prevent it from further fungus infections.
Take care that the leaves are always dry before the evening falls. And
give less water since the plant will evaporate less with only two leaves
left. Then sit back and pray! If you are not attached to it: just throw
it away.

Phal #2: This one looks like it had a little bit too much sunlight.
These kind of marks are typical for sunburnt phals. It spoils the leaf
(and with that the looks of the whole plant) but the plant itself isn't
bothered by it. So just give it a little more shaded spot and it will be
happy again. The plant will make new leaves on top and eventually it
will shed the burned leaf.

Succes with your phals!

Greetz, Niek

Niek Hanckmann schreef:
Diana Kulaga schreef:

Hi, All,

I just posted two pictures over on abpo, along with explanations.
Would appreciate any comments.

Diana


Hi Diana,

Phal #1: The heart of the plant is rotting away. With Phals that means
that they are as well as dead, although there still is (a very small)
change that it will make a new sprout at the bottom of the plant.
(according to the healthy roots this chance might not be that small
after all). If you are very attached to the plant, I would carefully
take/cut off the yellow leave and powder the bad center of the plant
with sulphur or cinnamon to prevent it from further fungus infections.
Take care that the leaves are always dry before the evening falls. And
give less water since the plant will evaporate less with only two leaves
left. Then sit back and pray! If you are not attached to it: just throw
it away.

Phal #2: This one looks like it had a little bit too much sunlight.
These kind of marks are typical for sunburnt phals. It spoils the leaf
(and with that the looks of the whole plant) but the plant itself isn't
bothered by it. So just give it a little more shaded spot and it will be
happy again. The plant will make new leaves on top and eventually it
will shed the burned leaf.

Succes with your phals!

Greetz, Niek

An addition to my first reply:

Sorry I only just read your explanation so trying to answer your questions:

Phal #1: I'm afraid that your phal is suffering from a bacterial
infection. In many cases thes infections comes with mites or lice. If
that is the case, it is even worse then I thought. I'm trying to keep an
encyclia with this kind of infection alive, but every new sprout starts
rotting when it matures. It must be a very special phal to keep it! Be
carefull not to spread the infection on other plants (nor let it be
spread by insects).

Phal #2: It still looks like sunburn to me. Sunburn can also occur with
a relative increase of light. So a plant that had heavy shade and now
got full indirect light might suffer from sunburn. The same could heppen
to a leaf that was shaded by another leaf and isn't any longer (when
plants are standing very close together).
Less likely this could also be a sign of (severe) red spider mite or
lice infection. But in that case you would have probably seen something
on the backside of the leaves.

I hope this is more an answer or a hint to your questions!

Greetz, Niek

Thanks, Niek. I appreciate your having gone back to read my original
comments, too. I agree that plant #1 appears to have some kind of bacterial
rot, and it is isolated. I do believe that it has stabilized, perhaps due to
two treatments with Physan, but we'll see. I'm hoping for a side shoot.

I also agree that plant #2 looks sunburned, but if it is, I can't figure out
how. There have been no changes in location other than moving a Phal "tree
stand" farther back from the light source rather than closer. (I grow
outside under screen. The Phals reside under the covered portion of the
patio, but it has been raining a lot, so I moved them back to avoid night
time splash.) There is no evidence of mites; I know how to check for that.
These Phals are in Aliflor, and there is no sign of plant lice, etc. What
really bothers me about that second plant is the thin yellow line around the
edges of the upper leaves. This is the same thing that happened to plant #1
before it went to h**l in a handbasket. Of course, this plant is now
isolated as well.

As far as being attached to them, I will never be attached to a plant enough
to endanger 275 others!

Thanks again.

Diana

#1 definately appears to be brown rot probably caused by Erwinia spp.
Erwinia can easily become a systemic infection resisting any cut-and-treat
cure. If it's a box store special, you know what to do. If it's a special
special, then more drastic measures are in demand. I have saved a phal and a
paph St Swithin from certain death by completely unpotting and getting rid
of most of the media, then soaking in a Physan solution (1 Tbsp/gal) for 20
min. This is the rate recommended for disinfection and not for plant
application, but we are talking desperate measures here. My plants did
suffer a little root damage but recovered nicely and are doing fine today.
I'd recommend this only for mature plants as this dose might outright kill
or compound serious damage on younger growth. Good luck.
#2 does appear to be mite damage or could be sunburn. The most effective
treatment for mites I've tried has been Foramite. Pricey but worth it.
Gary

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
...
Hi, All,

I just posted two pictures over on abpo, along with explanations. Would
appreciate any comments.

Diana

Diana,

I have some soap that is used for preping prior to surgery (on people). I
have used that on crown rot on phals with good sucess. I do not dilute it. I
have not tried the common antibacterial soaps but would if the other was not
available.

If the plant in question has doritinopsis in its background I understand it
has a better chance for a side shoot.

Bob

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Niek. I appreciate your having gone back to read my original
comments, too. I agree that plant #1 appears to have some kind of
bacterial rot, and it is isolated. I do believe that it has stabilized,
perhaps due to two treatments with Physan, but we'll see. I'm hoping for a
side shoot.

I also agree that plant #2 looks sunburned, but if it is, I can't figure
out how. There have been no changes in location other than moving a Phal
"tree stand" farther back from the light source rather than closer. (I
grow outside under screen. The Phals reside under the covered portion of
the patio, but it has been raining a lot, so I moved them back to avoid
night time splash.) There is no evidence of mites; I know how to check for
that. These Phals are in Aliflor, and there is no sign of plant lice, etc.
What really bothers me about that second plant is the thin yellow line
around the edges of the upper leaves. This is the same thing that happened
to plant #1 before it went to h**l in a handbasket. Of course, this plant
is now isolated as well.

As far as being attached to them, I will never be attached to a plant
enough to endanger 275 others!

Thanks again.

Diana

Diana,

Have you (or someone) sprayed anything around the plants. That could be
damage from a chemical that got on the leaves. It does look like a burn of
sorts.

Just a thought.

Gene




"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Niek. I appreciate your having gone back to read my original
comments, too. I agree that plant #1 appears to have some kind of
bacterial
rot, and it is isolated. I do believe that it has stabilized, perhaps due
to
two treatments with Physan, but we'll see. I'm hoping for a side shoot.

I also agree that plant #2 looks sunburned, but if it is, I can't figure
out
how. There have been no changes in location other than moving a Phal "tree
stand" farther back from the light source rather than closer. (I grow
outside under screen. The Phals reside under the covered portion of the
patio, but it has been raining a lot, so I moved them back to avoid night
time splash.) There is no evidence of mites; I know how to check for that.
These Phals are in Aliflor, and there is no sign of plant lice, etc. What
really bothers me about that second plant is the thin yellow line around
the
edges of the upper leaves. This is the same thing that happened to plant
#1
before it went to h**l in a handbasket. Of course, this plant is now
isolated as well.

As far as being attached to them, I will never be attached to a plant
enough
to endanger 275 others!

Thanks again.

Diana

Hi Diana
I'm sure someone in this thread has mentioned getting water in the crown
causing it but I've been haveing the same thing happening and I water by
hand never getting the plant wet. It starts out either on the edge or even
in the middle of a leaf I've even cut most of the leaf off with a
sterilized knife and put Cinnamon on it but it doesn't stop it. I think
it's bacterial as in my case the leaf gets mushy and smelly.
Your second picture maybe the same thing as some plants might be able to
fight this whatever it is.
I getting close to the point of robbing a bank to buy some PHYTON-27 to see
if that will stop it.
Grow well and bloom magnificently
Dusty

Thanks everyone. I have treated the badly infected plant with Physan, and
the infection appears to have stabilized.

We shall see. It's not a box store plant, and although it didn't cost an arm
and a leg, the flower has wonderful form, so I'm going to try saving it.

Diana

On Fri, 7 Oct 2005 15:45:21 -0400, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Thanks everyone. I have treated the badly infected plant with Physan, and
the infection appears to have stabilized.

We shall see. It's not a box store plant, and although it didn't cost an arm
and a leg, the flower has wonderful form, so I'm going to try saving it.

Diana

Once it appears headed towards stable - I would water it with
hydrogen peroxide. 1/2 a bottle at a time if it takes that.
Until the center dries out and appears scabbed over you can not
risk any infection flare. I had three go at one time. We saved
2. I thought the idea of watering with hydrogen peroxide just
poured out of the bottle was crazy. Until I needed to save one.
And it worked. Pretty cheap compared to some of the sprays we
use to control bugs.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

Peroxide works wonders. Already used a bottle on that plant!

Diana