Phalaenopsis diseased
My phalaenopsis have done all right in the past. But now they have
stopped developing new leaves for some six months and the existing ones do not look well. While they are deep green, they have secreted something that looks and feels like a water-clear, dry varnish that is spread out very thinly and in patches, mostly on the top surface, but also underneath. There are also a few brownish scales, some roundish. Any idea on how I can bring the plants back to life? Should I wash the leaves, and if so, with what? Is lemon juice a possibility? Should I repot them? Thanks in advance for advice. |
Phalaenopsis diseased
Hi, from a new member. I usually "luk" to get a feel of how a group
interacts, but your question is one with which I can relate. I had the same proble/s. Advice I received on that clear vranishy stuff was that it will go of its own accord and won't harm the plant. Feel free to ignore that if you want to. I ignored the varnishy stuff and worked on the little brown scales. Mine wer scale insects. They will igmore lemon juice I'm afraid, so I hope you can face something a bit less organic than that. I had to use cotton buds soaked in methylated spirits to wipe/scrape off teh scale insects one by one. Time consuming, but they can't be shifted with a gentle rinse down. Funny though, once they had gone, the clear varnishy stuff hasn't come back (yet)? Hope this helps. |
Quote:
The 'clear varnish' is the excreted by the insect and contain sugars. If left, it could attract ants and a black sooty mould. None of these are harmful to the plant, but not really appreciated by orchidists. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, your plant may have stopped growing because it is winter. Otherwise, check for signs of root rot. Weng |
Phalaenopsis diseased
Sounds like a mixed bag of potential issues.
First the easy one: Dip a soft toothbrush in soapy water (on the lines of Joy or Dawn), and gently scrub both sides of all of the leaves. it will clean up the deposits and remove the scale insects. A general stalling of growth could either be directly nutritional, so share the fertilizer formula, strength applied and frequency so we can look at that, or it may be that the medium is in such bad shape that it is stressing the plant and possibly has damaged the root system such that they cannot absorb water and nutrients well. -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info! "Leon" wrote in message oups.com... My phalaenopsis have done all right in the past. But now they have stopped developing new leaves for some six months and the existing ones do not look well. While they are deep green, they have secreted something that looks and feels like a water-clear, dry varnish that is spread out very thinly and in patches, mostly on the top surface, but also underneath. There are also a few brownish scales, some roundish. Any idea on how I can bring the plants back to life? Should I wash the leaves, and if so, with what? Is lemon juice a possibility? Should I repot them? Thanks in advance for advice. |
Phalaenopsis diseased
With all due respect to Weng, the best use for the brandy or vodka is to
keep YOU going while you de-infest the plants G. For the plants, stick with rubbing (rather than drinking) alcohol, or the soapy water that Ray suggested. If you are thorough, this will get rid of all the scale above the potting medium. Since you say this has been going on for some 6 months, the insects may also be down in your potting mix, perhaps chewing on your roots. You need to check those anyway, to see if there's some other problem (e.g., if they're pale, thin, dry and crumbly, you haven't been watering enough; if they're dark and soft/mushy, you've been keeping them way too wet). So re-potting wouldn't be a bad idea, either. [I don't recall your location, but around here, it's getting to be about that time, anyway.] I don't like to use the alcohol or soap on the roots, but a good rinse will probably do, along with fresh mix, to get rid of any insects that have gotten down there. If the problem reappears after that, consider a systemic insecticide. Good growing, -- Kenni Judd Juno Beach Orchids "Leon" wrote in message oups.com... My phalaenopsis have done all right in the past. But now they have stopped developing new leaves for some six months and the existing ones do not look well. While they are deep green, they have secreted something that looks and feels like a water-clear, dry varnish that is spread out very thinly and in patches, mostly on the top surface, but also underneath. There are also a few brownish scales, some roundish. Any idea on how I can bring the plants back to life? Should I wash the leaves, and if so, with what? Is lemon juice a possibility? Should I repot them? Thanks in advance for advice. |
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:57 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter