Hi, I am a keeper of various orchids, mainly Phaleonopsis, with a problem with one in particular, in that the newest leaves appear folded when they come out and dont grow much before they start to go black and leathery from the tip.

I had it out of the pot, and there were a couple of brown roots which I trimmed, and some healthy roots, and lots of silvery arial roots. It is also putting out 2 flower spikes at the same time as it has this leaf problem.

I noticed the compost looked black so I have bought some more and repotted.

does anybody have any idea what this black rot is, i can only find hints about over fertilization, but this plant is in the same compost as the others and I rarely use fertilizer and all the others flower for 6 months at a time. Thanks in advance!!

On Mon, 22 May 2006 13:24:14 +0000, Stikeebun
wrote:


Hi, I am a keeper of various orchids, mainly Phaleonopsis, with a
problem with one in particular, in that the newest leaves appear folded
when they come out and dont grow much before they start to go black and
leathery from the tip.

I had it out of the pot, and there were a couple of brown roots which I
trimmed, and some healthy roots, and lots of silvery arial roots. It is
also putting out 2 flower spikes at the same time as it has this leaf
problem.

I noticed the compost looked black so I have bought some more and
repotted.

does anybody have any idea what this black rot is, i can only find
hints about over fertilization, but this plant is in the same compost
as the others and I rarely use fertilizer and all the others flower for
6 months at a time. Thanks in advance!!


It sounds like crown rot. The closest we have to a source/cause is a
habit of allowing water to stand in the crown late in the day. If the
plant goes into the evening with a wet center it is apt to get crown
rot. This will progress and kill the plant as in moves down the
crown. Cut out the rot and sprinkle with cinnamon. Water with
hydrogen peroxide (at human use strength) and make very sure this is
early am watering. Allow the plant to dry during the day so that the
crown is dry at night. Never allow any water to sit in the crown -
use paper towel if necessary to wick up droplets of water left in the
crown after watering your Phals.

Be agressive in killing this as it is an agressive rot. If this has
happened to more than one set of center leaves. YOU DO NOT have crown
rot. Crown rot will kill the growth point in the center of the plant
with the first set of leaves it kills.

If this is not the first set of leaves on this plant to get rot. Look
for other causes. Is there a chance that the plant was dropped and
the leaf tip broke? Is there a sun spot that burns this particular
area?

Good Luck


SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/main.php

Hi Sue

Thanks for your advice, but this particular phal has never been allowed to sit with water on the leaves, it is treated the same as my others. It was also on the same table next to the others which are growing/flowering successfully. (ive moved it away in quarantine) This is now the 3rd leaf to be affected this way, so it looks pretty strange at the moment, like it's had a mohican! the older leaves underneath, about 4 of them, haven't dropped off and look ok. The newer ones towards the crown are curled round towards the ground and look like they have been folded up into a V shape. Still, it has 2 flower spikes growing! The new leaves only get to about 3 inches long and then the blackness starts from the tip. Any more thoughts would be appreciated...

Hi Stickeebun

The symptoms do not sound like crown rot!!

I grow lots of Phalaenopsis and occasionally one will have a folded
leaf as it emerges. Sometimes it is caused by an insect having a good
chew on it.

The black tips are something else. I have seen this in Cattleyas where
the mature leaf starts to go black from the tip and the black stuff
slowly works it's way down the leaf until the leaf dies. I am told this
is caused by a fungus. I have not seen this in Phalaenopsis.

Don't know if this helps or not, but forget about crown rot.

Tony

Hi Tony

Thanks for the advice; I'm gonna wait and see what happens.... I now have 3 flower spikes forming and the other unfolded leaves still look good. My other Phals are still doing their thing as normal

Stikeebun

Hi

I have a website now that has pics of my orchids, please feel free to take a look and see my poorly phal!

www.piczo.com/stikeebun