Probably Root Rot

[NasaDan]

Well, I got Ursula a little over a month ago for my birthday. She is my first Orchid and she is a Phal. She has been doing great with four beautiful blooms, three healthy looking leaves, and a healthy looking root system. Last Friday, before I left work I noticed that the top leaf was yellowing. I returned on Monday and the leaf had fallen off.

After reading through many of the forums here. I think I may have over-misted and allowed too much water to get to the base of the leaves. I say it has to be from misting because I am using the bath method to watering, so I am never pouring water over the top. I am more concerned now, because a second leaf is starting to yellow.
Is there anyway to save Ursula? The blooms still look great and the roots as well. Is there anything I can premptively do to save her. I will try to get some pictures of the base so you can see what I am referring to.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Daniel

[mayres]

How much light is Urula getting? My first phal I sent to orchid heaven from excessive sunlight with similar symptoms. The only other phal I have lost was from crown rot - yep, water in the top portion of the plant that didn't quickly evaporate. If you end up with only one crownless leaf it is possible to save the plant, but it will literally take years to recover. People try many things to stop the crown rot - cinnamon, hydrogen peroxide, fungicides, etc. I purchased a clearance phal once for next to nothing without a crown (1 1/2 years ago) and it eventually sent up a basal keiki (baby) - so now I have another plant in its place - but it now has but three small leaves and will probably be another year before I can potentially expect to see a flower and another year after that before it is respectable size. Good luck - mike

[NasaDan]

She is in front of a large window that gets plenty of indirect sunlight, but no direct sunlight. The temp. is always the same here in my office.

So really no suggestions as to stop it from progressing to the other two leaves?

It seems that this would be a scenerio that occurs in nature. A heavy rain would definitely fill the crown right? How do they survive in the wild

Again let me work on getting those pictures for you to see.

Thanks again,

[mayres]

In the wild phals grow on trees and they usually are growing sideways - which many of our potted plants also attempt to do - but we keep "righting" them as we repot (which is actually "wronging" them). If you must get water in the crown at home - make it early in the day, tip the plant or blow out the excess if possible, and then provide a warm air movement if possible. A damp crown in the evening hours is a certain disaster waiting to happen.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Try pouring hydrogen peroxide into the crown, early in the day, because it will convert to water in a little while. Worth a try.

[NasaDan]

Here are some pictures of Ursula

[NasaDan]

I will give the Peroxide a try tomorrow. About how much should I use?

What about Physan 20? Any experience with that for Crown rot.

Does it look like crown rot from the pictures?

Thanks again all!! I really want to save my Ursula.

Daniel

[atcrosby]

Can you post a pic the leaf from the top down? it's difficult to tell from the pictures posted.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

You can pour the peroxide straight from the bottle until it over flows any depressions/cuped areas. If you have Physan 20, you can use it too, at the rate of 2 tsp per gallon separated by the time it takes to dry. But I wouldn't go out and buy it just for this. It will do the same thing as the peroxide. Both are surface treatments. A systemic bacteriocide, like Phyton 27, is very expensive and not easily found. Can't tell by looking at your photos if it is crown rot. The best evidence is in the leaves when they come off, if the attachment point on the now free leaf is wet looking. If it is not wet looking, we need to look else where. Bad roots, or bad bugs. But bad roots usually starts with lower leaf loss. Bad bugs could be mites, to tiny to see easily. Look at my response to this thread. I think it is the 11th entry down: White, Dusty Splotches on leaves? .

[NasaDan]

Here is a picture from the top down per your request. I just put the peroxide on with a Q-tip. The area around the center started to fizz. I put very little one. Should I go ahead and just pour a little down inside the crown?

Thanks again for everyone's help

[ewbie]

I think I got the same problem with one of my baby phal which already has three leaves. One time, I saw the top leaf was cut on the crown and a little mushy on the cut. But the leaf is still green and healthy. I thought my helper watered it too much and it's getting root rot. After a while, the 2nd leaf has turned yellow and when I pulled it, which is kind of mushy on the axil, I saw so many tiny creatures on the crown. I poured water-alcohol-soap mixture. It dried up but am not sure if the problem has stopped there. But at least the last leaf is still there until now. I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

If it is the 3% stuff, go ahead and pour.

[NasaDan]

Okay I poured some H2O2 on the crown this morning. It fizzed up again. Sad news though. It looks like a second leaf is about to fall off. It is split at the base.

Is it better to remove the leaf and allow the crown to heal or let it fall off by itself? Is there anyway from stopping the progression of the crown rot.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

You might want to check the internet for Phyton 27 (not to be confused with Physan 20) and invest in the smallest bottle you can find. Then just save it for the ocasional problem like this. I have an occasional infection that starts with a rosey red color in the leaves and in the past has always progressed to the death of the plant (Catts). The latest one has been sprayed with this stuff about once every two weeks , I think three times now, and 7 to 8 weeks later, the desease is not progressing. I mix up about a 1/4 tsp at a time (don't remember if this was with 1 or 2 cups of water, but I keep the Phyton container marked with the ratio), so it looks like my 8oz bottle will last a pretty long time, as sometimes I can go 6 months without its use, and I have a LOT of plants.