Nobile Keiki & New Growth Problems

[butt0n]

I recently purchased a Sea Mary Snow King which had 2 new canes and a keiki. They looked healthy when I got them and I waited for a while for it to settle before I repotted it. A few weeks later, I noticed that the 2 new canes looked limp. I found that they started getting squishy at the base of the cane. They eventually died and I cut them off. The same thing is happening with the keiki. What's going on?? Lastly, one of the mature canes which doesn't have leaves is starting to die and get squishy too. I'm leaving that alone until it dries out. Other than that, the rest of the plant is healthy. What should I do???

[prisana]

button... Sorry that's happening to you ,I don't think I've seen or heard that before. Any chance of posting a pic or two of the problem spots ? for a keiki to be rotten is probably rarely heard of. Could be bacterial or fungal rot for all I know.

Don't you wish the nurseries that sell you orchids have follow-up- call regulations ? Maybe you can bring the plant back to the nursery to have them identify the problem..

[butt0n]

Originally Posted by prisana

button... Sorry that's happening to you ,I don't think I've seen or heard that before. Any chance of posting a pic or two of the problem spots ? for a keiki to be rotten is probably rarely heard of. Could be bacterial or fungal rot for all I know.

Don't you wish the nurseries that sell you orchids have follow-up- call regulations ? Maybe you can bring the plant back to the nursery to have them identify the problem..

LOL...I'd have to ship it back to Florida. I just don't want it to die completely.

[butt0n]

I have since moved it away from my other plants. I might even stick it outside. The other nobile I got is doing just fine and is growing like crazy.





I was spraying worm tea on the roots to help them grow...but I guess that didn't help. The way that its dying is exactly the same way as the other 2 new canes died.

[prisana]

Hi button..have you got physan 20 or phyton handy ? Looks like something I had on my dens a few months back, I sprayed with physan and I've managed to stop the spreading, but the spots that were already there I had to cut off ( on leaves ) I didn't have them on the canes .

I've never used worm tea so I don't know how that works, maybe others with more experience in worm tea will know.

[prisana]

Here is a pic of one of my dens' leaves with those spots...

[kmarch]

prisana,

I think this is a fungal spotting encouraged by being simultaneously cool and wet. We see this sort of thing down here in Melbourne in the winter when it is cool and wet. I think prevention is best, trying to keep leaves dry. It is usually not fatal, it just makes the leaves a bit unsightly. I don't think I've ever seen a plant killed by this.

[janet_a]

what's this den potted in? sounds like it might be staying too wet.

i have a big antelope type den that has those spots on the old leaves--but the plant is growing like a redwood. big thick leaves and big thick canes and blooming on two spikes at the moment (which immediately followed the two previous spikes) and it's growing an even bigger, thicker cane at the moment and starting what may be either another spike, or a keiki.

so the spots are ugly, but they don't seem to be adversely affecting the plant.... i have some physan 20 but i'm frankly afraid to use it.

[prisana]

Kevin, Thank you, that explains it . We had an exceptionally wet summer last year and they were constantly getting soaked day and night. Now that we are in the drought period , I don't see any new spots yet.

Janet, Physan worked pretty well, you can use the direction on the bottle for fungal use and dilute it even more if you want to be on the safe side, it doesn't work fast enough for me that way, though..I want quick results

[butt0n]

Its potted in fine bark and perlite. The spots on the leaves don't bother me as I have had that happen with other nobiles I've had, its these little canes and keikis that are dying off. And no, I don't have Physan. I also check to see that the bark is truely dry before watering again.

[butt0n]

Does anyone have any other ideas?

[prisana]

button, I'm not really sure what you have , but puttin it outside in a bit of shade seems like a good idea. Keep it out of the rain and keep the leaves dry for the moment. If you don't have physan, maybe you could use the peroxide .. and hopefully this will work. It worked on a crown rot on my Zygo. Good luck and keep us posted.

[NancyG]

Hi Prisiana and Button,

I have a couple of dens that the leaves are spotted also. Try using the skewer method of watering. It really helped me to regulate how much to water. Since I've been using it my orchids are alot better. I also use worm tea. It has kept back scale and seems to be helping in the fungus dept. The overall health of the plants seem better since using worm tea.

Good luck,
NancyG

You might try straight hydrogen peroxide or Listerine antiseptic mouthwash. In the meantime, keep the plant dry, and as NancyG suggests, use the skewer.