My phal. is in trouble! Help?

[angolita]

I tried reading some of the articles on the forum for black spots but,couldn't find anything for what I have.

Okay, I just bought my phal. on clearance at lowe's home improvement store a couple of days ago. It looked fine when I bought it. Today, I noticed black spots ( it looks like its inside the leaves)that don't wipe off and sticky residue on the bottom of the leaves. Also,there is a hole in the crown down towards the bottom.I think it might have some sort of insect?Should I take my phal. back or can do you think this is treatable? Thanks,Angela

[jills73]

Angela,
A pic would be really helpful. Sounds like it is something serious, Lowes has a money back guarantee right? I would return it and hope it did not spread to your other orchids ( I hope you isolated it ).

[brookn]

Probably treatable, but the leaves may not look so good for a while. You might try a q-tip with some rubbing alcohol and wipe at the spots. Sounds like bugs, mites probably(maybe snails or slugs?)but it could also be something else. Can you get a pic? I would take it and soak the plant in water up to the top of the medium (some of the medium will float) and leave it for a few hours and see if you get any floaters. You can go to the pest and disease section, there is a lot of info there. Start with the posts marked with stickies.

[brookn]

Here is a natural recipe I use to clean my leaves and the bugs seem to hate it.

1 1/2 - 2 cups warmish water
1.8 cc cinnamon extract (spice aisle at grocery store)
10 drops dawn dish soap

Mix well dip cotton ball into it, and wipe the leaves. Dry with soft cloth. I use 10 drops of soap for heavily soiled leaves, you can use less (3-5 drops), and see if it also helps remove the sticky stuff.

[angolita]

Hi guys,Im finally writing back after much debate, I've decided to take the orchid back to Lowes. I always appreciate all the help you give me. Angela

[PhalPal]

I love your recipe brookn. I have cinnamon extract on my shopping list and Dawn seems to be good for everything. My housekeeper buys cheap bottles of rubbing alcohol, 10 drops of Dawn, a spray top and she uses it to clean everything. Works great!

[brookn]

Thanks! It's working great for me, and very inexpensive. I tweak the recipe based on the plant, condition, and purpose. I love that it is a nice solution for me since I live where I have to order everything, the ingredients are very easy to find, it's natural, and I don't worry about it around the kids and dogs. Mad scientist moments can work hee hee.

[Joan]

Sorry to seem stupid but what do you use to measure 1.8 cc of cinnamon

[Joan]

Sorry. I see you mention cinnamon extract. This is different from the ground cinnamon. Does a regular supermarket carry this?

[brookn]

You can find it in the spice aisle near the vanilla extract.

[articuno75]

Originally Posted by Joan

Sorry. I see you mention cinnamon extract. This is different from the ground cinnamon. Does a regular supermarket carry this?

As riduculous as it may sound but don't laugh. Go to the Wal-Mart pharmacy and ask for a 1ml diabetic syringe without the needle. They come in cases of I think 250 for little over $25. I had to get them for my son as oral dosing syringes. If you only need a couple/handful, Wal-Mart might just give them to ya or only charge you a couple dollars.

[PhalPal]

If you can't get a syringe, this may help you to guesstimate.
5cc = 1 teaspoon

[brookn]

I also get them from my local feed store. I just remove the needle, (I keep them around for dog things, like vaccinations, and in case they are prescribed something by the vet). My WM pharmacy is really helpful and has syringe and bulb type? syringes that they give with the scrips for kids liquid meds, you might ask about those. The 1.8 cc is what I came up with because anything lower did not seem enough, so far I have gone up to 2 cc with the one struggling plant. Thanks for the tip phalpal I don't even think about the amounts anymore (I worked in medical so long it is like a second language) I just go on like everyone should know cc, ml, etc.-oops.

[PhalPal]

Brookn being an RN I tend to do the same thing, especially when writing. What a lot of people may not realize is that both cc's (or ml's, same thing. 1 ml = 1cc) and teaspoons are usually both marked on measuring devices.

[Tobi]

Connie,
Good point on the cc=ml measurement. I am just the opposite of you in that
I think of everything in mls. Being I work in the Microbiology lab, most of our
measurements are in mls. What field of nursing are you in?

[articuno75]

Wow! How many of us are in the Med field? I went to Nursing school, but due to circumstance (son) had to put education on hold. Funny isn't it when you talk medical terminolgy, everyone looks at you like you're speaking Greek

[PhalPal]

As a new grad I started off in Neonatal ICU taking care of itty bitty premies and newborns with congenital anomalies. That got really depressing after four years so I went into high risk Labor and Delivery, which i thought would be a much more positive experience. On a good day, there is nothing like it in the world. On a bad day, nothing more terrifying. 'Good day' or 'bad day' largely depended on how well staffed we were and when it got downright dangerous many of us left the profession. For three years I worked with a plastic surgeon first assisting her in surgery. After she went crazy (literally) I quit nursing all together and for the last two years have stayed home. Don't know what I want to do now .....any suggestions???

[Tobi]

Connie,
I can understand the trials and tribulations of the nursing field since I've
been in a hospital environment for almost 40 years. The good news is that
I've thought of the perfect nursery for you to be in. AN ORCHID NURSERY!!

[articuno75]

Originally Posted by PhalPal

As a new grad I started off in Neonatal ICU taking care of itty bitty premies and newborns with congenital anomalies. That got really depressing after four years so I went into high risk Labor and Delivery, which i thought would be a much more positive experience. On a good day, there is nothing like it in the world. On a bad day, nothing more terrifying. 'Good day' or 'bad day' largely depended on how well staffed we were and when it got downright dangerous many of us left the profession. For three years I worked with a plastic surgeon first assisting her in surgery. After she went crazy (literally) I quit nursing all together and for the last two years have stayed home. Don't know what I want to do now .....any suggestions???

Could go into General Practice with a Doc. Not much excitment and not as much pay, but you get to see a lot of the patients both young and old.

Or you could go into at home care nursing. That's what my son has for when he's at school. A personal nurse to tend to his medical needs while his educational needs are met.

Ever thought of going independent?

[PhalPal]

Going independent??? did that after the plastic surgeon days. I opened my own business doing medical chemical peels, botox and laser hair removal. I had a beautiful office with four treatment rooms. We were doing great, but malpractice insurance all but ate up ALL my profits over three years. I started out paying $1507 a year. In the third year, with no claims, my rate would have been, are you ready????? over $34,000. Per year! I ended up selling the business for a small profit when my lease was up.

I did home health a while ago for a little girl with severe cerebral palsy and a grave heart condition. She was rare in that she required 24 hour RN care, not LVN. Doctor's offices do the same thing, hire MA's or LVN's. I REALLY have thought of the plant nursery idea!! It's not about money anymore, it's about being happy. Just seems a shame to toss away five years of education and twenty years of experience because managed care doesn't care about safe care for their patients.