I think its dying

[Jirel]

Remember that pretty Onc Golden Fairy I got? The only GOOD thing about this is that it had the problem when I bought it, I didn't give it to it. All the GF Onc's seemed to have the coloring on the plant so I thought maybe it was correct. I'm dumb about orchids, what do I know.

[patticake]

It looks like it needs a little more water to me... Is it in a really well draining bark mix? If so, it might need more moisture. If the mix is really wet, then the shriveled pseudobulb might be from rotted roots. Keep us posted

[brookn]

Jirel, can you get us a pic of farther away so that we can see the whole of the plant ie., the pseudobulbs, all of them, or is that it? It doesn't look good. I can help you a little, but I am leaving for school in about 30 min. The mix looks good, if a little dry, but you could not have done this in the time that you have had it. I would say to use the cinnamon recipe as a soak, but I need to know if those are the only pbulbs.

[Jirel]

I can try that tomorrow, its too dark now(take a picture). Those pictures were taken with flash. Where's the cinamon bath recipe?

[kid a]

Here it is!

Brookn's Dish Soap Recipe
________________________________________
10 drops dishsoap
1.8 ml cinnamon extract (about 2 tsp.)
2 cups tepid water

adjust ingredients as needed.

This is great for cleaning leaves, bacteria and fungal infections, bug teterrant, and now bug and slug killer !

[articuno75]

Jirel~ Definitely need to see the whole picture. The black looks like that weird fungus I was talking about that Oncidiums can catch if there is lack of air circulation. The coloration can appear from a light brown to a blackish color.

How often do you water? Usually this stuff only appears if you are overwatering with the lack of airflow. The only thing that I have found to stop this spread is to use Bayer 3 in 1. Physan didn't even do the job.

[Jirel]

Okay, like I said, this had it when I got it. I pulled it out of what it was planted in (spagnum moss) and wound up getting rid of some roots that looked like they were rotting (I'm not sure I got rid of all of them, I was afraid there would be none left - most were dark in color - that's wrong, correct?) and then replanted it in the bark so that the moisture wouldn't stay. I've watered it more often since then, but the water drains through so it doesn't stay wet. (I use the - umm, whatever - stick test) Also, its on my back porch at the front of my group of orchids. The neat thing about where they are is that they are about 4 feet from where my air conditioning unit sits (blocked only by a screen). So even if the air is still, the unit tends to make at least a slight air flow movement.

Can't stop for the photo right now, have to get on to work.

[digitalgate]

i dont think it is fungus. Look like "sun spot" . Those purple sun spot when you have enough
sunlight. Since this is the back bulb, let it grow a new keiki by doing what good for any orchid. Good light and enough water (not too little, not too much).

[evagentry]

I think Digital Gate is right, the spots look like sun spots, it also looks dehydrated, you might consider cutting the flower spike, good luck.

[Jirel]

Here are full size pictures.


Different angle.


The leaves NOTE: The cutting off of the tips was done before I bought it.


OH cool! I just noticed I won one of the photo contests!

[evagentry]

If it were mine I would cut the spike and set it in a bit less sun, wgeh new growth comes it should do better, I bought a Cambria,( I know there is no such thing!)about 6 months ao with back bulbs like that, when it put out new growth and roots the old bulbs plumped up, if mine did there is hope for yours too.