Please help my new cymbidium

[Catcym]

I bought a Cymbidium due to its fragrance even its leaves didn't look healthy.
The plant has 5 growth and 4 flower spikes, 2 opened. The plant's leaves are long as 29 inches. 2 growth leaves tip has many small tiny dark mark and slightly
yellowish color. I cut 11 of leaves tip immediately the day I bought it. I also uncovered some green moss grow on top soil in the pot.

A month later those cut leaves tip has blackened and moved surround by a slight yellow halo.

Today I uncovered a unaffected growth has tiny dark mark on one old leaf.

Is this fertilizer burn or water rot?

-Sam

[PhalPal]

Catcym you need to tell us more about your growing environment and how your Cym is planted. For instance, are you growing inside or outside, type of media (soil), where in the world you live, what kind of light your Cym is getting and if you are fertilizing. (how much, how often, what with?)

Please go to your profile and update your location so those of us in other parts of the world can give you the best advice possible, or someone who lives near you can give you even more exact advice.

Leaves often turn brown when trimmed and it is just unsightly, not fatal to your orchid.

[Catcym]

Thanks.
I haven't unpot it yet and don't know what type of soil is as it as covers with green moss on top. I haven't applied any fertilizers since. I let the pot inside and room temp varies from 54 F to 72 F, RH varies from 75 to 49.

I trimmed the leaves a month ago and now its black marks moved

[Catcym]

I forgot to mention type of plant since it doesn't come with a label. I gussed it is a chinese hybrid as flowers are tiny as compared to std .

[PhalPal]

Cyms do best when grown outdoors because they like lots of fresh, moving air and high light (not direct sun). We have many growers who live up near San Francisco and their Cyms do well outside. They can take temperatures between 35-100F. If it is in a pot with drainage holes on the bottom and the media does not stay sopping wet, it is probably fine with what you have.

Brown spots can be fungal and are really no harm to the plant. It happens a lot to orchids with thin, long leaves. It means you need more air circulation and putting it outside with help this condition. What you have now will not go away (unless you cut it off) but it will prevent more from occurring.

When you cut a leaf, put a little cinnamon (what you have in your kitchen at home) on the cut area and it will help the leaves not to turn so brown.

Pictures of your orchid will help greatly. We can help you figure out what it is planted in and if it is indeed a Cymbidium. These plants are tough and love your climate; I'm sure you can be successful at growing it.

Here is a website with basic orchid culture for a start: AOS | Home

[kmarch]

Hold off on the cultural advice, PhalPal. It sounds like this is a miniature Chinese Cymbidium, perhaps a sinense hybrid (as indicated by the fragrance). Their culture is different from "regular" Cymbidiums as they're often grown without the cold spell.

I do agree that the spots are possibly (probably) fungal but it would help on all accounts if we could see it.

Catcym, could you possibly post a picture of the entire plant and then a close-up of the dark spots?

[fred]

welcome to the forum Sam
I just moved your thread out of the Section Orchids For Sale into the Section Newbie Questions.

[Catcym]

Here are pictures of the plant.

[Catcym]

Thanks everyone so nice to respond !
These pictures is better than a thousand words.
I tended to believe that the leaves has some fungus as newly cut leaves tip (brown edges after 12 days) after I dusted off with cinnamon.

What do you guys think if I apply some Dragon's blood on affected area ?
I'm afraid if I don't act soon the plant might die.

[kmarch]

My apologies to PhalPal. I did some research into the specific cultural requirements of the asian cymbidiums and found multiple sources which indicated the culture of asian cymbidiums is not significantly different form other cymbidiums. So you were right PhalPal in the cultural recommendations you gave.

Thanks for the pics Catcym. You do have a sinense hybrid though I do ot know specifically which one. The blackened leaf tips look to me to be a combination of leaf tip burn (from too much fertilizer) with a secondary fungal infection. You could leave the leaves alone and they would probably be ok, or you oculd trim the dead part off and apply a fungicide.

[berkeleysgr8]

It looks like a very healthy plant to me! Most of my Cyms have some leaf tips that look like the ones on your plant. It doesn't cause the plant to die and it doesn't prevent them from blooming. I had always just assumed it was part of the Cyms' life cycle.

[solay]

Yes, I agree that the plant looks healthy. I always just snip off all spotted and discolored leaves routinely. I don't even dust with cinnamon for anything else for that matter. They do just fine. You might want to repot after it is finished blooming to check the roots and to make sure the medium is OK. Good Luck. That's a Beautiful Cym. I also would put it outdoors.