I need serious Leaf Doctor help!!! I'm about to panic...

[dtje2000]

Attached are several photos of various plants with leaves that are scaring me. I'm in south Florida, and we've had a bunch of rain lately, with it only drying out completely about 4 days ago. All of my plants are out on a screened in patio under shade cloth where appropriate. I don't think this is sunburn...I am hoping fungus...but dreading to hear virus or bacteria. What I see is:

• the incident where the leaf turns completely black but the cells do not seem to collapse. This is mostly on Cattleya alliance plants.
• For a couple of my antelope Dens the leaf is more tan to brown and more limp than the healthy leaves.
• I also have cases where the leaves turn yellow and fall off - encyclias and Oncidium alliance.
• Lastly, one Bulb. has leaves with the leaf tips turning brown and brittle.

The reddish substance that you see in some photos is cinnamon...went a little crazy one day...

PLEASE render your opinion on how to deal with these issues!

[mehitabel]

Hi dtje. Don't panic. Remember you're the grownup there-- you're the one who has to clear the problem up

I hope you hear from other people as well, but here's what I think.

The first two pictures (the catt leaves) look like sunburn, but seeing all of the pictures together, I'm not so sure. Also, since they are under a porch, sunburn may not be too likely.

You talk about four days of rain, and that can start serious bacterial problems.

If it were me, I would do some serious surgery right away. Use a sterile razor blade or cutters, cut off the bad part of the leaves. Cut at least 1/4 to 1/2" into the clean tissue without touching your cutter to the bad stuff.

For the Dend, I would cut off the tip, again cut at least 1/4" to 1/2" into the clean stem below the bad part. After cutting, examine the stem. If you see a circle of black in the "clean" part of the stem, that is the black rot spreading to the clean tissue. You will have to re-sterilize your cutter and cut below that til you get clean tissue.

The last two pictures weren't as clear, but I would nevertheless follow the same procedure.

After you make the cut, spray the whole plant with a dilute solution of Physan 20, both top and underside of the leaves, bulbs, everything. Make sure you get into every crevice with it and give special attention to any tender newer growth. Spray the floor, tables, pots, medium and everywhere around the plants with Physan, too. Move the plants further away from each other. All this is to make it harder for the infection to spread.

I don't want to be unnecessarily alamist, but this really does look bad, especially since it's on several different plants.

I think it's a bacterial infection or "rot", and it moves very fast. I only had something like this once and it was devastating. It started as black mush I saw one morning on the tip of the leaf of a huge C Bactia after about a week of dim and rain. I cut it off as I described above, sprayed and forgot about it. Going out again that evening, it had taken the whole leaf, the next day the whole pseudobulb, and was spreading into the rhyzome. It was that fast. I lost about half the plant before I was able to stop it.

This didn't happen thru any fault of yours. The bacteria that cause it are ever-present and "opportunistic". So they're always there, and take advantage of conditions that are favorable to multiply. They are water-bourne so can be spread from plant to plant by splashing. They can also be in the hose, or anywhere really.

Once you've done your surgery and sprayed with Physan, turn a fan on them. Air circulating dilutes the concentration of bacteria and spores and therefore makes a serious outbreak less likely. It's the best *preventive*. Get that air moving and make it harder for them to land and find a wet spot to grow in. If you can give them more sun without burning them, that will help, too.

Hopefully all you've lost is a few leaves, maybe a pb, and the tip of a dend that will branch anyway

I'm really sorry this has happened to you. Truthfully, there's nothing I fear more now than days and days of rain.

[dtje2000]

My Missouri friend, you have actually cheered me up considerably. The rate of spread you describe is not what I've noted on any of these plants so that gives me some hope that this is conquerable - if that is a word...

Also, I've got a couple hundred plants out there - so while my examples look scary, it isn't as rampant as I may have let on. That panic thing...sorry...

I will immediately perform surgery on my suspect plants and mix up some physan. Unfortunately it is thundering and such as I type so I'm not sure how lucky I'll be with the fanning, at least until I see whether or not this latest cloud build-up is serious or jerking me around. Is there a such thing as a weather-proof fan?

And thank you repeatedly for your thorough discussion points and advice. INVALUABLE!!! Next time I'm in St. Louis visiting friends and family, I may very well have to hunt you down and shake your hand.

[mehitabel]

Hi, dtje. If you come to St Louis, I'll be delighted to see you

I'm glad it's not so bad as I assumed. Just stay vigilant. Black or brown soft mushy places are a potential for disaster, and they can spread from plant to plant by splashing water.

The Fan: I assumed the porch was sheltered overhead. If you can't, you can't But anything you can do to increase air circulation -- eg a fan indoors aimed out a door or window? An ox hitched to a turnwheel? Maybe, since there's only a few infected you can bring them in and set them right under an overhead fan. I sometimes put a plant I'm scared about right in front of a small table fan-- dry it out, by golly! Thing is, unless conditions improve, it might recur, so be watchful til the rain stops.

About Physan 20: Bob Gordon of phalaenopsis growing fame recommends it as a contact anti-bacterial and anti-fungal that's effective against pseudomonas, the dreaded galloping bacterial rot that affects both catts and phals. I get it out any time I am scared of conditions.

Good luck.

[lmartiny]

I'm getting some similar problems. I cut off the bad stuff. I need to get off my butt and mix up some fungicide.

[dtje2000]

LOL Ok, Lynne, let's both go do it NOW! I have a feeling Physan and me are going to become very close...

mehitabel, my hubby has accused me of developing a new hobby simply to have another reason to build something...and he's probably not completely wrong! I grew up with three brothers and Dad treated me like one of the boys for years. Lucky me!

Too bad I can't help you with constructing your porch solution! Honestly, if I had the time I'd do it just for the fun of helping others out. Having said that...I'd best go spray now while I have the chance!

[jkcazares]

I have a similar problem happening to most of my orchids. One is almost dead b/c of it. They look so bad but I don't have any Physan. I have a fungicide that is natural called Companion....I get it from orchidsamore.com. Will that do? It seems like when I use this it just makes it worse, though. I am scared as I have almost lost two of my orchids. What about cinnamon spray?

[mehitabel]

jkc, a fungicide will do great it it's a fungus. My guess is it is not a fungus, because fungus presents more often as some discolor, spots and maybe pits on the leaves, that does spread but slowly. You can lose a leaf or several from it, but it just doesn't look like the pictures here -- big areas of soft black mush.

If I'm right, the fungicide will not help at all, and in fact will give the bacteria time to spread. In my experience big areas of soft black rot are *bacterial*. They need a bactericide.

Think about pneumonia, often caused by bacteria, or any bacterial infection in humans. You need an anti-biotic to fight it, not an anti-fungal.

The cinnamon spray might help on the cuts after you cut off the bad parts. Again, spray the whole plant, especially any crevices. And spray the pot, medium, etc.

I'm not sure, you'd have to check the label, but I think either Bayer's 3 n 1 or Safer's 3 n 1 has anti-bacterial properties as well as anti-fungal. But read the label to make sure you're getting what you need.

Home Depot here carries small bottles of Physan 20 here. It's handy to keep some around for pot santizing and etc. I think it's about $8, maybe $12.

[orchidlover55]

Hey hmmmm , I am over here and if you come from Florida to Mo. you would more than likely would come through where I live If you come through here me and I will tell you how to get here and we can talk orchids and have coffee This could be a place you could take a break on the way .

About your orchid, I am so sorry and if you follow Mehitabel's directions you will more than likely will save it. Don't let it go long though, because if you have a couple of hundred of orchids , then that horrible stuff could get going through all your orchids and it would be hard to stop it before it gets the best of them, then you would be real sad

I would go ahead and cut off all the bad stuff and put physan 20 on it like mehitabel said , bring it inside out of the rain ,even if that was the only one you bring in at the moment at least it would take that orchid away from the other ones. and it may help prevent the other ones from getting sick. Good Luck

[mehitabel]

LOL, dtje. You are lucky! You're very good at it.

My husband grabs the hammer out of my hand and takes over any projects I start. It's true he does them better than I would, but OTOH, some things never get done at all that way So if I want it, I'll have to talk him into doing it.

[trinigirl]

I have similar situation on some of my orchids here. We have had LOTS of rain. I have not used physan although I have it, I am afraid of all the warnings on the label. I just put the plants in a dry sunny airy spot, and let the leaf fall off. Although, I did have to perform surgery on one catt and repot.

I am also scared of passing disease if any are present. Right now I am worrying about snails and moth worms, yuk! The rains seem to have brought on an onslaught of them.

[dtje2000]

Coffee at Orchidlover's...pencilled in!

I think in addition to the physan-spraying I will find myself an isolated area where I can put these questionable chids until I see signs of improvement.

I simply can't thank y'all enough for the advice and encouragement!!! I feel so much better!!!!!

[syndywindy]

I have a spray bottle with a somewhat diluted strength of Physan. I spray my orchids after rain or when the humidity gets pretty high. I haven't had any major problems this summer so I'm guessing the prophylactic use has been the reason. the one catt I had with black rot early this summer, required some major surgery and I pretty much thought it was a goner. Several times I was ready to toss it, but never did. It now has a nice new growth. It's gonna take time for it to get to blooming size, but it's an orchid in progress.

[kmarch]

It osunds like you have received some good and practical advice. I'd only add one thing, you mentioned that some of the blackened areas are relegated to the leaf tips. This could be fertilizer burn. Do you fertilize frequently or heavily? If so consider cutting back a bit.