My phal looks bad! Please help!

[Gladys47]

Tese are on a top shelf.Plenty of light and usually thrive there. So I don't fell location is the problem. I see no bugs.Just suddenly yellow leaves, and the poor thing is growing a spike if you look close you can see it. I took it out of the clay pot so you can see the roots. The roots look fine. What to do? Could it be natural leaf loss? But 2 at one time! I've never had that happen.
Thanks for your help. Don't know what I would do without yall!! Gladys

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Have you got a strong magnifying glass? I would check for mites. Not sure what else to look for. There is a sticky on mites in the section on diseases.

[PhalPal]

Wow, I have no idea. Phals normally don't lose two leaves at a time that drastically. I'm curious what the problem is.

[rodbender]

Check your water I recently had a similar problem and it turned out to be my filter system had failed. Other than that I am clueless.

[tizzycat]

Could it be too wet? The potting medium looks quite dark in the pictures.

[articuno75]

In picture #1 where the front leaf is, there is "white fluffy stuff" in the foreground. What is that? I agree with Cynthia and would be checking for spider mites.

[digitalgate]

spider mites will have patches of black marks whiich does not seem to be case here. I
suggest rotting of some type. root rotting?

[articuno75]

Fungi, bacteria? I see pitting on the good green leaf too. It has to be. Spray with Peroxide and see if it bubbles.

[brookn]

I am going with bugs, the roots look fine. Cinnamon spray works for me, it got rid of mites on my Dends. It does not look partiularly happy.

Could it have gotten some cleaning spray on it? Could you have sprayed it with water, and then it got too much light while wet? A draft? Are you using fertilizer on it? Which kind and how much? Depending on the answers to these questions, and ruling out cold, chemicals, water, or too much fertilizer, you have bugs, fungus, or virus (I am choosing to rule out virus for now). Either way, cinnamon spray, or chemicals of your choosing should take care of it. I hope it starts to grow a new leaf or two really soon for you.

Whatever the underlying problem is, the plant has used everything it had left in those leaves to send to the spike. I hate to say this, but you may want to cut the spike off. I would hate to see you lose the entire plant. When it's healthy you will have more spikes to look forward to also.

Jenny, I am definitely seeing the white fuzzy stuff too, nice eye.

[digitalgate]

actually it depend on the type of dendrobium. Mites generally dont like dendrobium as their
leaves are tougher to bite on. They love Phalaenopsis. I have not seen mites infecting
dendrobium, i would love to see that.

[Hummer344]

I am on the same page as Articuno, The remaining leaf looks like it has a problem also. IMHO it is crown rot. Not much you can do at this stage but hope. I have had the same problems when water was left in the crown after watering. During the summer this doesn't present a problem as the warm temps dry the plant quickly. I am very carefull in the winter not to leave water in the crown. It becomes a problem very quickly.

[rodbender]

Good eye Jenny!! I didn't notice the white stuff before it almost looks like a fungus or mold when I magnify the pic. I agree with you as to fungi or bacterial infection.

[Gladys47]

I have Bayer, 3 in 1 , Daconil Funcicide, peroxide and cinnamon. I have brought the plant indoors in the kitchen.Bright flou.lighting, and I will be able to watch it better. I would say maybe???? it got tooo cold ,but only low 40's outside and it was on enclosed porch. I did'nt light the heater that night. Everthing else looks Great. Except the little problem with Sharry Baby that looks more like it was an ongoing problem.
I did bring the phals inside and water well last week. Left them to drain on counter while I took Mom to radiation,which would be a couple hours. Thought they were good and dry before I took them back out. The days here are still warm . Anywhere from 60to 80 and usually high 40 and 50 at night. The white spot is only a p
iece if matter laying there. Not bug or plant.I have washed the remaining leave well with soapy water. I hateto remove the spike butwill if I have to. Gladys
PS.I will take out of potand checkroots th I suspect those are going tolook fine.

[articuno75]

I'm going to agree with Hummer and say crown rot with some sort of fungi or bacteria. I'd halt on the watering for now and fan the baby to air out a bit. Pray to the orchid gods for now....

[brookn]

Digitalgate, my Dends were outside for the summer on my patio table partially shaded by the umbrella. They were in proximity to a huge sycamore that is overtaken by ivy, which I unfortunately found out has mites also. We have not had enough hard freezing in the past few years to really get rid of the population, and the Dends got mites. That is when I came up with the Sooper Dooper cinnamon spray, as the neem I used had begun to damage some of the other plants, and was not killing the mites. I was also reluctant to use pesticides as I have kids and dogs.

I am not too quick to conclude crown rot, because of the appearance of the leaves. If you look closely, the one remaining leaf has damage and spots starting at the bottom and working it's way up the leaf (or appears to anyway). Another reason I asked about the water, and fertilizer. I am still thinking it is bugs, and the fungus/bacteria is secondary.

[articuno75]

I'm thinking it had mites to begin with, but got an infection from it. With the watering and cold temps on the enclosed porch with no circulation, that can spell disaster.

[brookn]

You are absolutely right. 40 degrees may have just been to cold especially if it was already weakened.

[articuno75]

Gladys don't feel bad! I'm right there with you praying to the orchid gods for my Catt! It has taken a turn for the worse and now the big division half is dying!!! I will make another thread about the sad story.

[Gladys47]

There is air circulation on my enclosed porch. So that was not the issue I don't think. I've just examined the plant again and there does not appear to be crown rot ,at least not yet. Tho I poured peroxide on it and it did bubble in spots but not the crown. I am totally confused. My other phals which are right beside it are so healthy! I just can't figure it out, but thanks to you all who keep helping me try! If I ca't find whats wrong, I can't fix it. Thats so frustrating! Gladys
PS> I did put cinnamon in certain spots, by the way, I checked the roots and they look perfect! Maddening, isn't it?

[phalaephila]

Temperatures in the 40's are way too cold for a phalaenopsis. Though they may survive it, they will not thrive. Phalaenopsis are warm growers, many folks won't let their plants ever go below 60 degrees, though I've had no problems down to 56. I can't say if this plant was weak and succumbed to cold, or the cold weakened it to become susceptible to other problems, but cold was definitely the major factor. Please try to keep those phals warmer!

If you want to keep the plant, the spike will have to go - it will use up any remaining energy the plant may have.

jeanne

[Brooke]

Is it a spike or a basal keiki forming? I can't tell from the pic but I would wait and see how the growth continues before cutting it off.

If the roots are good you can hopefully grow a basal keiki and keep the plant. I agree on the temps in the 40's causing problems for phals.

Brooke