Strange Leaf Discoloration on Cattleya Chocolate Drop

[Rivka]

i have a issue that just developed in the last week at first i could only see it when i held the plant up to the light, now it is visible on the surface.
anyone have an idea for me?

the rest of the plant seems really good, it is growing lots of new roots and a sheath has formed on this the newest growth, the second picture is the underside and the 3rd picture is of the last growth to bloom, did that get fertilized??! what should i do about it, im certainly not going to flask it, a hassle i dont feel up to.

[madphrag]

I am by no means an expert but it appears to be a case of oedema. Sorry, but I have not made my 5 post's yet to add a link

[elitebettas]

how do the flowers look? discolored, streaked? Looks like a virus to me

[kid a]

Originally Posted by madphrag

吾 am by no means an 師xpert but it appears to be a case 之f oedema. Sorry, but 吾 have 勿ot made my 5 職ost's yet to 加dd a link

I dont know if thats is what is with her plant it looks like the spots are sunkin in a little. but thank you for mentioning that as Some of my plants seem to have this, I always wondered what those little spots were lol. I found a university of florida site that showed a cross section

[kid a]

is it soft or hard where that is in the leaves? It looks like in the first picture it could be sunburn, have you noticed the affected area is getting larger or worse? Does it look like its spreading?

[kmarch]

It looks ot my like a couple things, 1) pitting on the underside fo leaves like this are often caused by mites. They bite and suck then the cells collapse creating pits. These pits then 2) become host to fungal attacks.

I'd do 3 things if this were my plant: 1) spray the whole plant with a good insecticidal soap, repeating as per instructions,2) after that is dry (probably the next day) spray with a good fungicide, and 3) increase air circulation around the plant or in your growing area.

[Rivka]

Originally Posted by madphrag

I am by no means an expert but it appears to be a case of oedema.

i looked that up, it is not blisters at all,

Originally Posted by elitebettas

how do the flowers look? discolored, streaked? Looks like a virus to me

the flowers that happened a few months ago, first since i had it, were wonderful, just in every way they should be.

Originally Posted by kid a

I dont know if thats is what is with her plant it looks like the spots are sunkin in a little.

yes the marks are also sunken in, worse on the underside i think

Originally Posted by kid a

is it soft or hard where that is in the leaves? It looks like in the first picture it could be sunburn, have you noticed the affected area is getting larger or worse? Does it look like its spreading?

it is surprisingly firm where the problem is,(the whole plant is a reallllly firm type) i did think sunburn when i first saw it, but i am in the NW so i would think it would be hard to get too much sun around here, it was getting just about as much as it could. i have not found any of the other orchid in the same window showing any signs of stress.
yes it does look like it is getting worse, it clearly started within the leaf only visible as a shadow when held up to the light, and then a few days later came to the surface, this has been pretty fast, a week or so

Originally Posted by kmarch

It looks ot my like a couple things, 1) pitting on the underside fo leaves like this are often caused by mites. They bite and suck then the cells collapse creating pits. These pits then 2) become host to fungal attacks.

would i have any other signs of mites? that plant has been semi recently been treated profilacticly with Safers 3 in 1 since i have had a very few mealy bugs, so it would be a bummer if i had something else to contend with

I'd do 3 things if this were my plant: 1) spray the whole plant with a good insecticidal soap, repeating as per instructions,2) after that is dry (probably the next day) spray with a good fungicide, and 3) increase air circulation around the plant or in your growing area.

will spray again, what kind of Fungicide would you recommend? i could use a bit better air circ, but i would not consider it bad as it is






thanks for working on this with me, this is the first completely confusing issue i have had, and it is a orchid that i reallllllly love and had been doing so good. i have not had it for long, maybe 6 months, but it had grown so much and i really love it.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Rivka

...would i have any other signs of mites?

Possibly, if the attack was recent. Sometimes a thin sticky film is left which is the result of sap seeping out of the tiny bites. Also sometimes ifyou rub your finger across the bottom of the leaf you'll find a dusty-looking stuff which is dried up sap and mite poo. If the attack was some time ago, these symptoms will most likely be gone.

I should also add that occasionally I will get something that looks a little like this but on the upper service of some of my thicker leaved paphs. I believe it is caused by a fungus of some sort and when I treat my paphs with a shot of fungicide it usually slows or stops its progress.

Originally Posted by Rivka

that plant has been semi recently been treated profilacticly with Safers 3 in 1 since i have had a very few mealy bugs, so it would be a bummer if i had something else to contend with

I'd thnk this treatment would get rid of the mites, so if it was mites and if you see no more fo the symptoms I described above then you're probably ok in that respect.

Originally Posted by Rivka

will spray again, what kind of Fungicide would you recommend? i could use a bit better air circ, but i would not consider it bad as it is

I dont' now remember what fungicide I used when I lived in the stayes (5.5 years ago). The other American geeks should be able ot make some good reomendations for you.

[digitalgate]

you can find carptan in u.s. Mancozeb is more toxic but if you need to rotate fungicides then you have no choice but get both of them. I would recommend u spray white oil every ten to 14 day and fungicides in between. Make it a habit.

[kid a]

Maybe a systemic one would help? I have never used any fungicides on my plants so I can't be of much help with names of prodcuts Sorry The part about it spreading is concerning I hope somebody can recommend a good product for fungicide

[11Orchid126]

Whatever you get, make sure it says it's a mitecide. Ordinary insecticides won't kill mites as they aren't insects.

[digitalgate]

Originally Posted by 11Orchid126

Whatever you get, make sure it says it's a mitecide. Ordinary insecticides won't kill mites as they aren't insects.

problem is it only kill mites, why not use white oil or white summer oil it also kill thrips, meally.... small bitting insect . mites get resistance to chemical very easily. With white oil it is harder to . How to get resistance to something that drown it to death?

[koshki]

Rivka,
How did you treat this, and how is your plant now? I think I have something similar on my aerangis citrata.

Thanks

[elitebettas]

viral

[koshki]

What is it and how do you treat it?

[kmarch]

koshki, orchid viruses can not be treated. Virused plants should be destroyed. But I dont' think you have to worry about that. There's nothing in your pictures or descriptions of the problem that makes me suspect a virus. Your flowers are not streaked nor are your leaves. This kind of cell collapse is not typical of viral infection. Treat for insect/fungal infections as others have described above and see what your flowers are like on the next flowering.

[jerrymeola]

I would not say viral either. It is a secondary fungal infection.

The best home cure for fungus is a pair of scissors. Cut off the diseased area.

When using fungal sprays, they are very toxic and can harm you as well. The safety sheets require disposable clothing, shoes, socks, gloves, long sleeves, hats and air respirators.

Fungi become very resistant and as digitalgate said you must rotate and not use the same one more than twice a year (this is in the spec sheets for each fungicide but not on the labels). Since most are in the hundreds of dollars each it is a very expensive treatment - over $1000 a year for a greenhouse. Scissors are the best treatment.

[koshki]

Thanks. I used a 3 in 1 on it, but it looks like I'll have to remove leaves anyway...they're turning yellow. I hope this doesn't harm the double spikes!

[Brooke]

For indoor growers - you DO NOT have to spray a fungicide, it can be poured over the plant. Directions for chemicals are usually written for outdoor application and pouring them is a much safer application.

Brooke

[Rivka]

it sporead pretty fast, i cut off all the bad growths, but it still spread, i was unwilling to use toxins in my house, for general health but also because i am working on getting pregnant.

so the plant died and was thrown out. no other plant show any signs of the issue, so hopefully it is gone. wish i really knew what had happened.

[Rivka]

update, same thing happen to only other cattleya i had at the time and also to the next cattleya i bought 6 months later and in a completely different house in a different state, nothing even similar has struck any of the rest of a 30-40 orchid collection.

i apparently am not supposed to own cattleyas. i think they are all allergic to me.