Young Leaves Turning Mushy Brown Fast on Zygo

[Rivka]

So i just got a beautiful Zygopetalum at a local Club hosted show from what is known to be a very good grower. it is huge seemed really healthy and had a large flowering spike and roots growing like mad.

i have had it for one week today and two days ago i noticed the innr leaves on the second most recent growth (not the one spiking but the next youngest one that has already spiked but not filled out to a full pbulb) turning brown and slightly mushy.

it is spreading up the leaf very very fast. it does seem to be limited to the smaller inner leaves.

the rest of the plant looks fine though there is a lot of spots on the leaves i have been told many times this is very normal for a big Zygo like this. There is also some black spots on a few of the bulbs, they are not spreading at all and are firm and dry. i do not think they are related.

any ideas on what this is and what i should do???

[Stitz]

Rivka,

I am wildly guessing from your fotos....

Do you have adequate air circulation around your Zygo(neria?)? I have seen similar problems here when I didn't ....

PS -- sorry that it took me so long to respond!

[Rivka]

i have decent air circ and low humidity, i have one had this plant in my house for one week. wondering if i got water in deep in the crown and rotted it, would that take over like this in 48 hours?

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by rivka

wondering if i got water in deep in the crown and rotted it, would that take over like this in 48 hours?

yes!!

[Rivka]

ok maybe that happened, i am usally so careful about watering, but i watered it one about 4 days ago and I'm not perfect.

Question now is, if that is the case what is the best thing for me to do for the long term of the whole plant.
I have placed it outside, it is a really nice warm day and the sun and breeze are still out.
I also opened up the leave a bunch to air it out.

Do you think i should cut these mushy leaves out so that it can totally dry?

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by Rivka

Do you think i should cut these mushy leaves out so that it can totally dry?

Whenever this happens to me (too often!), I have learned to let nature take its course. The leaves will gently slip out when they are dead and ready. There is no reason to accelerate the process.

The good news for me is that this happens less frequently as I gain experience. The bad news is that it happens!

[berkeleysgr8]

I had a Zygo that did the same thing on one of the new growths. Though I didn't recall watering in a way that would leave water in the leaves, I figured that must have been what happened. It only happened once and the plant is still super healthy... in fact, it's literally busting out of its pot.

[Rivka]

thanks its good to hear that other folks have seen a zygo happily survive this, it is really a spectacular plant.

now that i think about this, the same thing happened to my only other zygo last year, at the time i was newer at this all and thought i had hurt it, but that plant is very happy and its flower is my avatar!

so do we think this is what happened and it is not something more serious?

is there anything i should be worried about or do to avoid fungal issues?

[FLBob]

It looks like a bacteria rot to me. This is fast moving and fatal. Removal of the affected psuedobulb(s) is required.
Spray the entire plant with a bactericide such as Physan 20.

Keep this plant away from your other plants.

[Rivka]

ok it did seem like it was still spreading fast and not drying up as i would assume normal moisture would, so to error on the safe side and save a amazing plant i did aggressive surgery.
I cut off the growth to well below the yuck, i had hoped it wouldn't mean cutting into the young bulb but that is what happened, it is really hard to see where it stops on a young zygo growth. but i can tell from cutting the part open that i removed that i did in fact cut the bulb. sad. but i also showed that i clearly got below the issue.

Does anyone have more to say now that they see the inside of the cut area? does this give any clues?

i dipped the body and the plant and roots in a Physan 20 bath, again to be on the safe side, i did not dip the higher than the bulbs as to not get any more water in the crowns or Physan or water on the flowers. Do you think that was sufficient if in fact it was bacterial? Does this need to be repeated?

Are there any more things to watch out for?

i did not cut the full bulbs off because i figured that maybe i caught it early enough and might save any growing lead that may be on it. this bulb is one of the two front bulbs, the second newest on the plant, the other one is on the other side and it currently blooming. I hope hope hope that maybe this side will continue to grow well and send up a new growth when the time is right. i figure my job is just to seal and protect the reaming portion (3/4) of the bulb and hope it stays alive. Do you think it will?

[11Orchid126]

Physan is good if it's a fungus. If it's bacteria, you might want to use full strength 3% peroxide.

[FLBob]

Originally Posted by 11Orchid126

Physan is good if it's a fungus. If it's bacteria, you might want to use full strength 3% peroxide.

I was under the impression that Physan 20 is a broad spectrum disinfectant killing bacteria, fungus, virus, and leaving an anti- bacteria residue.

Actually I tend to use bleach, 1 part house hold bleach and 4 parts water. but most people are afraid to go the bleach route so that's why I suggested the Physan.

[Rivka]

Well I know it does not kill viruses. I may give it another dunk in hydrogen peroxide to cover my bases.

[jerrymeola]

Physan is very effective against bacteria and worthless against fungual problems. NOthing works agaist viruses.

You can buy it much cheaper as HTH pool algacide. Check the labels to bet the exact match.

With this type of bateria problem you should spray the leaves. The bacteria attacks from the top down.

Your surgery should work and peroxide is as good a physan.