orchid virus :(

[tom499]

i was checking my plants today, and found my paph to have quite a few black spots, some quite large. i thought it was sunburn, but there on the underside of the leaf. i did some research, found something about flec virus. there are also multiple indentations, some coloured black or brown, some not.

so i need some advice guys, should i cut off all the bad leaves and sprinkle with cinnamon, i hear viruses are pretty much the end of battle for an orchid.

im keeping it well away from my others now.

please reply soon

[tom499]

I've used some some soapy water, white spirit, the black marks wont come off, they look coal, or charcoal has been rubbed on. again, i hope to get some pictures up soon, waiting for my mom to get back from the states with the good camera.

The orchid is starting to get too big for its pot, is it maybe suffering from lack of minerals etc? i water it sparingly, as i seem to get mold on the soil and bare roots alot.

[Ellen]

Indentations on paph leaves can come from the plant getting too cold, so is it possible that the plant could have suffered cold damage at some point? Photos will definitely help with the diagnosis.

[turkeytaker]

It sounds more like a fungal or bacterial thing, to me. I'd cut off the spots, then douse with a nice dose of a fungicide or bactericide.

Stacy

P.S. I read somewhere (don't ask me where) that said paphs and phrags were more resistant to virus infection than other orchids. Don't know if that's accurate or not.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

i have had about the same virus infection rate with Paphs as with other orchids. I think the very tough roots means less wounds when repotting, and therefore a lower probablility of infection. But if someone uses an infected tool to cut off a spotted leaf, infection will result. I would guess that 99% of spots are fungal infection from poor culture occuring at one point or another.

[tom499]

finally got a picture of some of the stuff on the plant in question.

i hope you guys can explain it :S

[Maddy]

It may just be physical damage to the leaf - a couple of leaves on one of my two paphs are pretty beat-up, and that looks very similar.

[turkeytaker]

Looks bruised, as Maddy just said.

If there are any open wounds, I'd spray them with some hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, to make sure some of the black isn't fungal/bacterial.