Black spot on Phalaenopsis Leaves - Fungus??

[Schila]

I just discover these two brown spots on one of my phalaenpsis leaves? Any idea on what is it?
Any suggestion will be greatly appreciate it.

[ARodney]

How exposed is it to light? How about water, did it sit on the leaf? Is it soft and mushy? To be safe I would use an anti fungal or even some cinnamon. Sorry I can't be much help.

[Dendian]

I'm not sure - I would guess some kind of sunburn - but its rather odd.

They both appear to be bent at that spot, maybe mechanical damage? Is it mushy?

It looks like the cell structure is collapsed under the surface - maybe this is what happens if you water a hot leaf with cold water?

I wouldn't do anything to it unless it starts traveling further on the leaf. If it does - and its mushy - then surgery is necessary. I tend not to cut unless its absolutely necessary - just another way to get infection into the plant and weaken it...

[orchids4me]

Is it mushy ?? Does it go all the way through to the opposite side of the leaf? It my be a burn I'm worried about secondary bacterial infection which may be caused by a burn. Is the area affected spreading?

[Schila]

Is not mushy yet. I have my phalaenopsis sitting in the bathtub of my bathroon where they get light from a south corrugated window with wood blinds which I make sure are not wide open. On Saturday I put them out for a while on the west side of the house in the middle of another herbs pot so that the morning light would no hit them too hard. Could it be that it was too much light for them? The weird thing is that only one of the six was affected.

[Schila]

Originally Posted by Dendian

- then surgery is necessary. I tend not to cut unless its absolutely necessary - just another way to get infection into the plant and weaken it...

What do you mean by surgery? Cut that leaf???

[katrina]

I would guess too much light. Based on the placement...it's perfectly aligned on both leaves as if light were hitting the high spots. (if that makes sense).

It doesn't look too bad but only time will tell. Might just be a bit of "suntan" or in the next couple of days it'll look worse. I did this very thing to my Sarco not too long ago.

[orchids4me]

By chance are the leaves of this Phal thinner as in thickness than the ones that weren't affcted? The leaves appear thin to me some have very thick waxy type leaves. From the pick these don't appear to be thick at all, so I'm thinking this may be the difference between this one and the others.... Perhaps?? does this Phal have a tag at all??

[Ray]

I vote with Kat. If it changes, we'll have a better feel for it.

[Schila]

Wil it go away? If it's burn from the sun?

[Dendian]

If its a sunburn, which general consensus seems to think it is - then it won't go away. It will dry up and look awful. If the dark coloration spreads - then a bacteria got into the damaged area - and yes - surgery does mean it will have to be cut.

Hopefully it will not travel - and can be left alone. The plant can still use the rest of the undamaged leaves.

I would mark it with a sharpie - to make sure the black spot does not get any larger.

[11Orchid126]

You can use a marker to go around the edges of the marring and that way you'll know whether or not it's spreading. (Dark green won't look so conspicuous). I agree with Katrina, it looks like sunburn. It's too uniform on the same location on the leaves. Don't cut the leaves unless the spots spread or get mushy.

[Schila]

From Sunday up until today this is how the phal leave look like. First picture is how it looked on Sunday. Second is how it looks today. Still the leave does not feel mushy....any idea on what's going on with this orchid?

[Brooke]

I can't give you a definitive answer but since the spot is getting larger if it was my plant I would cut beyond the black areas, put cinnamon on the edges and hope I stopped the progress.

Brooke

[Schila]

Originally Posted by Brooke

I would cut beyond the black areas, put cinnamon on the edges and hope I stopped the progress.

Brooke

You mean, cut that only leave?? So you think it's a fungus???

[Brooke]

I do not know what it is. It is spreading so the dark area needs to be removed. It could be fungal, it could be bacterial no one can tell you exactly what it is through the monitor.

I can only tell you what I would do to hopefully stop the progress.

Brooke

[Dendian]

I agree with Brooke - the top leaf where the black has spread will have to be cut off. Cut beyond the black part - into the green part of the leaf to hopefully get beyond where the black has spread. I think the other leaf can be left alone - it does not appear to be spreading - but I would watch it carefully - and if it does spread remove the black portion on that leaf too. I still think it was damage caused by sunburn, but when it spreads then it has become something more - something worse - ROT!

You are very fortunate that it did not spread towards the center of your plant - where it would become crown rot and probably kill the plant. I have not had any survive once the rot reaches the crown. I have only heard of one that did survive it - an it was a huge plant that kept its bottom leaves until it finally grew a basal growth (I think it took over a year). All mine that got crown rot dropped all their leaves and died, even with being treated daily with Physan 20 soakings.

[Schila]

Ok, just got it cut. Let's hope that it stop spreading because this one has the most beautiful blooms of all the ones that I have.