Wierd spot on leaf-Den.

[Gladys47]

This spot kind of just appeared. I look every morning so don't know how I could have missed it. My dends get sun til noon. So I think maybe I misted it as I sometimes do and the sun did this but not sure. Hope I can post pic. Crossiny my fingers. Gladys
PS That is this years growth and it looked real goo til the spot.

[kmarch]

Which spot are you referring to? the small black one on the right or the big splotch on the left?

[Gladys47]

Really the one on the left. But I do wonder why the leaf on right looks mottled with yellow? Gladys

[kmarch]

The one on the left looks like sunburn. Is it possible the leaf was wet and in direct sun? The black spot looks like a black spot fungus that gets on leaves when they're left wet.

[Gladys47]

That is kind of what I was expecting since I misted one day and left for work without turning the fan on.The big spot is really ugly tho so I wasn't sure. What about the yellow motteling om the old leaves. Those leaves did not fall off last year. Is it just age or too much sun ? Nothing to worry about? It has been there a while and otherwise the plant is very healyht. Except ti hasn't bllomed yet this year. Gladys

[kmarch]

Gladys,

Sometimes the older leaves will fade and drop. Unless it happens very rapidly, is accompanied by mushiness you probably don't have anything to worry about. A cane will often loose all of its leaves and just be bare. Watch that sun, keep the fan on after watering and i think you'll probably be ok.

I had yellow mottling with plants in a bit too much sun. I put them in shadier conditions, but the mottling stayed for a long time afterwards.

[viper]

I dont think thats sun burn. if it was most of the other leaves would have it to. and the leaf on top looks like it is shading it.

[kmarch]

It was sunburn viper, the kind of burn that happens to wet leaves in direct sun. The water intensifies the sun's rays like a magnifying glass and burns the leaf. the dryleaves remain unburned.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Gladys, did you ever use neem oil on this plant? For the mottling, I have a suspicion that neem oil can lower the resistance to fungal infection of this type, but it is only a guess, and it may not be fungus, but I do think it happens when neem is used. It may happen for other reasons too I suppose. I think it is related to light exposure too, as I had this mottling with a normal green pattern running thru it where another leaf cast a shadow. When using neem oil, I use a systemic fungicide sprayed on the leaves shortly before or afterwards to see if this clears up the problem. Since the pattern is not an immediate response to neem, I can't tell if what I am doing is working except to judge the results over time.

[viper]

I go with sunburn

[Gladys47]

I guess it was sunburn. All seems well. The mottling is still there. I only use bayer rose spray and 3 in1 spray. (doesn't that have neem, Cynthia?) Nothing has changed other than the plant has 3 spikes! ;-)

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The Garden Safe 3 in 1 is neem, and I would only use that when you have a problem with mites where the rose & flower will not work, and only on the plants with the mites. This means you will need a strong magnifying glass or a 4X jewelers loupe. My guess is that the neem is the cause of the mottling, and the plant will have to out grow those leaves before you are free of the mottling. When looking for mites, start with the back of the oldest leaves. Since they are chlorophyll eaters, you will never find them on the flowers. I find that Phal type Dens are so low on the list of preferred food for spider mites, that I never have to spray them with neem for that.

[Gladys47]

thank you, Cynyhia. Maybe I can stop using the neem all together. I have ordered worm tea from Jerry, and understand that it works as an insectcidal? Will wait to make my judgement when I recieve it tho. Sounds almost too good to be true! I'm an old skeptic! I had spider mites everywhere this year.Usually it is mealy bugs and there were none seen.Neighbor had same probem. I guess we just traded one demon for another, and life goes on!
Gladys

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I have had a beastly problem with spider mites lately and have also ordered the worm tea, so between us, we will give the stuff a real test. I also have been having the problem with fusarium wilt or some other fungus, and will give this stuff a real run for its money on the claim of being a fungicide, as I plan to shift from the systemic fungicides to worm tea. If I have a regression of the problems, I will give up on it as a fungicide. But what ever happens, everyone here will hear about it, for better or worse.