Please Help! Only 6 days home and black spot on edge of leaf!

[beautifulbunny]

Dear Orchid Friends, (I've tried coloring in the most imp. bits...)

Please help me if you can I've only had my little Phalenopsis "Silky Moon" (just a guess) home *6 days* and in less than possibly half that time one leaf has what seems like an extremely sudden black spot that's emerged at the tip of it's leaf---it seems to be spreading back toward the back faster than I'd like (tip is gone, black is roughly between 1/4" and 5/15ths of an inch ring from where tip was,) too fast, and the leaf (this change has been just sense Tuesday morning) seems "zapped", getting a tinge yellow from the underside, barely streaky and the leaf itself has lost about 1/2 - 3/4 of it's volume, or thickness. I really don't want to loose her (neither am I in the position to spend gobs for a plant which, should I have to, I could return for a full refund.)

The Ref. book I have, "The Practical Encyclopedia of Orchids" by Rittershausen suggest a virus or, terror or all terrors, spider mites may be depleting it. But here on OrchidGeeks, this description of "Brown Wet Spot" seems to be it exactly:

"Pseudomonas Cattleyae
Pseudomonas cattleyae, also known as 'brown wet spot' occurs mostly in phalaenopsis. However, a similar wet bacteria infection can occur on other orchids as well.

Plants develop brownish black, soft areas usually starting on the underside of the leaves and quickly penetrating to the leaf surface. This affliction is a destructive rot which can spread with amazing speed, taking in the entire plant within only a few days. The cause is a combination of cool temperatures, high humidity and inadequate air movement. Prevention is easier than the cure. Keep minimum night temperatures around phalaenopsis at least 60 to 65 degrees F, along with brisk air circulation. Brown wet spot can not develop
under such conditions.

Remedy: If the disease has reached the crown portion of the plant, there is no
cure even if some of the leaves look healthy. On phalaenopsis, if caught early, the affected leaf should be cut off (well below the afflicted area) with a new razorblade or some other sterilized cutting tool. Wet rot on other orchids must be treated by lancing and then cutting and/or scraping out the damaged tissue.

Dust the cut surface with sulphur or a good powdered fungicide. Lacking these, you can use regular mouthwash, applied half strength. Try to rapidly dry off the injury by placing the plant before a fan. Isolate from your regular growing area to prevent any spread on the disease."

I feel half insane doing it, but I'm going to follow the above directions tonight, shortly, using the diluted mouthwash tincture to follow. (I'd post pictures, maybe I still can, but they might be grainy since the person lent the camera for the weekend has misplaced the dowload cord, but I'll try the webcam...) I'll add on pics as soon as I post this message.

Her (the plant's) living conditions have been as follows:

She sits on a table that gets mild, filtered NE light most of the day (of course, being in AZ, it's more than most NE exposures,) then as the sun swings around to the NW side of the house (we have 2 windows in the same corner,) I turn her to face the setting sun--but turn the shades slightly to prevent sunburn and keep it filtered light. We *always* have less than 10% humidity in AZ (except during monsoons, which it isn't,) and we've alternated having a fan on or off about 4 times this week. *But* she's no more than 5 feet from the ceiling airvent that blows in 4 directions, one is her's. The house is 76F in the day, 73F at night (temps will be lowering in about Nov. when it starts to cool down here in AZ.)

Care since bringing home:

I'm probably the worst newbie in the world...I haven't Brookln dipped her because she looks so delicate and is blooming, on ave., one new bloom per week...plus, I don't know how to do the Brookln dip since she's potted in bark. Wouldn't all the bark come undone in the dip and then it would be a replanting during blooming (what I've read as a no-no?)

About 4 days home, I did like the book said and smelled her bark--it's sweet and fresh, then used a clean bamboo skewer to gently poke her bark/roots/underside to assess dampness. The skewer came out dry, also mulch on top was dry-ish even when I moved into it a bit deeper w/ my finger...so I watered her as per the book. It said to use non-tap water since our water's Ph is high and Kh is very hard (even the humidity tray water is "drinkning" vs tap water.) It said to let the water run through fully once, then repeat. Bad newbie that I am, I didn't check to see if I'd gotten any water on the underside of her leaves. In general, since the crown leans sharply to one side, I basically watered from that side then sort of tilted the tiny plastic pot to ensure both sides got fairly even watering (do you think this is where I caused the Brown Damp Spot?)

Otherwise, she's been left alone. The book says to water twice/wk, but I haven't done that yet (I was planning on watering this time with fish poop tea.)

Please help me figure out what's going on and how to treat her. I don't see anything crawling on her or in the bark *at all* (although the book puts this spot off to maybe a virus or possibly red spider mites...)--the only thing I can think to do is water her next time with the 3 in 1 Bayer asprin rinse to shore her up. She's blooming beautifully and unaffected and every other leaf looks beautiful (with the exception of the two earliest under-leafs which need removed and at least one aerial root that is totally dessicated and shows no signs of green life anywhere---I figure that at the nursery that root was probably haphazzardly trimmed, I've read the roots will grow and stick/climb to anything...maybe it was trimmed to bring her to market?) Should I keep her misted daily, even though she's sitting in a humidity tray...undersides and all---the book said that one---really, I just don't know what to do.

Am I *completely* screwing this up? Esp. treating from Damp Brown Spot before confirmation? Seriously, fellow (in my case, amature) botonists, is this treatable, what is it and what should I do (a rough step-by-step for the next wk would be *greatly* appreciated.) Gosh! I feel like a candy-striper when this orchid needs a doctor.

Please, what have I done wrong and how can I prevent ever doing it again?

Hope to hear from you soon (much more knowledgable than I) OrchidGeeks : )

The ominous Brown Spot...is it Damp Brown Spot?


Here are some more pics, incl. (the last pic.) what she looked like on the day she came home---absolutely no brown spot on leaves:

Here's the brown spot from underneath:

This Pic shows all the leaves in context, incl. the spotted one:

Underside of currently healthy looking leaf:

What the whole plant looks like, in bloom, now:

Maybe pretty imp., what the plant looked like when first brought home (shows all leaves well, esp, one w/ spot):

[Greenhouse Gal]

Does your brown spot have a soft wet look? Is there actual moisture, especially on the under side of the leaf? If not, your problem is likely a little different. Cutting the bad part off with sterile tools and then treating the cut end with dilute mouthwash or cinnamon powder is a good plan regardless of the exact cause.

You also asked about the Brookln dip causing the bark to float away from the plant, in effect a re-potting while flowering. This could happen, but the dip is very good for the plant so just do the dip carefully. Choose a container that is just big enough for the plants pot or as much of the plant that you want under the dip. Try and find something that will not allow the pot to fall over. Have dip of choice ready, place the plant in the holding container first, then slowly add the dip solution. If the pot tries to float or as you get close to the top of the pot some bark starts to float stop adding dip. Wait 10 to 15 minutes, very, very slowly start to add dip again until you have proven that the bark is about to float away or until the plant has reached the depth of dip you want. Often even in loosely potted bark, you can get the dip up to the rim of the pot with out loosening the bark too much. The keys are go slow and don't let the pot fall over.

[beautifulbunny]

Thanks for replying, GreenhouseGal : )

I didn't get to do anything last night (morning), but it doesn't seem to have spread today. Instead of wet, it looks dried out, eeps, maybe...burnt? Even though she wasn't in a hot window. The leaf is looking worse. It seems to be deflating a little each day, but the top looks so happy, green and keeping form... and just the brown spot leaf is really starting to look like the bottom leaves, flattening out, yellowing only really on the underside. Would dipping her make her more wet? (I'm kind of catching a *lot* of opinions about having watered her just the once in the, well, 7 days now since I've had her--her top mulch is drying out...she was sold in a tiny plastic pot set within a clay pot...should I remove the clay pot and give her a chance to breathe all around? Plus she's sitting atop stones in a dish with a low water level for humidifying...this state is so dry...)...Actually, let me go gently wipe a few leaves undersides to check for humidity...O.k....All leaf undersides are *bone dry*, tops too, even the brown spot leaf. Only something strange happened when I brushed the top side of the brown spot...leaf dandruff? Little, powdery white "dust" (please tell me it's dust...) brushed up into the air a bit.

What have I gotten myself into? She just bloomed another pretty, suggary face today...I guess I'll do the triage...starting with the Brooklin dip then nipping off the brown part, then seal with...is that the same kind of cinnamon power we use for cooking?...I guess that would be like plant styptic...or the mouthwash...then taking her out of the clay pot, 90% empty out the of the humidity tray and then set her atop the rocks and turn a fan on it's lowest setting around her...? All under the cloak of darkness...to avoid extra commentary : )

I guess I'll also 411 the Orchid Guru, well mine, Jay, since eventually I hope to go s/h.

Thanks, GreenhouseGal : )
I look forward, hopefully, to hearing from you again soon : )

BeautifulBunny

[jay]

Bunny,
I really am not the best with leaf problems.

I might give it a good flush of plain distilled or RO water in case there is a nutrient burn going on, although I am not sure that is what it is.

You mentioned that it was in a window, does it come in contact with the window? I have a Paph that is doing great in a window, but has a burned leaf that came in contact with the window.

Maybe someone else will have another idea.

Sorry it took me a while to respond, I have barely been able to even read posts I have been so busy.

[Greenhouse Gal]

Yes, the cinnamon would be the powdered stuff you find on the spice rack.

Different diseases cause different symptoms, of course, so I was asking questions to try and figure out the most likely pathogen. If the brown is not "wet" to start with I don't think that an antimicrobial dip or treatment will make it "wet". "Wet" brown is much more likely to be a bacterial problem, dry brown more likely to be physical damage or viral. I waited a day to answer more hoping someone else would suggest some answers. Reread cultural sheets like the AOS one: AOS Phalaenopsis Culture Sheet to see if you are following good culture.

I think Jay had a good suggestion too. If the leaf end was against hot or cold window glass that may kill the end and give symptoms like your plant shows.

I hope this helps. Keep us updated and Good Luck.

[beautifulbunny]

While it hasn't been *against* a window, I think I may've underestimated the strength of a setting north-westerly sun...sunburn seems to fit the bill. But it's strange, it's not like light was focused on it, as if with a magnifiying glass...nevertheless, the blackened tip is "crispy" and shows no signs of progressing or worsening. But that's o.k. : ) As long as it's healthy and blooming I couldn't ask for more, right? I mean, it's blooming right on schedule and only the eldest bloom is starting to show signs of wear (tiny holes)...is that how orchid blooms die away? (I'm actually a pretty good indoor gardener, esp. in MI, lol, but orchids, well, I think much of their appeal *must* be in their mystery: what they do, how they grow, blooming, what they like-each, personally, tinctures of fertilizers and the like...these ancient ones of the botanical kingdom have a relative newcommer, well, species wise : )...learning how to learn all over again!)

4 more short questions:

Before using LECA, how much should I water down the "fish poop tea" to fertilize?

Is there a good guideline for a fertilizing schedule while in bloom?

It came in a tiny plastic pot with very small slits on the sides, nested within a clay pot. Would it be better outside of the clay pot...would it be better with larger slits in the sides? (...o.k. that one counted as 2 questions, technically, lol!)

I **Love** this thingie on the right sides of your posts listing how many times you've each been thanked. Can I thank you both--at least twice--for helping this stumbing newbie out? If so:

Thank You for all the help---all the time, info and patience! GreenhouseGal !
And thanks again, GreenhouseGal, for the link! : )

and...

Ever Grateful and Thanks, Jay, for coming by (as with the first, the plant's 2nd & future waterings will all be with our regular RO water, even as mixed with fertilizers : )
Thanks, Jay, my s/h guru! (cleaning fish last night, there I was, faithfully saving up the driftwood-softened fish poop concentrate...Ah! You'd be proud! I can't wait to buy LECA!)