What is wrong with my Milt????

[psyc1210]

I thought I was doing really well with my Milt Hajime Ono 'Black Falls'...and then I started noticing some spots on the leaves....I figured it was from being too cold...since I started noticing it after the temps started dropping quite a bit this winter. Anyway, I have my orchid table near a window, and the temp on the thermometer hasn't gone under 60 degrees that I've noticed. So today, I was looking everyone over, and noticed that some of the leaves on the new psuedobulbs are turning yellow!! Now I'm freaking out. I don't know what is really wrong with this orchid, and don't want to lose it. Anyone have any advice?

[psyc1210]

I forgot to add, the spots are not squishy. They are dry...

[brookn]

It sure looks like cold damage, but I thought Milts liked cold temps? If it's not cold damage, I say fungus. Sorry, I hope you figure it out this one is super pretty.

[patticake]

I'm not sure, either. Does it get dried out? They like moisture! (not soggy) Mine are in a well draining mix, but get watered just about every day. I don't know what to say. My temps are in the mid 60's right now, but have gone down as low as 50F during the ice storm. They show no ill effects from that, so I doubt it's temperature. I don't know a lot about fungus. I hope we get some other ideas. Sorry I wasn't much help!

[katrina]

I had a couple Milts my first year w/orchids and they did the same when winter set in that yours appears to be doing. I wasn't able to figure out my issue soon enough to save them...hopefully someone can help here.

[psyc1210]

I have been watering it less....but all of my orchids I've been watering a little less in the winter, because it takes them a bit longer to "dry". I know that Milts don't like to dry out, and I don't feel like I've been allowing it to dry out. I keep an eye on condensation in the pot, and I've been trying to avoid keeping it too wet during the winter, in case of fungal or whatever other issues.

I just watered it now, with some physan20.

[articuno75]

Are you sure there's no critters like mites?

[psyc1210]

I've been checking for bugs, and can't find any kind of pests. I'm really lost on this.

[articuno75]

I'm stumped. By looking at the plant as a whole, it looks like a fungus.

[psyc1210]

Well, thought I'd give an update on this baby. It looks worse right now than the last pics show...but I found two new growths that are green. Still don't have a clue what in the world happened with it. The leaves that it did have either dried out and are brown, or are still green with spots....I have treated it with Physan20 a few times, so hopefully that helped with whatever is/was going on with it. Hopefully it will pull through and the new growth do well, and it survives. I really don't want to lose this orchid.

[sunshine]

I have a Milt NOID white w/yellow center. It sits in the east kitchen window
all the time and in the summer the window is open and it just loves it there.

Have you checked your medium for breakdown and bugs etc? If you use tap water flush regular to get to get rid of the salt build up.

For grins and giggles try treating it with a fungicide and see if helps. It also maybe time for it to be repotted.

[vcuchick]

I agree with Sunshine...I'd try a fungicide.

[patticake]

Physan20 is a fungicide. Maybe the direct sun hitting them in the winter does it. In the summer, it's more overhead. Just a guess.

[psyc1210]

If it pulls through and makes it til next winter, I'll find it a different spot not as close to the window, and see if that fixes the problem. It's definitely not media breakdown as I have it potted in 100% aliflor, and I do use tap water, but everytime I water it gets flushed pretty well.

[vcuchick]

hmm, then that's all I can think of, maybe it was the cold, we did get a couple nasty nights a fews ago, maybe that's what did it...

[psyc1210]

I forgot to add that my other Milt did the same thing...that one only had one active growth at the time, not multiples like this one.

[Brooke]

Physan is a fungicide but the same fungicide is not effective on every fungus. If that was the case we would only need one fungicide in the world

Brooke