phal infestation needs your help

[Phyrex]

Hi all. I know I've been away for a while but I had to seek help with this sickness that has attacked and keeps on attacking my phals. Any advise would be appreciated as I have tried many things but nothing seems to help.

PS the third picture is of the second leaf on the plant that was attacked after I'd removed the first infested leaf.

PPS the infected area starts with a discoloration, then an indentation and then browning.

[Phyrex]

Here's a keiki of the same equestris from before that has the same thing.

[Phyrex]

Here's some other good examples of the disease.

[Lady_Vamp]

Looks like fungus or bacteria, but it could also be a virus. I googled a bit to see if there were phal who had the same symptoms as yours. This one and this one do. If you want to know specifically what it is, you shoud have a lab test it and do a virus test. If it's a virus, then the progression of symptoms should be slow. If it's fungus or bacteria, it will be way faster.

My advice is : 1 - Whatever it is, it seems highly infectious so separate all plants showing symptoms from the ones that seem healthy. 2 - If it is a virus, there's nothing you can do if symptoms appear, the plant will eventually die. 3 - If it's fungus or bacteria, it's fungicide/desinfectant time! Try something that kills a large spectrum of micro-organisms.

I hope this helps.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Try getting them tested for viral infections.

[silken]

I had what looks identical and it infected only Phals, even if other orchids were on the same table. Any phal that came near an infected one was also soon infected. I never found out what it was and finally threw out 5 otherwise healthy and blooming plants that had awesome roots. Another member in our society has the same problem and she heard that members in the Edmonton society saw the same thing rip thru their Phals. I think there are some articles on the web about it.

I would isolate them immediately and then figure out where you want to go. The only way I stopped more and more from being infected was tossing them, pot and all into a plastic garbage bag and out to the trash. Then I totally sanitized the area where they were. That was about 6 months ago and I haven't set another Phal on that table. So far no others have been infected. I expect it is safe to use that table for phals again, but I am not going rush into it.

It broke my heart, but every time a new leaf grew, it looked great and I thought it would be OK. Then as it grew, it gradually became discoloured and sunken exactly like yours. I had photos and posted on another thread here, but I think I deleted those photos since it made me so unhappy.

[Ashby Chadburn]

I had something similar happen to my phals about two years ago. A friend who grows orchids professionally thought it looked like false spider mites because there were no webbs. I sprayed with a mitocide and it took care of the problem. It has taken several years to ougrow the damaged leaves. The phals are almost normal again.

[Shirley]

I'm not convinced that this is a virus or bacterial infection. If it's just your phals, it could be cold damage. Has your night temperature dropped too low on occasion -- say below 60 degrees? Good luck!

[Gin]

I googled Phalaenopsis cell collapse then images there are some that looks a lot like yours they are saying cold down to 45 esp. on young leaves .At fist I thought slugs ..

[silken]

None of mine that looked like that were subject to any strange temp. changes and the odd thing was it spread from one plant to another by being on the same growing table. I hope you segregate them till you figure it out.