I AM Sick and Tired of This Passion!!!!!!!!!!

[DebsC]

I've had this Blc Goldenzelle 'Passion' for a couple of years and it's been a fight the whole time until this summer.

New growths rotted as fast as they came through. Lip tips always had black spots...always something.

It finally started doing better and put on new growths that didn't rot so I was expecting MAYBE a sheath from it.

It has about 15 P-bulbs. Well, guess what? It has a sheath all right and it's black as coal!!!


What in the world is wrong with this plant? I'm about ready to trash it and that's a hard, hard thing for me to do.

I have a greenhouse full of catts! This one is hung from the rafters where it gets a constant gentle breeze. It's fed, watered and taken care of like all the rest.

Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

[Lagoon]

Deb,

Damn this 'chid is cranky
If everything else is blooming or growin well, then perhaps this one is just a bad apple?? I've had those 'chids. everything else thrives but nooooooo not the one over on the left

Have yo try moving it to reduced lights? maybe less ferts? How about air circulation? Kick in the pants? ha ha!
What about maybe treating it for bacteria?
What about the water quality - to hard, to soft?

I think you should give a nice lil talking to next to the trash bin
Anyways just throwing some things out there .....

[justatypn]

Sounds like the little guy is really angry for some reason...maybe it's afraid of heights

All kidding aside, Bacterial rot....cut the diseased area back to fresh, green, healthy tissue. Treat with any bactericide.

[gerneveyn]

I'm not sure this will apply to your situation or not. In the culture tidbits section of the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society website, it says that black tipped leaves may be a sign of calcium deficiency, and Tums may be added to the fertilizer solution. Here's the link: Orchid Tidbits

[Djarum Black]

Did the sheath emerge black? Many times black or icky sheaths can be connected to mositure being trapped inside.
I have a hybrid that sounds about as grumpy as yours. It can not take water from above or moisture on the leaves at all.
Sounds like you got a fussy baby like mine. Try watering well below the leaf levels. Make sure there is never water left on the leaves or growths. Moving it to a better airy local might be good too.
The plant I have like this has to be watered alone. I even dry it by hand if I chance to get water on the leaves.
I do agree the extra care that fussy plants need is a pain in the butt.

[LILROCORCHIDS]

Deb
Sorry to hear you have a problem chid . I have a C. portia coerulea that I got at a orchid society auction . Well the first year it got 3 new growths lost 2 .Second year it got 4 lost 2 . I repot every year so it couldn't be broken down mix .third year i put in clay got 3 growths 1 flowered . I moved it to west side of greenhouse gets more hours of sun . plant grew 4 growths with 2 sheaths . I think it needed the clay to dry more quickly .I use med bark ,sponge rock and charcoal . When you cut black growth off check the rhizome to make sure none of it is bad and dab some neosporin over cut. Also since sheath goes bad ,when it forms next time where leaf base and sheath join if it has a outercoating that holds water make a slit to allow water to drain away . if sheath starts to turn bad open it up to make it dry not rot and ruin bud .
sorry for the long tale
Good Luck
Rocco

[DebsC]

I left the Passion sitting on the floor of the greenhouse. That ought to show it whose boss!!!

I guess I'll try a bit longer with it. I love the Goldenzelle's and I've never had a problem with one of them before. But if it doesn't grow well and I mean really well this time and dad blast it!! give me a flower...I'm throwing her out on her rear end!

She already has one of the best places in the greenhouse. Gentle breezes, mottled sunlight and gets fed a diet that would suit a queen. I don't know much else to do. Maybe I'll spray more often.

Thanks for all your input and the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society website is great! Thanks for the link. I bookmarked it to read as I go along.

Oh and as far as the sheath goes; the tip was nice and green. Only as it emerged did I see the black. But it's black all the way down as far as I can see.

I'll try all and everything...one more season.

[cb977]

Originally Posted by gerneveyn

I'm not sure this will apply to your situation or not. In the culture tidbits section of the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society website, it says that black tipped leaves may be a sign of calcium deficiency, and Tums may be added to the fertilizer solution. Here's the link: Orchid Tidbits

I add a few drops of Milk of Magnesia to my fertilizer water. The ingredients are: Magnesium, Calcium and trace amounts of salt. Don't know if it's helping but it hasn't hurt

[Bolero]

Originally Posted by DebsC

I've had this Blc Goldenzelle 'Passion' for a couple of years and it's been a fight the whole time until this summer.

New growths rotted as fast as they came through. Lip tips always had black spots...always something.

It finally started doing better and put on new growths that didn't rot so I was expecting MAYBE a sheath from it.

It has about 15 P-bulbs. Well, guess what? It has a sheath all right and it's black as coal!!!


What in the world is wrong with this plant? I'm about ready to trash it and that's a hard, hard thing for me to do.

I have a greenhouse full of catts! This one is hung from the rafters where it gets a constant gentle breeze. It's fed, watered and taken care of like all the rest.

Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

It's a good question as to why it keeps doing it. Some of us have believed for some time now that there will be plants that will never do well. No matter how perfectly you grow them they won't do what you want. I think it's in the genes and even happens to mericlones. It might just be one of those plants to throw away although I would never recommend that to someone else.

I can remember buying 10 of the same cattleya hybrid once and seven of them grew beautifully but the other 3 had similar problems to yours. They all grew side by side but the 3 never did very well. After about 3 years I gave up on them and focussed on the ones that were growing well.

Good Luck with the plant!

[Gin]

I have had a few like that , after doing all I could they ended up in the trash .
I think they pick up a systemic bacterial infection.
Just a guess . Gin