Angraecum Crestwood Buds S.O.S: Spurs Browning

[BrassavolaStars]

Hello All,

I have this beautiful Angraecum Crestwood that is in double spike.

Everything was going well until I looked at the plant today and noticed that every single bud is beginning to turn brown at the spur going up.

What is going on? I was so excited to have as many as 10 flowers but now I am concerned not just about the flowers but also the health of the plant.

Is this a culture problem or an infection?

The greenhouse has been between 59f at night and 75f in the day. The humidity is around 70% and it’s been rather dark and rainy lately. It never got too dry and I only used room temperature water.

The spikes started out fine until this point. Is there anything to be done to save the buds? Is the plant itself in danger?

Sorry about the bad sideways iPad photos. My computer isn’t available to rotate the photos and the rotation doesn’t seem to stick on my iPad.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

and it’s been rather dark and rainy lately.

Could consider whether rain/water comes down onto the plant when it rains. And consider how long it has been raining for - 1 day, a few days etc. And consider whether any water gets trapped in pockets - such as between the leaves, and in the regions where the spike pops out from the leaves or something. And consider whether or not there's good air circulation to the whole plant - or whether there are relatively long durations of undesirable still-air in the growing area.

[Roberta]

Have you had problems with any other developing flowers in the GH? I think of the possibility of a draft hitting them. The temperature range sound fine, but is something going on closer to this particular plant? Another reason to look at other plants too, for larger issues, like potential problems with the heater (thinking gas leak or incomplete combustion if it is a gas heater)... buds are more sensitive than the plant itself to such problems. But other plants would be affected too. If just this one, I'd look more at drafts, or buds staying wet after watering, something in that small area.

[BrassavolaStars]

Hello all,

The heater I have is electric. I have observed the greenhouse for quite a bit and it doesn’t seem to leak at all and definitely not near this plant. It’s also strange that every single bud is almost equally browning at once.

It is a bit drafty, but the drafts seem to be mostly near the base/floor. The weather has also been bad for about a week or so. Maybe more. The ground has been wet from rain, snow, and groundwater for pretty much two weeks. This has been seeping in a bit through the soil on the floor but not through the roof at all.

I just recently bloomed an Angraecum leonis, Aeranthes grandiflora, and a bunch of cattleyas and Zygopetalums from low spike to flower this month without any problems. That being said, this is the only hanging one and maybe the air towards the roof is worse somehow. This plant also rotted off part of a spike a few weeks ago.

I got the plant in spike before it had buds. Additionally, I also bought it in person so it was never in the mail and so it also has not had a drastic change in environment.

I’m not quite sure how the buds could stay wet because they are fairly exposed at this point and when the problem started. In other words, when there were place so for water to get trapped, they were fine. Only now are they showing signs of problems.

Should I bring it into my house for monitoring? Spray it with fungicide? Should I cut off the black parts of the spurs? It seems to be advancing and not slowly.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

Hello all,

...

I got the plant in spike before it had buds. Additionally, I also bought it in person so it was never in the mail and so it also has not had a drastic change in environment.

Perhaps no "drastic" change in environment, but likely enough to have caused this. That, plus being the only one hanging. I'd move to same level as other plants that are doing well, and watch for any issues other than the buds/spikes themselves.

[BrassavolaStars]

Update:

I brought the plant into my house for observation. It will also be a little bit warmer.

I apologize but I misspoke about a detail.

This is not the only plant I have hanging but instead the only plant hanging that is in bud.

I currently have another Angraecum in spike that is doing fine hanging a few feet away along with a bunch of other seemingly healthy hanging in-spike plants.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

This plant also rotted off part of a spike a few weeks ago.

This piece of information could be quite important here.