Angraecum Spots + Virus tumble.

[BrassavolaStars]

Hello all,

I have just noticed these spots develop after taking this Angraecum outside for the summer. What are they? Sunburn? It was sitting under an umbrella and the spots appeared on the side facing north but not the other side. They only started after I took it outside though.

On another note, a plant I was isolating outside of the greenhouse due to virus concerns was knocked over by the wind onto a healthy plant I had left outside. I don’t know how this happened because they were far apart but I guess the wind was strong enough to knock them both over in just the right way to make contact. They didn’t really fall so much as tip over on their sides from separated benches. Either way, they ended up on top of each other for a few hours. I sprayed them both with physan after moving them further away from each other.

I didn’t see any injuries on either plant except maybe a dented leaf.

If one of the plants was virused, did it likely transfer it? I am so worried now.

I hate the wind as it responsible for a vast number of plant mishap in my collection to date so far.

[Ray]

Could be insect damage or fungal/bacterial spotting if there were dew droplets on it as night progressed.

As far as the virus transmission is concerned, that usually requires that juices from the infected plant reach another and sit there for a while. If it was a spill/brush scenario, there's probably not much to be concerned about.

[estación seca]

I don't see a photo. If you could see how insect eaten and fungus infested orchids are in habitat you'd have nightmares.

[BrassavolaStars]

Sorry I forgot the picture. Here it is.

[Leafmite]

I do not think you should be concerned with virus here, by just looking at it.

The big killer of Angraecums is fungus issues. Many of them come from breezy Madagascar so they are very prone to fungus. Extra Calcium seems to be good for preventing this. My orchids go outside, too, and they tend to get marks and such--I have learned not to expect perfection. Then again, I grow many other types of plants and they do not look perfect, either (except for the wormwood--nothing touches that).

So, relax and enjoy growing your orchids. If you are very worried, you can send a few samples to Critter Creek and have them tested for your peace of mind.

If you are taking the normal precautions, I would not worry too much about virus. An expert that once belonged to our Orchid Society (PhD in botany, traveled the world studying plants, grew stuff that most others could not) told me that the one sign of virus he saw in every infected plant was a slow, sure decline that could only be halted by the most excellent of care. The orchids slowly lost their vigor. I had a Cattleya infected on the Orchid Society show table--someone shoved an obviously infected orchid into it (color break, mosaic pattern on leaves) and I saw this, too. The psuedobulbs began growing late and not as quickly or numerously. It did not bloom until the next bloom season and then it showed the color-break. After that came the mosaic leaves. For a time, I was paranoid and even thought of not growing orchids at all!

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

Hello all,
I have just noticed these spots develop after taking this Angraecum outside for the summer. What are they? Sunburn?

Not sure! Maybe won't discount sunburn. If indoor plants are brought outside, they generally should be given (over some suitably long time) a gradual build-up of higher and higher levels of light - that's the sun hardening thing.

If the issue is fungal or something - then it should be ok if the condition doesn't appear to be getting worse - such as spreading etc. Gentle air-movement outside in the growing area can really cut down on that kind of thing, or even prevent it.

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

I hate the wind as it responsible for a vast number of plant mishap in my collection to date so far.

If wind becomes so strong as to knock over pots, then that could somehow be addressed - such as pots with heavier rocks or something down at the bottom of the pot, or bigger pots (with heavier rocks etc down at the bottom).

[estación seca]

I think it's sunburn. Notice how one leaf has grown out of it, and there is a sharp line of demarcation.

[Leafmite]

Sunburn definitely could be the issue. I wasn't as careful as usual with my Cattleyas and I have a few with brown spots/parts but they are still growing and the brown hasn't hurt them at all. As long as the spots feel dry, the orchid should be just fine.

[Ray]

The paler areas do look like sunburn, but those brown spots are more likely infections resulting from trapped water.