Help with psychopsis, sudden rot?

[sunfire]

Agh! I don't know what happened! It was all going so well.

I killed one of these already. This one took a long time to acclimate but was going gangbusters over the summer. I brought it inside and now!

While it was still outside it did see temps into the mid 50s, but I don't think it was overly wet. But I don't know.

This opaque area at the base of this leaf is what I'm worried about the most and has been spreading over the last few days and has crossed the spine. It's still firm. I hit it with a fungicide (Infuse/Propiconazole) and then the next day some Physan. Should I cut it off to prevent it (hopefully from) spreading into the pseudobulb?

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The yellow and brown and now a new spot are at least heading from the top down on this leaf.
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This was an original leaf, the defect is old, the yellow and brown are new.
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[Roberta]

I'd trim the rotted part with a single-edge razor blade (clean cut, and disposable) and dust the cut with cinnamon (or powdered sulfur if you have it) Physan isn't going to do much. I'm usually not big on surgery, but here you definitely don't want that rot getting into the rhizome. Better to sacrifice a pseudobulb than to lose the plant. It did get too cold - these like house temperatures - Phalaenopsis temperatures, just more light than a Phal.

[sunfire]

Thank you Roberta. I will do it tonight. Fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by Roberta

I'd trim the rotted part with a single-edge razor blade (clean cut, and disposable) and dust the cut with cinnamon (or powdered sulfur if you have it) Physan isn't going to do much. I'm usually not big on surgery, but here you definitely don't want that rot getting into the rhizome. Better to sacrifice a pseudobulb than to lose the plant. It did get too cold - these like house temperatures - Phalaenopsis temperatures, just more light than a Phal.

[Roberta]

Do the surgery cautiously, taking as little tissue as necessary. If you trim the bad section of leaf and it's clean below, where it goes to the pseudobulb, you may be able to save the pseudobulb. If the rot extends into it, then you can sacrifice the pseudobulb to keep it out of the rhizome. So don't take any more tissue than you have to, but don't leave bad stuff behind.

[SG in CR]

I don't know if all Psychopsis are this way, but I've bought 3 P. krameriana and only 1 survived the move to my garden. From my experience and what others have told me they really hate a change in environment. You might want to find a spot where you can keep it all year long to keep this from happening.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I recommend cutting back your watering. The potting media looks too wet for Psychopsis.

[sunfire]

Thank you. I took your advice. It is done. There was a little sliver of brown going into the pseudobulb so I excised that as carefully as I could. I now have a cinnamon spiced psychopsis. Crossing my fingers that it does well.

Originally Posted by Roberta

Do the surgery cautiously, taking as little tissue as necessary. If you trim the bad section of leaf and it's clean below, where it goes to the pseudobulb, you may be able to save the pseudobulb. If the rot extends into it, then you can sacrifice the pseudobulb to keep it out of the rhizome. So don't take any more tissue than you have to, but don't leave bad stuff behind.

---------- Post added at 08:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 PM ----------

You're definitely onto something. The first one of these I bought fell out of the pot in the shipping box. I literally watched it die over the next week. It was like it had a heart attack. This one I purchased from a local nursery. The first couple months I wasn't sure what it's intentions were but then it started to throw up new growths all over the place and did exceptionally well this summer. If it survives and I can find a happy place for it I will definitely be leaving it there permanently.

Originally Posted by SG in CR

I don't know if all Psychopsis are this way, but I've bought 3 P. krameriana and only 1 survived the move to my garden. From my experience and what others have told me they really hate a change in environment. You might want to find a spot where you can keep it all year long to keep this from happening.

---------- Post added at 08:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:36 PM ----------

Yes, if it survives I definitely will. It was growing very well relatively wet but also warm this summer. It was probably wetter than I realized when the temperatures started to drop. It is one of the few orchids I have in bark in a plastic pot.

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

I recommend cutting back your watering. The potting media looks too wet for Psychopsis.

[Leafmite]

Good luck with it!