Crown rot?

[hollylee]

I lost a leaf this morning, and underneath where it was attached i found what i believe to be crown rot.

Does that look like crown rot? Also, do the roots look good? Also, can it be saved by a beginner?

[jkofferdahl]

Well, it's not crown rot, because it's not in the crown. Though your thumb is over the crown, what can be seen looks quite healthy. That's a good thing. It does look like some sort of fungus/rot, though, so you need to be careful. The best thing to do would be to dip the plant in a fungicide solution before sticking it in a new pot. Then, repot it in a very drainable medium.

The roots look quite wet, but I think they're healthy. With a little care you shouldn't have a hard time keeping the plant alive.

[cb977]

That's something that would get a Listerine shower here

If it had been crown rot, that black area would be up in the very top crevices of the plant...and if you ever catch that at the very start in any of your chids, the fix is simple and works well IF you catch it in time: put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide directly into the crown, let it sit for a minute or two then dump it out.

You'll save this one...

[hollylee]

should i remove the leaf that has the black at the base?

[jkofferdahl]

I would leave the leaf alone and just treat the symptom.

[Mirranova]

You may lose the leaf even if you keep it, but treatment and close watching should save the plant.

cb or is it okay to call you sue? I am wondering about the Listerine, I have heard of it being used before, but have a couple of questions. What do you use it for, does it have a lot of different uses? Also do you use a specific type?? I use my cinnamon spray a lot, but this seems useful also. Oh, that and I think the cinnamon spray is not killing my mites like it used to (the buggers have adapted grrrrr). I get them when I put the plants outside, and I like to stay fairly natural with the treatments.

[cb977]

All my friends call me Sue

I keep a spray bottle filled with regular Listerine, not the minty stuff...I use any store-brand as the real stuff is way too expensive

I use it whenever I repot, especially when I'm repotting new chids. I also spray it whenever I see a spot I don't like on the chids, and I've also grabbed it whenever I see any of those tiny little pests...and it works!

When I'm repotting, I remove all the old medium and spray the entire plant, let it sit for a few minutes and then do a thorough rinse. When I'm spraying something because I think there might be a problem, I just spray it and leave it without the rinse.

It's an antiseptic and seems to work well for me. I also try to avoid the real chemicals...with the two dogs running around and sticking their noses into everything, I'd rather use something that won't cause them harm if they take a lick

[Mirranova]

Thanks Sue . Much appreciated, I never would have thunk it lol. I try to be as natural as possible, cause I have a house full of kids, giant dogs, a small dog, and kitties. If my son doesn't have his head in what I'm doing, one of the dogs does hee hee.

[nature]

Yes, thank you Sue! That Listerine tip sounds really good. I just might try.