what can i do? - Orchid Board

envy · #1 10-06-2008, 03:13 PM

hi..this is my phal..i'm worried..what's happen to my baby?
help me please!

Ross · #2 10-06-2008, 03:34 PM

I've never seen this before, but here are a couple thoughts I have: What type of water are you using? It might be deposits from really hard water. Are there blotches on the leaves anywhere? Are the upper surfaces reddish? Reason I am asking is this damage could be from sun. Beyond these thoughts I have no clue. Are the roots down in the bark nicely colored and viable? What I mean, is are they rotten? Are they whiteish or tan colored with green tips? If so, then this damage only involves the surface roots. I seem to see some white deposites on the bark surface as well, so this could be excessive salts in your water. Do you run a water softener? If so, that will kill you plant over time. If not, and you are watering with hard water (let's say you are on a city water system) then you should consider buying some distilled water and use that for a while to flush the whole pot.

envy · #3 10-06-2008, 03:40 PM

mmm water in pisa it's hard..but i have this plant since 2006 and nothing happened 'til now! leaves are green, no blotches, there's a new leaf instead! other roots aren't rotten..they're silver/green..i never used a water softener..i have distilled water..i'll try for a few days to use it and we'll see if it'll be ok..

PS Sorry for my english but..2-3 years i don't speak this language!!

Ross · #4 10-06-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by envy

mmm water in pisa it's hard..but i have this plant since 2006 and nothing happened 'til now! leaves are green, no blotches, there's a new leaf instead! other roots aren't rotten..they're silver/green..i never used a water softener..i have distilled water..il try for a few days to use it and we'll see if it'll be ok..

PS Sorry for my english but..2-3 years i don't speak this language!!

Your english is better than my Italian

You do well at explaining the situation. If you've been watering with city water for that long and this just showed up, I'd start looking for what changed. Distilled water won't hurt the plant at all. But if the cause is something other than the water, then distilled won't help either. I'm just guessing. I'm really hoping someone here sees this post and recognizes the symptoms. In my 40+ years of growing orchids, I've never seen these symptoms.

envy · #5 10-06-2008, 03:48 PM

i'll try with distilled water.. if nothing changes.. i don't know what it can be.. a fungus maybe?

Tami Bell · #6 10-07-2008, 12:38 AM

If you take your finger and run it down or up a leaf, does the white come off and look sortof fuzzy/soft?

envy · #7 10-07-2008, 05:06 AM

Nothing's wrong in the leaves..only the root's surface has a sort of orange blotches..nothing else.. if i run the finger like you said nothing comes off from leaves or roots..i tried it..uh uh a new enigma!!

Tami Bell · #8 10-07-2008, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by envy

Nothing's wrong in the leaves..only the root's surface has a sort of orange blotches..nothing else.. if i run the finger like you said nothing comes off from leaves or roots..i tried it..uh uh a new enigma!!

Was just checking, your pictures sortof look like a problem I had last summer with mealy worms on some of mine, they leave a white powdery tracks on the leaves and can get into the growing medium/roots.

I'm actually sorry it's not that since it's very easy to rid the plants of!!!

envy · #9 10-07-2008, 03:03 PM

Mmm ok..but my leaves are ok..

envy · #10 10-10-2008, 05:55 AM

there's a new symptom..tiny black insects..i saw them this morning running on the roots.. it's something worst than wrong water..help me..please!