crown rot?

[mattryan]

hello everyone i think that i have a case of crown rot (yup i think i did it again ). Not sure if i have caught it soon enough. I have put peroxide on it and dusted with cinamon, unfortunately that's all i have. It hasn't lost any leaves yet here are some pics any help would be apprieciated thanks. Do i repot it, right now it is drying out (hopefully) in front of a fan unpotted?

ps.the pics are before and after treatment, some are blurry sorry

[Bolero]

Certainly looks like you've caught the rot early. What is your air movement like? You may have saved it in time. Keep it drier for a while and see how things go.

[mattryan]

I have a fan running most of the time but with the holidays i've been watering later than normal i think that is the problem. Right now i have a fan on it unpotted do i repot or leave it unpotted for a couple days thanks for the help Bolero..Here are some new pics. Also do i repeat this treatment over any period of time? Thankyou again for the help...i already have 1 leafless phal

[Bolero]

Yes waterning late can certainly be a problem, sometimes it's better not to water until the morning if you get time. But I am sure now I don't have to tell you that.

I think often we can leave watering longer than we think we can. Unless they are tiny seedlings I think you should water early when you can, especially if it's winter and the plants are almost dormant.

[Zoi2]

Just my 2 cents: I'd get rid of that cinnamon on the leaves. Cinnamon is really on good on cuts (if you'd cut part of a leaf off). I'm not sure you want it to dry out the inner leaves. Putting the peroxide in the crown and leaving it for a few minutes should stop any fungus or bacteria growth as long as you totally dry it out. Hanging the plant upside down is a good way to dry.
Joann

[WhiteRabbit]

I've never had problems with cinnamon on foliage - just my

[Junebug]

Oh shucks, sorry to see you're having problems again. Bolero had some great tips. I crown rotted one of my phals once. Truth be told I crown rotted the same plant twice. My circumstances were a little different. Both times mother nature served up some gusty winds that blew rain inside the porch and on top of my phal and I didn't catch the problem in time.

The first time this happened the victim was real healthy with great big leaves and killer roots. After the water damage the leaves began to yellow at an astonishing rate, all but one big base leaf. I chose to not disturb what was left of the plant and I didn't remove it from its pot. I didn't touch the ailing leaves but instead let each leaf die, wither, and drop on it's own accord. When the last big base leaf remained green and failed to drop I figured the plant had a chance. I didn't fertilize at this stage and just watered when necessary, always being careful to avoid the leaf and area where the rot had taken place. A basal keiki began growing a few months later and then I resumed fertilizing. Over time three or four leaves grew and things were looking good and then darned if the same thing didn't happen again. This time it was the keiki that got crown rot and it completely died, but the original leaf and roots still remained unphased. I thought for sure the plant was doomed but within a few months another new keiki appeared next to the 2 dead stubs. The 2nd keiki has grown well and now has 4 leaves, a half dozen roots, and at this rate she might even spike in the near future.

To sum up my story there can be hope after crown rot. Recovery can take a long time and for me it's been a very rewarding experience to watch my plant recover.

Since my crown rot experience I've changed my method of watering phals to lessen the chances that either I or mother nature will cause this problem again. Now I water my potted phals with the pot tilted at a 45 degree angle and turn the pot to a position where water won't puddle and will readily run off the leaves. The top most leaf of the plant needs to be in a sideways/down position for proper drainage. The pot can be turned back to it's upright position after you're certain it's leaves have completely dried. I've been keeping my potted phals positioned at a 45 degree angle for over a year. Now the entire plant an be doused with water with no fears of crown rot. A properly mounted phal won't get crown rot either. Mounted plants aren't practical in some situations but phals grow exceedingly well when mounted.

Good luck with your baby!

[mattryan]

Thanks for the help guys i certainly hope i can have a good result like you did junebug. My poor phal lost the top leaf just after i posted, today there was mold in the crown of the plant and all the leaves are turning yellow. I left it's spike hoping that something would grow after the flowers died maybe i'll get something now that my plant looks not very good. I'll keep you posted, thanks again all

[SOS]

Doing multiple H2O2 applications isnt a bad idea.

[Orchid126]

The damage doesn't look like it's in the crown. It looks more like it's on the side of the neck, in which case you have a better chance of saving the plant.