Cymbidium mosaic virus

[Eyebabe]

Physan is a general antisceptic and may have limited effect.
You should try to get a general copper fungicide at your local home depot and treat with that.
Sunburn is a possibility as well and if that is the case, all this would be overkill.
Also, if your water is high in solutes the tips of the leaves will brown and the margin will migrate in; thus, physan and/or fungicide "treatment" might not have an effect if this is the cause.

I agree the only way to tell if a plant is virused is to test it. But the lesions on your plant do not look like virus to me.

[Cym Ladye]

ALCOHOL WILL NOT KILL VIRUS!

Use disposable, single edged razor blades or buy a torch and flame your cutting equipment! Another option is to use clorox at a 5% rate soak for several hours to sterilize plastic equipment and steel knives, or bake blades for several hours at 325F in an oven if you want to reuse your disposable blades.

I am with Camille. Send samples to Critter Creek.

Remember there is a difference between bacterial infections and fungal infections. Be sure to use the right spray material or you are wasting your time and money.

CL

[Shiffdaddy]

Will Critter Creek tell me what is wrong if it isnt a virus or will they only tell me if the plant has a virus or not?

What if its bacteria or fungal? Then i'm back at step one again huh

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by Shiffdaddy

Will Critter Creek tell me what is wrong if it isnt a virus or will they only tell me if the plant has a virus or not?

What if its bacteria or fungal? Then i'm back at step one again huh

Critter Creek only tests for the two viruses mentioned, which should be the primary concern of any serious hobbyist, in my opinion.

I have found that many novice orchid growers worry waaaaay too much about minute problems that can be eliminated by simple good culture. Orchids, especially Cyms, will develop a multitude of leaf marks that are totally benign. These are not plastic flowers!

I have a personal collection of over 1,000 Cyms and I can say that I have never used a bactericide or fungicide except on a one to one basis for a rotten bulb/growth. I do, however, test for virus before repotting/dividing every plant and bait continually for slugs and snails. If you have adequate air circulation, a mix that has not broken down, general good culture and the plant tests negative for the common viruses, minor leaf markings should be of no consequence.

I stand by my original diagnosis - sunburn. By now, you have removed the damaged part of the leaves with a sterile razor blade and placed the plant where it will not get so much hot direct sun. I do not know what part of So. CA you live in but that should be all that you need to do for this specific problem .... except to send off a leaf sample to Critter Creek. Your humidity is low enough, not like Florida, and there is no need to treat the cuts.

CL

[Eyebabe]

Originally Posted by Cym Ladye

Critter Creek only tests for the two viruses mentioned, which should be the primary concern of any serious hobbyist, in my opinion.

I have found that many novice orchid growers worry waaaaay too much about minute problems that can be eliminated by simple good culture. Orchids, especially Cyms, will develop a multitude of leaf marks that are totally benign. These are not plastic flowers!

I have a personal collection of over 1,000 Cyms and I can say that I have never used a bactericide or fungicide except on a one to one basis for a rotten bulb/growth. I do, however, test for virus before repotting/dividing every plant and bait continually for slugs and snails. If you have adequate air circulation, a mix that has not broken down, general good culture and the plant tests negative for the common viruses, minor leaf markings should be of no consequence.

I stand by my original diagnosis - sunburn. By now, you have removed the damaged part of the leaves with a sterile razor blade and placed the plant where it will not get so much hot direct sun. I do not know what part of So. CA you live in but that should be all that you need to do for this specific problem .... except to send off a leaf sample to Critter Creek. Your humidity is low enough, not like Florida, and there is no need to treat the cuts.

CL

I agree people worry over virus too often when they see disease on their plant. It is helpful if not necessary to familiarize oneself with the presentation of various "classic" types of disease vs. sunburn vs. ???

Sometimes a lesion will be confusing but more often than not you can reason between two things and pretty much treat for both

Virus would not be on my list for this pic....however, I've seen other pics where it's my number one and sometimes "only".

The following website carries a presentation by Sue Bottom which has to be one of the BEST references for photographic review of disease and tabled references for treatment: http://www.houstonorchidsociety.org/...ySueBottom.pdf

You're welcome