What the heck?? Pic heavy...

[calypsoB]

hmm I will check it out, but I did repot it loosely after I got it and sprayed it with neem..though I did see other plants with something like this in the plant shop:S Maybe I will return the plant instead...

[keithrs]

I think thats your best bet....

[calypsoB]

Well Christmas has come and gone and this silly orchid hasn't made it's way back to the plant shop....Holidays can get so busy. Well it lost all of those leaves with the mush and was left with one. The roots are even growing tips! But alas, the last leave now has a mush spot on it. I dabbled it with some mouthwash and let it be. I am wondering though, can a phal survive without leaves but with good roots?? I see no new leaves appearing to grow, but there is no rot in the leave base. I still haven't figure out for sure what it is but it didn't affect the others (knock on wood!). It is sad too because that last leaf was looking very healthy!

[silken]

I don't know but it sounds like you bought it locally? You show zone 7a so I guess chilling or freezing on the way home is out of the question. I would still call the place and maybe they would know since you mentioned that others maybe had something similar in the store. It is obviously spreading so unless you can arrest it, I don't know if the plant can live. What about hydrogen peroxide? I use that sometimes on leaves when I am worried about something spreading. I did manage to find a copper sulfate powder here (in Canada) called Bordo powder which might work something like Physan and be more effective too. Keep us posted.

[Mervin]

I had something similar with 3 phals and 1 didn't make it.

Sprayed it with every chemical I know and it didn't help.

Finally I dcided to just removed the affected leaves and the phal bounced back with only one and a half leaves remaining.

Therefore perhaps you should just remove the 'bad' leaves before it spreads to all the leaves which will almost result in it's death.

Good luck !

[calypsoB]

I removed all of the other damaged leaves but this is the last leaf and the damage is closer to the base of the leaf so if I cut it it will essentially be leafless :S It doesn't seem to be spreading as fast as it did on the other leaves though...I wish it would put out another leaf or keiki or something. I am pretty sure it is doomed but it has such healthy roots that it seems so bizarre for it to die.

[quiltergal]

It looks and sounds like it might be erwinia. If that is the case it will spread like wildfire through your collection. Phals are particularly susceptible. I say toss it, or at the very least isolate it from your other plants.

[calypsoB]

YES! I think that is what it is! and of course nothing I can do about it :S

ETA..wait in Europe they use streptomycin.. hmm one plant one antibiotic pill. I am not going to spray but since it is going to die anyway if I do nothing I might as well try.

[silken]

I also just read a post on here or another forum recently about using an antibiotic ointment that people get for their skin. It might be hard to get a prescription from your doctor for your orchid but maybe Polysporin would work. It's not too expensive and worth a try.

[calypsoB]

You know I though I might get oranges thrown at me for posting that! Glad to know I am not alone! Actually I have been pretty sick in the last year so I do have some *mycin left that I haven't taken back to the pharmacy so I made a paste of it and put it on the spot. I will keep you posted on if it works