What the heck?? Pic heavy...

[Mervin]

Human medication use for phals, very interesting to see the results !

Anyway mine popped a leaves very quickly after the plant was left with one. Survival instinct maybe......

[Becca]

I had the same problem with a phal that had crown rot that I was able to stop. I think it must be some type of bacterial infection. It hasn't lost the leaves and I just let them be and it hasn't spread any and it has seemed to stop. It has been this way for at least 4 months and has the most amazing roots and continues to put out big fat roots. Hope your phal makes it, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that mine will put out a keiki or something since the crown rot will keep it from growing.

[calypsoB]

So after the antibiotic treatment the spot has not progressed. It actually looks like it has dried up the watery portion. It looks different than it did before and on the other leaves. I don't want to sound too hopeful but I think it may be working.

[BikerDoc5968]

Sorry I didn't see this thread sooner. Terri is correct. Your plant has/had Erwinea. I know this because, as some of you know, it almost completely destroyed my Phal collection this past summer. I guess it's a day late and a dollar short but Streptomycin is available commercially (Ag Streptomycin). Erwinea and other gram negative bacteria affect many different fruit and grain crops so commercial growers use it. If you do a search, you will find it. It will work better and much easier than the ointment based Polymyxin B/Neosporin first aid stuff because you really have to spray EVERYTHING. Almost any water soluble gram negative antibiotic will work such as Ciprofloxacin. I tried Phytan 27, and Physan 20 but didn't really change things.

[calypsoB]

Thanks for the info! Luckily the antibiotics I put on it is the one your recommended! So there is hope! Should I disolve a tablet and spray the whole plant? So far I have only been putting paste on the affected area.
That is really unfortunate about your phals though! Did any recover for you?

[BikerDoc5968]

By "tablet" I assume you mean Ciprofloxacin or do you have Streptomycin? And yes, dissolve in water and spray the whole plant.

I lost at least 12 to 15 plants and have maybe a dozen more with crown rot. I'm going to hold them til summer when they should begin vegetative growth and see if they produce any basal keikis. If not, they are toast because, in time, they will die. Many are spiking so there is the chance I could apply keiki paste and get lucky with a new baby.

[calypsoB]

Wow! You lost more than I own! So far the anti's are working. It has not spread and roots are still growing. I am continuing the treatment as I think a new spot is creeping up. Very small and separate from the other area. This time I am doing as you recommended and spraying the whole leaf.
I have to say finding out what it was has been a tremendous help to trying to make it better! Thanks all!I will keep posting the progress for others

[calypsoB]

So it has been a couple of weeks and the erwinia spot has stopped growing and appears to be done whatever it does. The other black spot that started grew a little bit along the spine of the leave but has also stopped. The leaf damage appears to be minimal. The leaf overall is a dark green (maybe too dark) but firm. The roots are continuing to grow. There is no new leafs as of yet, but I think it will need more light and temp differences to start this process. Unfortunately I can't give it this yet as I still have it in quarantine. I feel like the antibiotics were a success and in future I won't hesitate to use them.