Soft and floppy leaves on P. equestris...

[The Mutant]

It has reached the center of the stem... And here's the real sad part - the basal keiki doesn't even have a hint of any roots.

If it's black rot and I'm unlucky I may have used the same water to more of the Phals after dipping this one (I don't think I have, but I'm not sure). Should I treat them all with some fungicide just in case?

Now I feel really down...

Thanks for trying to help anyway!

[camille1585]

needle nose pliers? I've always been afraid of ripping the plant apart that way! Good to know it's fine!

I also found out about H2O2 after the fact, but had a chance to test it once on a Phal with crown rot. I rinsed the crown with it twice a day, and managed to stop the rot. I was surprised it worked so well!

---------- Post added at 10:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:33 PM ----------

Originally Posted by The Mutant

It has reached the center of the stem... And here's the real sad part - the basal keiki doesn't even have a hint of any roots.

If it's black rot and I'm unlucky I may have used the same water to more of the Phals after dipping this one (I don't think I have, but I'm not sure). Should I treat them all with some fungicide just in case?

Now I feel really down...

Thanks for trying to help anyway!

Maybe give it a try anyway. Depending on how that keiki is 'plugged' into the mother's root system, it may live even if she dies.

[The Mutant]

Oh, too late now. I've tossed the entire plant and am preparing to treat all the others with fungicide in case it's black rot and in case I've used the same water to them. I won't lose another one! This means war!

[camille1585]

Usually stem/crown rot is not something that spreads plant to plant very easily. The best prevention is not to get water in the base of the leaves or in the crown, and to have good air circulation in your growing area (by using a small fan)

[The Mutant]

You don't think it's black rot then? Ooooh, please say yes, say yes! Oops, of course I meant that you should say that you don't think it is black rot and nothing else. I think I'm a bit stressed out at the moment.
I don't want to treat the rest of my Phals in vain. I don't think the type of chemicals in the fungicide are good for them...

---------- Post added at 05:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:04 PM ----------

So I'm reading about black rot in the Pest & Disease category and found this thread: http://www.orchidboard.com/community...al-leaves.html

What Brooke says here:

Originally Posted by brooke

This is the same infection which causes crown rot but it starts lower and goes up the stem. If you had the sphag packed to close to the stem this could have created the problem when it stayed wet.

Brooke

...was the case with my P. equestris aurea. After I had removed it from the pot I noticed that there was sphagnum wedged between the roots and the stem. It was almost impossible to remove and since the equestris had been kept too wet already it's no wonder this happened with sphagnum so close to the stem

Does this increase the chances of it not being black rot?.

[camille1585]

Depends what you are calling black rot. If you mean Pythium or Phytophthora caused diseases that start at the base of the plant and in the roots, then no, usually stem/crown rot is something else, and nearly always caused by cultural issues like what you posted.

In my experience, stem/crown rot just doesn't spread very much. Right now my favorite Phal equestris 'dark' has the beginning of stem rot, and alreayd lost a few leaves. It's been ill a few months (very slow progression, and i fight it agressively) and all the other orchids are healthy. I think that the pathogens that cause stem/crown rot are opportunistic, they take advantage of wet crevices in the plant to develop.

---------- Post added at 11:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 PM ----------

That being said, I may be completely wrong!

[The Mutant]

Yes, I meant Pythium or Phytophthora but reading your answer I also believe it might be stem/crown rot because it had been like that for a while and it was so local even on the stem! It was only that area that was affected, below and above the stem was perfectly fine. It was even working on new roots...

Of course you might be wrong (but stem/crown rot seems to fit the bill perfectly) so I'll continue searching the forum for cases of black rot. So far everything points to stem/crown rot though.

I've ordered a P. equestris aurea from you know which place. This is one of the first varieties that I decided to have and I only had it for a week.

[camille1585]

Sucks you didn't get to keep it very long.
To avoid it, on top of the advice I already gave, try to water early in the day so that the plants are dry by nightfall. I also water by soaking the pot to avoid getting plants wet at all.

And that's why Phals grow sideways in nature.....

[The Mutant]

It totally does.
I'm still a bit shocked and sad that I lost it. And I feel silly for feeling sad since it's "only" a Phal, after all. But I'm still sad and I've even got a stomach ache due to the stress I felt when I was convinced it had black rot. Talk about being oversensitive.


I hope the rest of them fare better - they all seem very happy except the two which were severely abused during the re-potting - they'll lose a leaf or two (I'm surprised they where able to keep all of their flowers though).

Thanks for the advice, I'll water them early in the day from now on.

It's great to be here and have support from such knowledgeable people. I use the "dip" method a.k.a. soaking the pot when watering them since I don't want to have crown rot. Great that I lost one anyway but to stem rot! The irony!

[Bud]

I love the needle nosed pliers touch, Chryss...but make sure it is sterilized...
That keiki will survive...it can be separated from the mother its got roots enough to help it survive...

aside from the peroxide the listerine that Camille suggested for the roots is also applicable...its a disenfectant but will also deal with the fungi or bacteria that might be ailing it...

put it in a hanger by the window bareroot for a week
while it is in treatment

then pot it

I like the way you listen to your instincts Therese...your plant will survive