Growing Past the Dead Point!!

[RosieC]

At least the rest of the plant will be OK. I have one with three leaves which are only just connected to the plant, I'm always one to save the leaf if possible, but if it's completely off then no, nothing you can do

[lornaheath]

Oh sob sob. I am so disappointed.

I don't know how or why but this Keiki hasn't made it.

It was soooo healthy looking and now it's going to die. When that Big Leaf fell off, I really believed I hadn't knocked it. Now I know I didn't.

Look at the rest of it!

It has gone yellow and is dying at the crown.

The roots still look Fab, but the leaves have had it.

I don't understand why.

It's such a shame. I thought I had done really well.

Within a couple of days of potting this, it felt very steady in the pot as tho it had really bedded in and had got a grip and now in just a few days it is dying before my eyes.

This other leaf just parted company today and the whole thing seems to have rotted.

I know I can't save this, it is going too fast, but can anyone tell me what went wrong with it? I wouldn't like to get this far again and lose another in the future.

It's such a shame. I was very proud of this little one.

Lorna
x x x

[james mickelso]

My guess is that it stayed too wet. A lot of us don't understand that phals don't need to be kept wet. The more aeration the better. There looks to be some black rot on the leaf.

[lornaheath]

James, that black stain just appeared from nowhere.

If you look back to 22 September, just a week ago, this plant looked perfectly healthy. That's why it has come as such a shock to see this change as soon as I cut it away from the main plant.

It's horrible!

No chance of it getting better now is there?

Lorna
x x x

[Island Girl]

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Lorna! That's heartbreaking when that happens There are some ailments that move VERY quickly through a plant, and can oftentimes move on to other plants that were closeby, and kill those off as well. Keep your eyes open! And, try to sanitize everything that was in the vicinity of this guy. I'm so sorry Lornie... I've had this happen to me too, so don't get too discouraged!!

I would've guessed crown rot, but I dunno.. Black rot, or Erwinia... Definitely has to do with being kept too wet... & can probably be spread thru water droplets. And no, I don't think it can be saved, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion). I would keep it very far away from all your others, just in case it is something that could spread... Sorry to say, but the trash can would be the best place for this guy... It will keep your other orchids safe that way... clean/sanitize the surfaces all around where this guy was... (& spray something on the nearby plants as a preventative measure, such as Phyton 27 - it's a copper based spray... **Just avoid your Dendrobiums (I remember you have at least one?) with any kind of copper-based spray** ...not sure what you have available there... Maybe ask another UK-based member?) So you can kill off any bacteria/fungus that is lingering, waiting to strike another orchid.

This site is an excellent source for identifying orchid ailments, it shows pictures, and tells you how to prevent them, and how to treat them. If you can, I'd suggest bookmarking this link.... It is a good resource to have on hand: http://www.houstonorchidsociety.org/...ySueBottom.pdf

There's a couple tables in the PDF link above, showing all the bactericides/fungicides, (as well as a chart of different pesticides & what they kill) & which to use for what disease... In the PDF file above, it's near impossible to read these charts, so I've included the direct links to the charts below: (sorry to say, I don't have a clue as to what is available over there in the UK, but maybe you can search for similar products with the chemical names (they're under the brand names, on the charts))

Fungicides/Bactericides Chart:
http://www.staugorchidsociety.org/PD...idDiseases.pdf

Pesticides Chart: (not that you need it in this case, but it doesn't hurt to add it, so that if at any point, you do need it, you will have it! )
http://www.staugorchidsociety.org/PD...rchidPests.pdf

[RosieC]

Oh so sorry

I don't know the cause, coming out of nowhere like that, unless it's just down to going from relatively dry roots in the air to potted roots and not being used to that

[Nanuca]

So sorry about your little one! It looked so healthy and now it's gone. It must have been some sort of pathogen that spread really quickly. By the looks of the leaves -kind of watery - I would guess it is bacterial, but I cannot tell for sure. Anyway, it seems that these pathogens lurk around very closely just waiting for the right conditions (in this case high humidity) to strike. I have become some sort of an orchid killer myself lately. I've recently lost one miniphal due to overwatering and now one of my dendrobiums is about to pass away. I am pretty sure it's not just overwatering. So I decided to take a closer look into this pathogen subject. It keeps intriguing me how an apparently healthy plant can just die off in a matter of days. And seeing your pictures makes me think that maybe I should mount my keikis instead of potting them.

[Corsetière]

Oh no! That's so sad! Disease acts so quickly in these little guys that you bare have a chance to realize something is wrong with them. I've been watching my keikis like a hawk because I have such lousy luck with phals. I was able to catch some mold on the surface of the cane but I definitely was holding my breath for a while!

I'm sorry yours is sick. I think this situation calls for ordering yourself a new orchid.

---------- Post added at 11:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:04 AM ----------

[QUOTE=Nanuca;615782 And seeing your pictures makes me think that maybe I should mount my keikis instead of potting them.[/QUOTE]

I am having good luck with my keikis by using a lot of PrimeAgra on the bottom of the pot ( a plastic highball cup with cut drainage holes) and maybe an inch of relatively coarse bark on top. I had been having a lot of issues with root rot on Phals and this seems to provide excellent drainage. My keikis are twins and now are producing a third basal keiki, so they seem to be doing well...so far!

Oh, also - I did set it on a seedling heating mat as well. Something to consider...

[Nanuca]

Originally Posted by Corsetière

I am having good luck with my keikis by using a lot of PrimeAgra on the bottom of the pot ( a plastic highball cup with cut drainage holes) and maybe an inch of relatively coarse bark on top. I had been having a lot of issues with root rot on Phals and this seems to provide excellent drainage. My keikis are twins and now are producing a third basal keiki, so they seem to be doing well...so far!

Oh, also - I did set it on a seedling heating mat as well. Something to consider...

Thanks a lot for the tips, Corsetiere! I have quite a big bunch of keikies that need potting so your advice is very much welcomed. I have never used a heating mat. Have you got a picture to show?