Can this dendrobium be saved?

[butterfly_muse]

Evening guys. I got a Dendrobium phal hybrid a few weeks ago for my birthday. It was overpotted in sphag, so I repotted it into some bark/chc/charcoal/perlite. It's my first dendrobium, so I wasn't quite sure what to look for, but as far as I can tell its roots are in good condition.

It was doing well for a couple weeks, however in the last two weeks or so it has begun to yellow its leaves. I recently moved everyone under lights, so I initially thought that it was just unhappy and getting too much light. I moved it back away from the lights in hopes that it would get better.

Instead, the leaves are continuing to yellow and one has fallen off. They are very leathery in texture. The other day when I watered it, a little grey bug with wings was in the medium and didn't seem phased by the water. I thought it was perhaps just a gnat or something, as I have other non-orchid plants in my house and bugs sometimes happen.

Tonight when I inspected it, though, I noticed that there is white fungus (maybe??) growing on the leaves in places, and it looks as though the leaves have split and the fungus is growing in the splits as well as on the surface of the leaves.

I have only been watering the plant when it is completely dry, and the mixture it is in drains quite well, so I don't think it's an overwatering thing. I thought perhaps it was underwatering, but with tonight's observations, I just don't know.

What is this? Can I fix it? Should I just toss this guy out? I have enclosed pictures. Thanks for your help.

[Dendy83]

It may not look too happy, but you never ever know what's going on inside. If the roots looked ok to good, then it has a fighting chance. I'm not too familiar with nobile types, but if it's a den-phal then here's my experience:

I had one where I did everything wrong...it was my learning orchid. It lost every leaf and even the roots looked crummy. I held on to hope though, and I would say 3 months later a brand new cane started growing. Here is what it looked like after my reign of terror:

[IMG] IMG_8797 by Blehri, on Flickr[/IMG]

And here, a few months later I got myself some new growth!

Growth!

Maintain consistency, with lighting and watering. It's probably going to get worse before it gets better, but hang on until there is nothing left...not even good roots before tossing it.

[butterfly_muse]

Mostly I'm worried it's some kind of fungus that is going to eat its way thru. =\ I have some Physan 20 but I haven't mixed any up (the spray bottle is in the dishwasher)...I will spray it.

But I am also worried that it will spread to my other plants. <_<

[WhiteRabbit]

Does anything wipe off? Mold growth will wipe off.

Mostly looks to me like some old foliage dying, but if that grayish area is moldy, there could be other issues.

Are you misting this one? What are the temps, humidity like?

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[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

Does anything wipe off? Mold growth will wipe off.

Mostly looks to me like some old foliage dying, but if that grayish area is moldy, there could be other issues.

Are you misting this one? What are the temps, humidity like?

I have not been misting it, and the temp is ~70-75 during the day (not sure at night bc I am sleeping :P) w/~50% humidity.

---------- Post added at 10:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 PM ----------

Also, I just wiped down those leaves and no, whatever that white stuff on them is did not wipe off. =\

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[NYCorchidman]

hmmm that is strange.
The yellowing leaf on the smallest, the oldest, cane could be just the part of natural aging process, but there are way too many leaves going yellow.

The bugs you described are spring tails which do not harm the plant.

I don't think I see any white mold. Am I supposed to see some in your photos??
Are they not scales or mealy bugs?

[butterfly_muse]

Yes can you see on the oldest, smallest and most yellow leaf the two lines that are grey? And dotted along the edges of the other leaf I photographed is small white spots. The only bug I've seen is just that one I described and the rest of my plants are hunky dory. In fact the beallara that lives next to that dendro is about to bloom. O.o; I can't figure out why this guy is so unhappy.

[butterfly_muse]

I had to cut its spike when its flowers came off and I dotted it with cinnamon. I'm almost wondering if it somehow is affecting and desiccating the whole plant? But that seems so farfetched.

[NYCorchidman]

I just took a closer look and the white stuff is not mold but just a strange way the dying leaf cracked and dried. lol

As long as the roots are fine and there are no bugs, I would give time and see what it does.
I don't see any disease signs at all.

What kind of light are you using and how far away from it is the plant placed?
I doubt the yellowing is caused by light.
They take quite a bit of strong light, I give mine close to full sun by the window only protected by the net curtain. Some are more sensitive than others and would turn slightly yellow, but the way yours are yellowing, it is not the light damage.

I'm interested to see what the plant will eventually do.
Is the growing area too cool?
Low temperature can cause leaves yellowing and drop on these warm growing dendrobiums.

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I just took a closer look and the white stuff is not mold but just a strange way the dying leaf cracked and dried. lol

As long as the roots are fine and there are no bugs, I would give time and see what it does.
I don't see any disease signs at all.

What kind of light are you using and how far away from it is the plant placed?
I doubt the yellowing is caused by light.
They take quite a bit of strong light, I give mine close to full sun by the window only protected by the net curtain. Some are more sensitive than others and would turn slightly yellow, but the way yours are yellowing, it is not the light damage.

I'm interested to see what the plant will eventually do.
Is the growing area too cool?
Low temperature can cause leaves yellowing and drop on these warm growing dendrobiums.

It might be too cool over there. It has been in the 60s during the day and we haven't run the heat. I've had the windows open as well and that corner is by a window. That said there at thermal insulated curtains over there and this particular plant is a good 8 feet or so diagonally from the window.

I've got two of Ray's LEDs that all of my guys are under. This one's top leaves were about 4-5 inches from the light before I moved it back. Now it's off on a corner. Not too far from the light but considerably less is reaching it because of inverse square and all that. I attached a picture... My phone made it sideways though..:/

I'm almost wondering of it's having a hard time adjusting to such a small pot/dry medium after being over potted and in sphag for goodness knows how long. My beallara did that and sulked for quite some time because of the same situation. Maybe if I mist it? Or get it a little heat source? The lights don't put off much heat but right next to the bulb can be toasty. I've noticed my agrometer generally reads about 70-75 in that corner... but maybe I should recalibrate it just to be sure.