Cymbidium falling buds and yellow leave - Orchid Board

master_xelis · #1 01-15-2014, 01:26 AM

A month ago I bought a Cymbidium with a flower spike with some buds. Some days ago I noticed that a bug was eating the flower spike and it was damaged because of it.
Today in the morning I noticed that two of its leaves were going yellow with dark spots and two of the buds of the spike were in the ground. They falled down!
Here where I live (Mexico) temperature has been low (about 14° C in the day and 6° C in the night with constant raining), with the exception of the last week, in which there was a heater temperature. That is the reason I haven't watered the Cymbidium since I bought it (yesterday night it rained).
It has been in a place with shadow since it was the way it was where I bought it.
Can you help me in order to not to lose the blooming?
Who knows the reason of the change of the color of the leaves?
Photos are below:

Cymbidium falling buds and yellow leave-ndsc_0576-jpg

Cymbidium falling buds and yellow leave-ndsc_0577-jpg

Cymbidium falling buds and yellow leave-ndsc_0578-jpg

Cymbidium falling buds and yellow leave-ndsc_0579-jpg

Cymbidium falling buds and yellow leave-ndsc_0580-jpg

Cymbidium falling buds and yellow leave-ndsc_0581-jpg

WhiteRabbit · #2 01-15-2014, 02:29 PM

Looks like that's an older growth losing leaves, so may be normal.

A month without water is probably too long - Cyms like moist potting mix.

Cym Ladye · #3 01-16-2014, 12:50 PM

Rain water should be adequate at these temperatures (41F to 57F) if you have had a good soaking, but Cyms. can take higher light at these temperatures. The loss of leaves is often usual when the environment changes. Avoid freezing temps.

You have serious snail damage to the flower spike with the resultant breaking off of the buds. If your plant is on the ground outside, it will become an easy target for slugs and snails. Use slug/snail bait around the plant to deal with these and put the plant on a raised surface if it isn't already.

Cym Ladye

master_xelis · #4 01-16-2014, 02:37 PM

Hi Cym Ladye! Thanks for your advices. Do you think blooming can be compromised because of the damage to the buds and to the spike?

Cym Ladye · #5 01-17-2014, 01:31 PM

Yes and no. The flowers should open, however, if the snail nibbled enough of a flower, it will show as defects when the flower opens, usually along the edges of the sepals. It may have missed some flowers and they should open more normally. Depending on how far through the stem it nibbled, the stem may break at that point.

A good reason to bait for these critters BEFORE you see the damage. I bait all year long to catch all their generations.

CL