Clowesia Rebecca northen very sick :( - Orchid Board

JennS · #1 09-24-2010, 11:08 PM

I tried posting I pests and diseases but unfortunately this fungus or mold is still progressing.

My clowesia still had a couple leaves on the newest growth and was getting watered still. I am not sure if I kept watering too long or what. This white stuff that looks like a mold keeps appearing on the pbulbs. I have had to remove all but two because it starts to rot them and then spread. I am at a loss here. Any advice on keeping this plant from dying completely would be very appreciated.

Currently one of the two pbulbs had some of the rot and I removed it, sprayed with listerine and then covered the wound with cinnamon. I also unpotted it, sprayed the roots with listerine and left it bare root. I also brought it indoors to dry hard since it is rainy and muggy outside here.

I have physan 20 and was afraid to use it since the pbulb is wounded. Can anyone advise me on if using it would be harmful. I soaked a sick Catt in it overnight let it dry hard an then soaked again and it seems to have worked. I had another piece of that Catt though so I am at the end of the line experimenting with the clowesia.

JennS · #2 09-25-2010, 10:39 PM

I got some pictures so if anyone has any even tiny thought as to what this might be it would be great. At this point I am mentally prepared to lose the plant, but I am still fighting for it.

Here is the link to the filckr page I set up for this awful fungus/mold :
Welcome to Flickr!

kavanaru · #3 09-26-2010, 04:15 AM

Jennifer, I am really sorryfor your Clowesia. It has fungal rot, and at least the PB shown in the photo, is not to be saved anymore. Ifyou still have some PBs without rotting, soak them in Physan or much better in a sistemic fungicide solution. Cinnamon is good as a preventive when you cut a plant, but it will not heal a fungal infection alreday started and in asuch advance state as this one.

I would suggest you unpot your plant, clean up roots, cut off all infected parts, before soaking the rest.

good luck!

kavanaru · #4 09-26-2010, 04:36 AM

oops.. the post went out twice... have just deleted it..

JennS · #5 09-26-2010, 06:02 AM

Thanks for the advice. Will soak the remaining two bulbs in physan in the am (or a couple hours). One of the two left had a small infected part, and has been cut away. Any chance of saving this bulb or is it a goner? Is it best to split these two apart so one doesn't affect the other?

kavanaru · #6 09-26-2010, 06:31 AM

Catasetinae are quite sensible to rot infection, however they can tolerate a lot of mecanical damage (sometimes better than other orchids!). give it a try, I a m sure the plant will recover

but it can be that it will need one or two years, before itcan bloom again, depending of how damaged the plant was..

Lars Kurth · #7 09-26-2010, 08:07 AM

I agree with Kavanaru: the white mold is most likely the fruiting body of the fungus. Given the purple tissue and mouldy fruiting body I would assume this is a fungus of the Fusarium family. I have not seen this on orchids myself, but the picture looks typical for Fusarium affecting cacti.

I would soak the remainder of the plant in an appropriate fungicide. Make sure that only good green tissue remains on the plant.

I would isolate the plant and spray the rest of your orchids with a systemic fungicide or Physan.

JennS · #8 09-26-2010, 08:53 PM

Thanks for the helpful advice. I have isolated this orchid and will treat the rest. Do you think this should be the start of the rest cycle now or should it get watered a bit more? I am thinking since it got this infection it is probably best to start the rest cycle, but I have been doing something wrong the past couple years since it keeps getting sick. Thanks again!!!

Lars Kurth · #9 09-27-2010, 05:16 AM

Keep it dry: at least until all the wounds have healed. From what you said, all of this years growth has been affected. If that is the case: I would not water until new shoots appear (keeping the usual rules in mind). You may even decide not to pot up the plant again, until you know you have managed the rot successfully.

kavanaru · #10 09-27-2010, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lars Kurth

Keep it dry: at least until all the wounds have healed. From what you said, all of this years growth has been affected. If that is the case: I would not water until new shoots appear (keeping the usual rules in mind). You may even decide not to put up the plant again, until you know you have managed the rot successfully.

I agree