Coelogyne brachyptera with Yellowing Leaves

[websherpa]

About a year back I received a Coelogyne brachyptera in seemingly good health, light green leaves and pseudobulbs, but I don't have any experience with these (although I do have successful growing & flowering culture with Vandas, particularly small ones like Neofinetias, Phals, Miltonia Xenia (just spiking again - DON'T bug me about the crinkly leaves, I am only just learning it needs lots of water, lol).

The leaves have slowly, progressively started to yellow and brown. Starting with brown tips an dthen brown spotting down to pseudobulbs. There has never been any new bulb growth (and one node appears either dormant or dead).



I repotted in a mix of bark, sphagnum, charcoal and perlite shortly after receiving and at the time root system seemed healthy and no rot.

It has about the same place and culture as my Miltonia, room temperatures 17 - 26C, about 45% Humidity, Norht facing Window with artificial lights (combo LED plus 50/50 Daylight + Grolight flourescents at the moment) about 1500fc for 12 hours (although I had recently moved it to a less bright spot).

I generally give it 50% Rain Mix (i.e. 1 scoop for 4l) flush weekly or when starting to dry out. (I always flush feed all of my orchids.) I supplement every month with a seaweed nutrient plus microorganism/probiotic (which has pushed my growth from "ho hum" to "wow, I can actually take care of and bloom orchids!"

It's roots that I can see near surface appear healthy and green. And some slow growth to the outer edge of it's translucent pot.




I am hoping for some potential advice from a Coelyogene enthusiast to help me deliver resuscitation as this orchid is giving me all the signs of a slow death in progress. Sigh, it has never bloomed in my care.

Any ideas? (Thank you in advance!)

---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 AM ----------

I should mention that the tip browning started many months ago, which I attributed to excess light and had since moved it, but browning has been slowly progressive since then.

[Roberta]

If the roots are good and the pseudobulbs firm, you may just be seeing a "force of nature" - Many, if not most, of my Coelogynes tend to lose leaves. In the good mix that you have provided, new growth is very likely to begin, bringing new leaves (and with luck, flowers) Be patient!

[websherpa]

Originally Posted by Roberta

If the roots are good and the pseudobulbs firm, you may just be seeing a "force of nature" - Many, if not most, of my Coelogynes tend to lose leaves. In the good mix that you have provided, new growth is very likely to begin, bringing new leaves (and with luck, flowers) Be patient!

Thank you. Patient I can be, it's only been 7 months (I received it mail order from a greenhouse in British Columbia that I patronize) and I "think" I have seen the existing pseuobulbs' new "buds" whither (I don't recall what those are called). Pseudobulbs ARE firm and roots seem tight to media and green.

It was looking a lot better in December / January (but DID have some minor yellowing and brown spotting at that time too.:

With all my other orchids I generally see the onset of healthy roots followed by leaves or pseudobulbs and then flower spiking (with green leaf/pseudobulb growth being evident fairly early on). So this one has me worried about either culture or infection since it "feels" like a slow death to me.

Some of the brown spotting has the appearance of insect attack (i.e. small dark brown spot, with yellow ring growing slowly - exceedingly slowly - around it).

Let's say I get impatient and do a quick root check and see that central roots are also starting to diminish / rot. I do have Physan 20, but is it worth the risk, or should I just wait longer?

---------- Post added at 12:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:18 PM ----------

Actually, while I am here, I should also be asking about a more or less "ideal" indoor artificial culture and medium that I might aspire to for them (Coelogyne), that may be different from my more successful orchids.

Thank you!

[Roberta]

If recently repotted, let it do its thing. It's the new growth that you want to be watching for. Someone more expert will have to say whether you might have been over-fertilizing (orchids don't need much),

[websherpa]

Originally Posted by Roberta

If recently repotted, let it do its thing. It's the new growth that you want to be watching for. Someone more expert will have to say whether you might have been over-fertilizing (orchids don't need much),

Thanks Roberta. It was repotted upon arrival in December. All other orchids received at same time were repotted, each in its own style media according to research and culture sheets. All except this one have done remarkably well.

I use a very, very low 50% dose of the actual Arkene Rain Mix from Europe. I flush thoroughly with each weekly feeding (I may need to go to twice weekly feeding / flush). Basically I repeatedly douse plant, scoop flow through and re-douse for a bit until media is wet, and then renew the bath for the next orchid (unless they are very small pots, then I do a couple at the same time).

Once I started that flush method, reducing Rain Mix by 50% concentration (in RO Water), my roots stopped burning (mostly) and growth took a leap. Then I introduced monthly low doses of a seaweed extract supplement and a fermented beneficial bacteria innoculant, ala Ray Barkalow (but not his exact product due to troubles sourcing, although we have traded emails) and since then my all orchids have taken off! Except this one.