Thanks for the warm welcome and all the excellent advice!
I'm such a noob that I didn't even know this was a Paph... It was in a discount area of the hardware store and didn't have a tag and one of it's leaves was pretty damaged but it was the most badass looking orchid I've ever seen so I just had to get it without knowing a thing about it. I really wish I'd taken a picture of it before the flower died... But thanks to all your advice I'm now looking forward to snapping a shot of the fan's flower once it eventually graces me with it's presence.
After all your help and after researching several threads in this particular subforum I figured out that I had a couple different issues:
Symptom 1: White powdery infection where the stem of the original plant was cut off (crown rot?) and on the newest leaf of the fan.
Root Cause: Use of non-sterilized tools and/or an organic "worm-poop" spray fertilizer that infected the vulnerable areas of the plant (where it was cut and on the new leaf).
Corrective Action: Use sterile tools when trimming and stop using the spray fertilizer (or at least be very careful where I apply it). Gently swab the white substance off the infected areas and apply Cinnamon to prevent reinfection.
Symptom 2: Soggy, squishy roots.
Root cause: I never repotted the plant after it's initial purchase several months ago. It was potted in Sphagnum and I was over watering it.
Corrective Action: Removed the rotten roots, repotted in fine Orchid bark (Fir) in a small pot and will watch it carefully to make sure the bark is always moist but not wet.
Hopefully my next post about this Paph will be a picture showing how healthy it is.
Thanks!
Hybrid Mode
