Small Brown Indentations/Spots on Paph. Magic Cherry (Infection?)
Hi everyone,
I got my first paphiopedilum (a paph. magic cherry, per the species tag) about a month ago after spending several years focusing mostly on dendrobiums, and I was so excited to see it bloom. All seemed well until I noticed a brown, slightly sunken spot near the tip of of one of the leaves (on the topside of the leaf); over the next several days it seemed to grow and a couple of new small brown spots appeared. Then I noticed some brownish indentations/sunken areas on the bottom side of the leaf. At that point I cut the leaf off as close to the base as I could and sealed the sound with a cinnamon paste. Pictures 1 and 2 show the original spot/the new ones that seemed to spread from it and the brown indentations on the back of this leaf.
All seemed well except for one small brown indentation/pit on the bottom side of the leaf below the one I cut off. I spot treated it with hydrogen peroxide and though (again) that there were no more problems. But today I notices several more small brown pits/indentations on the bottom of that same leaf. Picture 3 is a picture of these.
There is also a pari of lighter-colored spots near the base of another leaf. These seems nearly identical in shape and are mirrored in their position; they don't seem to be growing or changing at all. Could they be related, or are they more likely to be something mechanical (my first thought)? They are in Picture 4.
Do you have any idea what this could be or what could be causing it? What should I do to treat it? Do I need to cut off this leaf, too (which would leave the plant totally lopsided!)? It doesn't seem to quite fit the symptoms or appearance of the bacterial infections that I've been researching, so I've wondered if it is fungal. Alternately, could it be caused by something environmental? I've got the plant near an east window, and I water every 5-6 days. I did spray the plant with hydrogen peroxide yesterday (the day before these new spots appeared).
If it helps, the plant overall seems and looks healthy (see Picture 5 -- I took this after I removed the leaf). There is also some new growth!
I'm about to repot since the flower just dropped, and I'd like to deal with this at the same time. I'm also really hoping to save the plant if I can, so any and all help will be very much appreciated!
I think just repot... take a look at the roots and clean up really bad ones (but be careful... good Paph roots can look bad and break off easily. If you rinse them off, it is easier to see which ones are really rotten and which just dirty) The leaves of old growths (that have bloomed) will eventually let ratty, then brown, then drop off anyway, as the new growth develops.
My Paphs all seem to respond very favorably to repotting. I’d go ahead and repot. I’d stop spraying with hydrogen peroxide, with the bases of the roots above the surface they could be damaged. If the brown spotting is on the older leaves, it may be that the plant is slowly getting ready to drop them. You should see a new growth coming up soon.
Small Brown Indentations/Spots on Paph. Magic Cherry (Infection?)
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