Disease or infection on Oncostele Midnight Magic

[JScott]

I had this plant, it was pretty big, and I loved it. It was growing in two different directions, with the main lead, and then a second lead consisting of to small mature pseudobulbs coming from the back of the plant.

The two biggest pseudobulbs in the middle of the plant started showing signs of disease. Fortunately, I have not have to deal with disease much in my collection, so I have no idea what this is. I have never seen it before. I love this plant, and I didn't know what to do, so I unpotted it and removed the two affected pseudobulbs (there was no brown in the rhizome indicating that it was spreading to the healthy growths), but that left me with a front division of a single mature pseudobulb, and then a tiny back division consisting of two small, seedling sized mature bulbs.

I potted the healthy parts separately, and they have already started to show new growths. And just for the sake of science, I potted the two diseased bulbs and kept them quarantined, and that is starting to show new growth too. Does anybody know what this is? Did I overreact by splitting the plant up? Is there something less invasive I could have done?I panicked and did the first thing I thought of, because I've lost Oncidium type plants very quickly to an aggressive rot that spreads so fast, by the time I notice something is wrong, it's already too late.

I think it's going to be fine. That large front division should recover quickly, and it may even bloom on the next growth or two, and that little back division will give me a cute little plant to trade. I'm not sure what to do with the diseased division that seems to be growing anyway. What do you guys thing? Did i do the right thing, or did I tear apart a plant that didn't need to be torn apart?

[JScott]

Has anybody seen anything like this before? The necrotic tissue on the leaves is like in v-shaped patterns, and the pseudobulbs shriveled some, but they never got soft or started to rot. Just shriveled and a little discolored.

[Ray]

I have seen viruses induce wavy patterns - along the lines of agate - so I would be wary that the zig-zag pattern is another possible effect.

[JScott]

Thank you for the reply. If that's the case, I need to keep even the healthy divisions of the plant quarantined. Or if I ever see this plant for sale again, I'll buy a new one and dispose of the old ones.

[JScott]

I looked all over the internet, and I just couldn't find anything that looks like what I've got going on here. I'm just perplexed.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by JScott

Thank you for the reply. If that's the case, I need to keep even the healthy divisions of the plant quarantined. Or if I ever see this plant for sale again, I'll buy a new one and dispose of the old ones.

I think Ray's on spot. Would keep anything quarantined deriving from it. Perhaps wouldn't even wait that long, other than keeping one "healthy" start, and disposing of the rest.

Personally, I'd have done nothing different other than maybe only keeping one that looked iffy.

---------- Post added at 08:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 PM ----------

Originally Posted by JScott

I looked all over the internet, and I just couldn't find anything that looks like what I've got going on here. I'm just perplexed.

And I spent a lot of time recently attempting to find info on one that looked like the one I had that looked shady. Couldn't find a thing. Had I not gotten it diagnosed by a trusted breeder buddy of mine, it would be in the trash. Now, just quarantined.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I think Ray's on spot. Would keep anything quarantined deriving from it. Perhaps wouldn't even wait that long, other than keeping one "healthy" start, and disposing of the rest.

Personally, I'd have done nothing different other than maybe only keeping one that looked iffy.

---------- Post added at 08:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 PM ----------



And I spent a lot of time recently attempting to find info on one that looked like the one I had that looked shady. Couldn't find a thing. Had I not gotten it diagnosed by a trusted breeder buddy of mine, it would be in the trash. Now, just quarantined.

Yeah, keeping the part that looked diseased probably isn't a great idea, but just in the name of science, I'm curious to see if that part just goes ahead and dies, or if it recovers, or if the new growth that has started will show the same symptoms. I'm a curious person. I jut want to see what happens hahahahahaha But it is far away from my other plants.

[Ray]

If it is a virus, the entire plant is infected.

Plants carry diseases, just like people do, but may not show symptoms until stressed. Given great culture, that division may never show that again, but it's still got the disease.