Help! My Orchid's Leaves Are Falling

[Orchidus]

Hello plant friends,

I hope you can help me because my orchid seems to be very sick at the moment. Until recently, it looked quite healthy, but now its green leaves are suddenly falling off, and the stem (the part where the leaves are attached) looks like it’s rotting? The leaves themselves have some white spots that look like a coating (I suspect these might be pests).

Here are a few details about my orchid:

The roots are mostly still green and firm.
The stem looks as if it’s burned or rotting.
There are white, slightly cottony spots on the leaves (maybe mealybugs?).
The leaves are turning yellow at the base and then just falling off.

My questions for you:

Is the orchid still savable, even though the stem is rotting but the roots are still healthy?
How can I make sure that the white spots (if they are mealybugs) disappear for good?
Do you have any tips on how I can best care for the plant after this treatment so that it can recover?
Is it possible to make a cutting or propagation from the green, healthy roots if all the leaves fall off?

I look forward to your advice and tips!

Thanks in advance! 😊

[rbarata]

I don't think it is salvageable...sorry.
The white spots you mentioned are the ones in the photo, on top of the rotten area? If so, it's just fungus living in dead tissue.
How do you water it? From the top?

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board.

I agree it could be fungus living on already dead tissue. There is also a possibility this could be boisduval scale. In case that's the problem, spray the plant with 70% alcohol (rubbing alcohol), making sure to wet all surfaces of the plant and medium.

It may be crown rot. That happens when water stands in the center of the plant for too long when temperatures are too high or too low, or humidity too high. What are your temperatures and humidity? The bark is dry. It's good to let Phals. get just dry between waterings, and dry the crown after watering if it doesn't evaporate in an hour or so.

In case it is crown rot, put a drop or two of 3% hydrogen peroxide in the crown. Ten minutes later wick it out with a tissue and blow the crown dry with your breath.

You can read more about crown rot at the diseases and pests section of the St Augustine Orchid Society Web site.

Have a look at a thread.. From the left yellow menu choose Forums then Beginners. Near the top is a sticky thread, The Phal. abuse ends here.