All my plants are getting sick

[brighteyez]

i've noticed today that almost all my plants are starting to get sick in different ways. i started a post in the beginners area about one of my phals that is getting these weired spots, appear to start as little bubble things, that then turn into holes in the leaves. I've attached some of the photos i took of the holes and one of a weird looking cut on the base of the plant.

secondly, i just noticed some black stuff on the bottom of a leaf of a den seedling. the last picture is of the den.

i'm really new to growing orchids, so i have no idea what to do and am getting really worried because i don't want whatever this stuff is to kill my plants and spread to the others!!1
please help!!

[Shirley]

Hi Whitley, One of the problems seems to be that something is chewing on your leaves but, since we grow in such vastly different conditions, I can only hazard a guess. Are you growing outdoors? Could it possibly be slugs or snails? For the slugs, you may have to go out after dark and find them with a flashlight. I'll look forward to learning what others have to say. Good luck!

[susiep]

Yes, I agree. Some of those look a lot like snail/slug damage. I would put some snail bait in the pots right away. Some of the others look like damage due to ??? I don't know what, but not necessarily bugs. Good luck and keep us posted!

[unhappykat]

some of the damage like the cattleya leaf looks like its snail or slug related. The nothches in the phal leaves look like they were banged around by being moved too much, if ou like to move you plans a lot I would reccomend you stop and allow them to grow as you can stress them out. The split on the bottom of the phal leaf is fine, it is spliting along the natural separation line between leaf and stem, this can also be caused by physical damamge as well as just a heavy leaf. The holes on you leaf are a bit concerning though, they look like bite marks almost, do you have a cat or dog that might be chewing on them, My cat chews on phals and cattleyas and she leaves many holes like those on the edges of the leaves. If your plants are outside it may be local strays coming around at night and chewing on the leaves, could also be birds landing on the soft leaves and punching holes through them with their feet. Keep us posted.

[AntonD]

I have had similar problems in my warmhouse and after spraying around the floor area with surface spray, discovered some dead cockroaches the following morning, one being around 2" long, a monster !

I routinely spray all around the edges of the warmhouse now.

[Gin]

I do the same as Antone the body count was several dead roaches 1 cricket , it is that time of the year where I am , getting cool the bugs want in for winter . I grow in a greenhouse .
Awhile back I caught a catapiller eating a dend. leaf the damage it left looks a lot like the Phal. leaf in picture number 7 .. Gin

[brighteyez]

Ok, let's see. First of all, I don't grow outside, so I know it's not a stray or birds. Slugs or snails, I have never seen any. Last night I placed some pieces of potato in all of the pots in hopes of catching any that are hiding, but they all came up clean. It could be my cats, although I haven't seen them chewing on them. I usually spray my orchids with some bitter apple spray to keep them away, but obviously I can't keep my eye on them all the time. As for roaches, oh god, I really hope that's not it!!! I'm going to go and buy some roach traps today though, to place around my plants, to be safe.
Does anyone think it could be a fungus or anything like that? I was planning on going and buying some fungicide today to be safe since I don't have any. I'm going to get an insecticide to now.
I'll be sure to let you know if I notice anything else that may be relevant.
Thanks!!

[mayres]

You may have hit on the secret ingredient - CATS. My mother has the exact same problem with her phals - marks JUST LIKE YOURS. We have caught him numerous times - in the act. Looks like you will have to place your plants in a catproof location? Good luck!

[cb977]

Whitely, I don't know what the marks are from but these are the types of things that make me think
I think I'll hit it with some Listerine

[Leisurely]

Roaches are guilty of chewing flower petals and green root tips for the sugary content but I have never known them to chew on the leaves. The general consensus seems to be that you have some kind of varmit eating on your plants. Don't rule out a cricket or katydid. They both chew on leaves the same way grasshoppers do. You can also rule out a grasshopper because they only chew along the edges of a leaf. If you don't have a lot of plants, if I were you, I would sit them in a pan of water up to the rim of the pot. Leave them sit for about fifteen minutes and any creatures that might be hiding in the pot with come to the surface. Good luck with solving your dilemma.