Cymbidium - Virus??

[smartie2000]

Hey,
I have a Cymbidum Maureen Carter 'Dafon' that used to be a easy bloomer indoors. For around three years it had symptoms of virus, brown dots, streaks and dead tissue all over the leaves so I isolated it. I should also mention that the plant has also suffered from scale and spider mites before, which we didn't use chemicals to control. Do you have pics of pest damage on cymbidium for me to compare?

Just recently all the new growths are normal looking after some attention for the plant this summer. The entire plant looks normal now, so I have no pictures to show of the damage. It never bloomed once all these years probably due to low light from isolation, it was far away from the window. Perhaps it will bloom this year, if blooms can help judge its condition. I just repotted it, but I don't know if it is really a safe plant. No one it the house uses tobacco and the collection wasn't large or cluttered so I don't know where the virus could be from.

Any advice about viruses? Should I just dump it?

- Fren

[Toddybear]

Fren I have a single Cymbidium that sounds like it has the same problems as yours...mine too had mealybugs and mites. My plant used to be quite healthy then went downhill. I assumed virus. After repotting and cleaning it up, my new growth looks fine...so now I'm not so certain it has virus. Often the flowers show symptoms of virus (colour breaks, streaking)....mine never did show any problems with the flowers. I'll try to get some pics today to show you the older leaves...perhaps someone here will recognize if the damage is indeed virus.

[Gin]

The damage is probably from the insects . Here is a link to pictures of virus . Gin

Orchid Virus

[smartie2000]

Todd please do show us your cymbidium. Thanks

Viruses are wierd! According to websites, some plants don't show symptoms at all and some plants don't show symptoms once they are in better cultivation practices. It just makes them like a orchid hobbyist nightmare.

I did have some symptoms that were like the orchid flec virus on that website, but it could have been pest damage for three years?

[Ross]

And some (Oncidiums, in particular) get spots for no real reason other than you sprayed water on their leaves! Go figure!