Sunburn/Virus/Dreaded Lurgy?? - Orchid Board

Linnie · #1 03-06-2007, 02:06 PM

Hey folks,

The last few days I have noticed problems with my Oncididum Shary Baby and my Everglade Gold Cymbidium. You can see in the pix that the leaves have turned yellow and have brown/black markings at the end.

The Shary Baby is the second pix and the leaf in question gradually turned a greyish brown and fell off when I touched it yesterday. I did have this very close to the window and CF bulb., with the end of the leaves sometimes touching the light shade.

The Everglades gold has multiple worries. The tips have turned brown/yellowish. Several of the leaves are half yellow and the other half is fine. Other leaves are in good condition plus a new growth is almost 5 inches now and no sign of a problem(cross my fingers)

The first photo is a miltassia (i think) and it has some of the same problems with the leaves turning yellow and the tips turning brown.

I've been reading all of my books and have questions rather this is sunburn or maybe too much fertilizer or too little or who knows?? But it depresses me. The only orchids exhibiting these problems are the oncidicums. My cats and dens look fine..

How long does it take for sunburn to show up on leaves. I have had them outside on the weekends to water and they have only been inside for about 2 weeks now so they could have got sun back them, or they could have picked up the dreaded lurgy...

oh my.. any ideas or do you all need more pix.
By the way the only things I have been using with the winter is a Seaweed extract some nursery sold me and a bit superthrive and regular county water(that is supposed to be RO)

Thanks for any assistance. If I can just keep these alive until we get into our new room...
Is this sunburn or fungus or virus or my pet name for problems dreaded lurgy, it is at least dreaded

Ross · #2 03-06-2007, 02:26 PM

I'll jump in and say that my belief is the Sharry Baby is safe. A couple things though. You may not be flushing the pot with enough water. The brown ends are many times a sign of fertilizer burn on the roots. I really doubt that leaf got sunburned. I keep mine in a south-facing window supplemented with 3 CF bulbs even when the sun is shining. If a leaf yellows and drops on a back bulb, that is pretty normal (as long as all the leaves or most of the leaves are not dropping!) Don't know on the cymbidium. The miltassia shows signs of excess fertilizer build up in the medium. Be sure and water a little more often by flowing water through the medium for a few minutes to flush out the salts. I believe all three of the spp can take high light - just not full sun. If your window gets full sun use a window screen or flimsy curtain to cut direct sunlight. Let's see what the others say...

Linnie · #3 03-06-2007, 03:15 PM

Thanks Ross. I'm going to hit the send button right away since a few emails I sent when you answered landed in cyberspace and I couldn't find them again, and I don't want to appear ungrateful for any of your help.

I think you might have hit the nail on the head on these. I plead guilty of not flushing my plants out since they have been stuck in these close quarters. It is such a huge hassle to take them outside that i have been misting them instead of taking them to the sink and watering.

On the bright side, my Phal I thought I killed in S/H is ready to bloom. I'll have to take a pix and find that thread and post. There is HOPE afterall..

Thanks,
any ideas any one else has on the cymbidiums or these general burnt ends and yellowing leaves???