Yellow bumps on Phalaenopsis leaf - Orchid Board

Catarina · #1 09-09-2011, 11:08 AM

Hi,

Yesterday I purchased a nice little phalaenopsis from a big furniture store. In the shop it looked healthy, but later, upon closer investigation I found that it has a really, really bad looking leaf at the bottom, full with yellowish bumps on the top side of the leaf. It also has some very small, limp, yellow leaves underneath.
I hope it is not some viral infection, because I have another very nice pink phalaenopsis in the house... Now I put the new one in another room, far away from the pink orchid, but I would like to figure out what to do with it.
I attached a photo of it.

I am searching the internet, but can not seem to find anything similar. Does anyone have an idea what this might be? What would you do with it? Do you think I should carefully cut the bumpy leaves off?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Ms T · #2 09-09-2011, 12:23 PM

They sound like the older, dead leaves which will naturally yellow and die off. If you haven't already, you can remove them. It's also common for the bottom most leaf, even if it's healthy, to start to yellow and wrinkle as the phal sheds it due to a change in environment. So long as upper leaves don't start to do this, you'll be all right.

camille1585 · #3 09-09-2011, 02:32 PM

The bottom leaves may be normal yellowing, but the rest is certainly not. But unfortunately I don't really know what is causing the bumps and yellowing areas.

Even if it was viral it won't spread to the other orchid just by being next to it, unlike with animals. Virus is spread via sucking insects and sap from an infected plants getting into a wound on a healthy one (ex: pruning with the same tool).

Bud · #4 09-09-2011, 02:46 PM

Not viral. The plant is dehydrated and uses the bottom leaves to sustain it. The texture on the leaves is sunburn. It was neglected in the store. This happens mostly in Home Depot where they dont even discount the plant even if it is almost dying. The reason is: they can always return it to the growers to deal with it.

Merlyn · #5 09-09-2011, 03:40 PM

Yes, the bumpy yellow leaf looks like a case of sunburn.

Home Depot doesn't return bad or dead orchids to the growers. They list it as no sale, get credit from the growers, and TRASH THEM.

camille1585 · #6 09-09-2011, 04:07 PM

Don't know if it's sunburn, it looks nothing like the sunburn I've seen on my Phals. And the Netherlands has hardly had any sun at all in the past week....

Bud · #7 09-09-2011, 04:44 PM

I am sorry, I didnt notice that Catarina is from Hungary. I assumed she was from the USA and had phals from Home Depot, because she said "furniture store".
Catarina, you can go back to that store and ask if they did put it under sun at the glass window...glass and the sun will act as a magnifying and can burn leaves...and ask where the grower of the orchid can be contacted so you can ask them how they grew the plant, its culture and the media and pot in case you need to buy some in the future...I dont know where you can get this in Hungary...so its best to trace the growers.

Bud · #8 09-09-2011, 04:54 PM

the plant also looks dehydrated...soak it for 5 min in water every other day and spritz the plant every morning for a week until the plant perks up...but make sure the crown is dry by dabbing with tissue paper...you dont want the crown to rot.
then ask the growers how they did a regimen of watering and fertilizing in your area...happy growing!

camille1585 · #9 09-09-2011, 05:13 PM

Why trace the growers?

And I believe that she's in the Netherlands, and not hungary. Not that that makes much of a difference, other than it's the country of mass produced orchids!

glengary54 · #10 09-09-2011, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camille1585

Why trace the growers?

And I believe that she's in the Netherlands, and not hungary. Not that that makes much of a difference, other than it's the country of mass produced orchids!

camille -
I can see how Bud would be confused, she says she is from NL but that is a Hungarian flag.

Bud -
The damage on the leaf actually looks like cool weather damage, excess water is absorbed by the roots quicker than it is lost by the leaves, causing swelling of plant cells and producing a blister-like lesion. Occurs when plants watered during warm days and the nights turn cool or during periods of cool weather when water quantity and/or frequency is not reduced. There is no treatment for it and it will not get any worse if the conditions were corrected.

Chryss -
Many of the big box stores do indeed have agreements to return unsold plants to the grower, it is up to the individual store manager if he wants to return them or mark them down and sell them. I have been at Sun Bulb Company many times when return trucks have come in with half dead plants with Home Depot and Lowe's tags on them. They are either nursed back to health and if beyond that they are tossed.