Orchid disease? Dark pattern on leaves.

[PaulR79]

I bought an orchid for my mother for Mother's Day (she wanted it) and she's been really happy with it. Unfortunately when we got it we noticed there was a small but very visible pattern on one of the leaves. I know nothing about plants in general but she seemed to think it was just bruised and would clear up. I've looked at it lately and it seems the pattern has spread to all of the leaves now.

I've searched for orchid diseases and such but I haven't seen anything like it. The closest would be isometric circles but as you can see in the images these are neither circles and seem to come from the main part of the plant. I'm more computer literate than my mother so I figured I'd see what I could find out. I'm really hoping this isn't something that will kill the plant as she's very fond of it. If anyone can help by telling me what it is and if it's treatable I'd appreciate it a lot.

[billc]

It kind of looks like it had a slight case of crown rot. You have a new leaf growing and some green growth closer to the crown on the bigger leaves, so I think it's ok now. When you or Mom water try not to get any water into the crown. I you do, blot or blow it out. Try to water early in the day so the leaves have a chance to dry off.

Bill

[PaulR79]

It was in quite a small pot when we got it and that seemed fine but it has since been moved to a larger pot after the leaves started to droop. After that they picked up again and the only issue is this really. I'll pass on the information, thank you.

[Orchidreamer]

I've seen something similar on one of my phals. It was caused by fungus, and I treated it successfully with a fungicide. Make sure to increase air movement and observe the plant carefully. Hopefully the dark patches won't spread. Good luck!

[Bud]

Its crown rot and possibly root rot too...you repotted it using ordinary potting soil instead of Phalaenopsis mix..the plant will die if you do not repot in an orchid media
The pot is too big...use the original smaller pot

[PaulR79]

Originally Posted by Bud

Its crown rot and possibly root rot too...you repotted it using ordinary potting soil instead of Phalaenopsis mix..the plant will die if you do not repot in an orchid media
The pot is too big...use the original smaller pot

It was repotted in soil meant for orchids bought specifically for this job and as I said it was only repotted when my mother thought it necessary and she's pretty good with plants.

Zootrophion, I'll keep that in mind and pass it on to her. Thank you.

In fact thank you to everyone who has replied with information. As I said, I know nothing about plants so I'm just passing on what is said and what I know

[Bud]

please use a large coarse orchid mix to let the roots breathe...looking at your picture it seems like it is in a Cymbidium mix or a seedling mix in fact I thought it was an ordinary potting soil

[Wynn Dee13]

Welcome to OB! Bud is right. Phalaenopsis orchids grow on trees in the wild with their roots exposed to the air. You can't pot them in a fine soil like mix you have it in. It will die from its roots being drowned and rotted. Some brands like Miricle Grow sell an orchid mix that is not suitable for orchids like Phalaenopsis. It is also over potted which will also lead to root rot. You want to put the plant in a well draining pot that just fits the healthy roots. I also think you have some crown rot that maybe has turned into a fungal issue. Like others said make sure you don't let water sit in the leaf axils or the crown of the plant. This will rot the growing point of the plant. Also, growing orchids is a lot different in many areas than other plants. My Mom is a huge plant person and she grows many kinds of plants but if I gave her an orchid and she treated it like one of her other house plants it would be dead in a matter of a week or two. So just because someone is good with other plants doesn't mean they know how to successfully grow an orchid. Good luck and let us know if you have anymore questions. We are here to help!

[The Mutant]

Hmm... I don't mean to alarm you or anything, but it looks like it could be virus - they can look different from plant to plant and I remember seeing pictures posted here with similar patterns to these that were virus. Isolate it and follow the others' suggestions and keep an eye on it. Monitor its growth and if the pattern spreads despite your treatments, and the growing is slow, I would say it probably is a virus.