Maybe not crown rot??

[musicts]

Looked with a magnifying glass... still saw nothing. Will pick up some brown listerine tomorrow just incase.

[musicts]

And there don't look to be any holes in the leaves... they are shrivelling and breaking off from the crown.

[musicts]

Well, another week has passed. It hasn't lost any more leaves. There are two that are a little "patchy", but that hasn't spread at all, and the third is as yet untouched. I don't see any new roots or leaves yet, but so far it doesn't seem much worse for wear. I've been misting it (avoiding the crown) each morning, and have kept a small fan on it for a couple hours each day for air circulation. It doesn't hurt that the weather this week has been warm and dry! I'm planning on a light watering tomorrow, with maybe a very weak fertilizer. Would this be ok? Should I water from the top, or let it sit in water?

	Mistking Looking for a misting system? Look no further. Automated misting systems from MistKing are used by multitude of plant enthusiasts and are perfect for Orchids. Systems feature run dry pumps, ZipDrip valve, adjustable black nozzles, per second control! Automatically mist one growing shelf or a greenhouse full of Orchids. See MistKing testimonials

[Wynn Dee13]

You can water how you want. The main thing is you don't want to get water in the crown or leaf axils. If you do make sure you dry it out with a paper towel. I usually get a little water on the leaves and I just dry them off when I'm done. I water from the top but again it is up to you.

[musicts]

So do you think it's ok to water now? Monday I'm going to Europe for ten days, and my mother is going to be coming in to take care of things. I need to make sure that I have very clear instructions left for her, particularly for this plant that has special needs. Is there anything else that should be done? I have it put in a North facing room (mostly because in the event it's something contagious, it's in a separate room from my other plants) and have kept the humidity around 50%. Is there anything else?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I recommend changing your habits just a little...

If you're really going to mist the leaves, misting them on the top is not going to really do too much for them.

Mist them from the bottom. The reason is that the plant's stomata (their pores) are underneath the leaves, not on top. These stomata are the ones that can absorb moisture. They can also absorb nutrients.

This link shows you what they look like. It is the stomata of a Phal's petals. Petals are really just modified leaves, just in case you're wondering if I truly understand plant anatomy by showing you this:

Orchid petal, SEM

	Mistking Looking for a misting system? Look no further. Automated misting systems from MistKing are used by multitude of plant enthusiasts and are perfect for Orchids. Systems feature run dry pumps, ZipDrip valve, adjustable black nozzles, per second control! Automatically mist one growing shelf or a greenhouse full of Orchids. See MistKing testimonials

[musicts]

Ok, sounds good. How do you prevent the water from getting into the crown then?

[james mickelso]

Water can get into the crowns but can't stay there for more than a couple hours at most. Bacteria/fungus start to proliferate to fast for the plant to fight off. So I just dab outhe water with a napkin on the larger plants and blow out the water on the smaller plants. And the warmer the air the less problems with rot in the crowns. Also the more air movement the less problems dvelope with rot. If you are going away for an extended time, put a deep planter base (dish) under the plant filled with water to increase the humidity around the plant. Don't let the pot sit in the water. Place something under the pot to lift it clear of the surface of the water. Philip is right on with the info on how to mist the undersides of the leaves. Plants with damaged or non-existant root systems can be kept alive for a long time by watering and feeding the undersides of the leaves. Enough time for the plant to rehabilitate and grow roots systems again.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Plants with damaged or non-existant root systems can be kept alive for a long time by watering and feeding the undersides of the leaves. Enough time for the plant to rehabilitate and grow roots systems again.

I've kept a rootless paph alive for 14 months that way. Unfortunately it's still rootless... but that's another problem... it's still alive which means I can keep trying to get it to root.

[musicts]

Ok, I'll fill a dish with water, then stand the plant on another dish clear of the water. So, you spray it with water that has fertilizer in it?