Mystery orchid has brown spots!!! Please help! - Orchid Board

PrognatusAfera · #1 10-18-2012, 10:23 AM

Hey everyone, I could really use some help, please! I won a mystery orchid (I think a Cattleya?) in a raffle at a recent orchid society meeting, and it was the last one left on the table, as it has spots. I've brought it home and kept it apart from the rest of my plants, and watched it for a few days to see if I could see a multiplication of spots or not, but I can't really tell, and nothing seems to be changing, besides that the spots really bother me. They're little dark spots (I think little craters) on the leaves and on some of the pseudobulbs. One of the pseudobulbs appears to be brownish purple, too, and I don't know if this is normal or not, or if it is related to the spots.
I've posted some pictures--does anyone know what's going on with this plant? Or what I should be doing about it, besides keeping it from contacting the rest of my collection?

PrognatusAfera · #2 10-18-2012, 10:29 AM

I did look at some other threads on spots, but I thought I was safest posting pictures of my specific situation, in case I misdiagnose--sorry if this particular issue has already shown up somewhere!

Bill U. · #3 10-18-2012, 10:55 AM

I am not an expert, however, I would say that this plant is either having or has had a problem with scales- sometimes they will produce damage that looks somewhat like this. As for the pseudobulb turning that color, I am not sure if that is a problem with the roots or insect related, but I would say that is not normal for any orchid that I have seen.

As far as I can tell, this does not seem to be an active infestation. However, I can see that the leaf tips are being burnt and not very happy at all.

I would try to get this guy some good bright light and give him lots of water (allowing some drying out to occur of course to prevent root rot) and increase the humidity. I say all of this because your pseudobulbs appear to be wrinkling- an indicator of not enough water....

Hopefully others will be along who will be able to give you some other advice as well! Good luck!

PrognatusAfera · #4 10-18-2012, 11:17 AM

Thank you for all the advice!! This plant has only been with me for a few days, honestly--I recognized the wrinkling and the burns and have arranged for him to get plenty of misting and good, indirect light. He was the only one left on the raffle table--for good reason, obviously--and I bet the only reason he was on there to begin with was because someone had decided they couldn't give him what he needed. (I was actually pretty pissed off when I saw the condition he was in--poor thing had obviously been through a good deal of abuse before I claimed him!)

As for the pseudobulb--I've checked the roots and I've checked for critters of any kind, and found only healthy roots and an absence of pests. I have noooo idea what's going on there--wish I knew!!!

If it was scales, there is no longer any trace of them, so it's just the damage I'm looking at then? Is there anything I should be doing now, if previous scale issues are really the case? I'll continue watching this plant and make sure there are no more spots showing up.

Thanks again!

Bill U. · #5 10-18-2012, 12:05 PM

I agree that I would've been quite upset if that was the plant that I received from a raffle!

With the pseudobulb- I don't really have much of an idea what is going there either, then! It may be a small possibility that with all of the stress that this poor guy went through with his previous owner, that it has decided to "kill off" that bulb to try and concentrate the majority of its energy in trying to survive. I have read about catts that will "cannibalize" their older pseudobulbs to use that energy for new growth. (Phals do it as well but with their older leaves at the base of the plant.)

If you have not found any sign of critters currently in your foliage or root system, I would say that you are probably just seeing the damage that has been wrought in the past. I have not seen any instances in which damage from these pests gets "repaired" in the leaves. For good measure, I would heavily mist the exposed growing media (what you can see from the top- not drenching it all the way through) and then wipe the entire thing top and bottom with 70% isopropyl alchol (available just about anywhere that has a pharmacy/first aid section for relatively cheap) once every 4 days for 1-1.5 week(s). The alcohol will dissolve their outer shells and made them dry out= bye bye nasties

Definitely keep an eye out for more spots appearing because then it will mean that you have an active infestation which will require more aggressive treatment.

Any time! This is why we are a part of OrchidBoard- to connect and share helpful information with others

PrognatusAfera · #6 10-18-2012, 12:16 PM

You know though, I'm glad at least whoever it was brought the plant to the meeting to be claimed by someone else who might take care of it, rather than just throwing it away. I think I can get this plant back to happy, with some effort. (I hope anyway!) I only paid $5 worth for raffle tickets, so, especially if I can get this guy back to healthy, I'm pretty okay with it. (He'll be one of the biggest plants I have then!! ...most of my collection consists of seedlings.) I was just upset that someone managed to do such a triple-threat bit of damage to the plant in the first place (burning, drying, and pests?!), and then put it on the raffle prize table instead of just offering him up to a caring home for rehab.
Ah well. More orchids for me.

And good practice at rehab.

I'll see if that bulb continues to change colors--or should I just chop it off now in case it's something that could spread to the rest of the plant?

And I'll definitely start that alcohol-process today, thanks! I haven't dealt with this kind of thing before.

I've only been a member for a few days, but I have to say, I <3 OrchidBoard!!

Thanks!

silken · #7 10-18-2012, 12:30 PM

This looks more like an oncidium than a cattleya to me without seeing the entire plant. The leaves look too long and floppy for most cattleya types and spotting is quite common on many of the oncidiums. I wouldn't recommend misting it for that reason. Scale can look similar but are little raised brown or white bumps rather than sunken and can be very nasty to eradicate. Since they are sunken, its likely not that but I always isolate a new plant for a few months anyways and keep a real close eye on it. As for the dark pseudobulb. It could be over-exposure to light but it could also be rot setting in. Check if it is soft and mushy or is it firm and is there any other purple pigmentation anywhere else on the plant? Some red and purple blooming ones can show pigmentation in leaves and PB's. If it is soft and mushy, remove it quickly up to and slightly beyond good green healthy tissue as rot can spread very fast. Otherwise I would just keep an eye on it-or if it is an older bulb, remove it to be safe.

I would also check the condition of the potting media. If it appears old, consider re-potting it. I always like to know the condition of the roots anyways. But if it looks fairly good, I would consider waiting till a new growth has new roots starting. I see some good roots there in the picture.

If you cut off the dark growth, treat the open wound with some cinnamon powder or garden sulfur, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide-whatever you have to disinfect and help seal off the cut. If you have some Physan or anti fungal I would spray the plant or wipe down the leaves with it. Even regular old brown Listerine can help if you have nothing else.

PrognatusAfera · #8 10-18-2012, 12:47 PM

Thanks for your reply, silken!

Actually, you're right--it very well could be an oncidium!! I'm relatively new and rather inexperienced with orchids, and this guy came with no label/background, so I kinda just took a guess.

I have felt at the pseudobulb a few times, and it has remained very hard, definitely no noticeable mushiness before or now. First thing I had thought was rot, seeing the darkening, but yeah, it's stiff and I found no rot in the roots when I checked it. (I'm the same way you are--I always check roots first thing with a new plant; media was in great shape and roots are pretty decent.) I've gotten new roots within the few days I've had it with me, too (probably the ones visible in the picture).

I might just remove the purple bulb to be safe--it is old, and it seems to be in the worst shape. It has new roots growing directly from it though... AGH DECISIONS!

I do have some anti-fungal, so maybe I'll wipe the whole plant down with it and continue watching to see what happens (regardless of whether I keep the bulb or not).

At least I've got roots! Something positive to keep my spirits up about this plant...

silken · #9 10-18-2012, 12:53 PM

If that dark bulb is producing new roots I wouldn't be in too much hurry to remove it. Strange as old bulbs don't normally grow new roots. It is up to the new growths to do that. If it can grow roots there is live tissue so it may still be healthy. Use the alcohol as discussed with Bill U but don't get it on roots as it could dessicate them. Just keep an eye on it for a while. I have some pretty ratty looking oncidiums with spots and yet others look spotless and lovely so I really think it is just inherent in some of them.

PrognatusAfera · #10 10-18-2012, 12:56 PM

Okay, sounds good. Yea, I was surprised when I saw the roots, because the bulb itself looks kinda miserable, but hey! if that's what it wants, I guess that's what it'll get.

Thank you! I'll post again if I get any changes; maybe eventually I'll get to post on the ID? forum if I get a bloom!