My Problem Child

[HighSeas]

I have a sick little guy that fooled me for some time (obviously). He actually had two beautiful blooms in April or May...much to my amazement. He's Rlc. Joy Sokabe 'Shining' and yesterday thankfully....I completely knocked him right out of his pot. Well...not completely....but enough to know that he wasn't anchored in very well.

I figured that since he was all squirreled up in the pot, I'd just yank him out and have a look-see at his parts.

It wasn't pretty....Weird too because he has a new lead growing and another on it's way. (Plus, like I said, he bloomed nicely in April-May)


DSC00369 by Ephesis, on Flickr


DSC00368 by Ephesis, on Flickr

Pretty sad stuff here...

DSC00367 by Ephesis, on Flickr


DSC00366 by Ephesis, on Flickr


DSC00365 by Ephesis, on Flickr


DSC00364 by Ephesis, on Flickr


DSC00363 by Ephesis, on Flickr

I noticed this rusty colored area several months ago. It's firm...not mushy. No smell. Looked through the medium and found zero buglets of any kind.

photo by Ephesis, on Flickr

I'm thinking fungal...bacterial. I need an Orchid Pathologist for this one! Thanks for your help!

[WhiteRabbit]

Just care for it and roots will come with new growth.

I have seen a similar colored area on one if mine. Never got any worse...

[HighSeas]

Thanks! I hope so...I really don't want to loose him. So...I cut off all the dead stuff and soaked him in Physan 20 for 15 minutes. Let him dry out. Rinsed him off and soaked his hiney in KLN for a good bit. Rinsed him off again....and popped him in a two gallon zip lock bag with a bit of Sphagnum. It's very warm here in Florida....so I clothes- pinned him out on the patio. (In the shade) He's had a long day....

Condensation has developed in the bag which should help keep him hydrated until he grows some new footing.

But what about airflow? Mold? Fungus? I've never done this before so I'm concerned about that. I guess it's a touch and go game. It either pulls him through or doesn't.

Anyone been successful with this procedure?

[james mickelso]

Yes. I have had success with this method but this orchid doesn't need the help. It will do just fine by just potting it up in new media. That new lead is feeding on the energy stored in the old back bulbs. It doesn't need any help from a fungicide. Just pot it in a good medium bark mix. The problem started with you watering it too much. That is what killed most of the older roots. There look to be plenty of new roots there feeding what looks to be the back two bbulbs. There are also at least two potential buds hanging around waiting to grow. The brown discoloration is of no concern. Just old tissue being depleted of starch. The photosynthesizing tissue is dying but isn't an issue. Why folks drown their orchids in all these chemicals is beyond me. Get a nice small pot, preferably a clay pot with a nice large hole in the bottom of it. An orchid plant clip. Some good medium bark mix. A little kelp extract if you think it's necessary. Clip the plant into the pot and add the media. Don't pot it too deep but preferably on top the surface of the media. These aren't terrestrial plants which need their roots in the soil. They grow on top the bark, tree limb, rock, ect.. If those latent buds can see some light on their photosynthesizing skin they will start to grow. Water and then let the poor thing dry out. Then water again. The new lead will get roots when it is anywhere from half mature to after it flowers. It depends on the lineage. More than half my catts get roots after they flower. The roots won't grow by anything extra you can do aside from watering it occasionally. The roots, and the latent buds, grow from the stored starches and sugars held in the old back bulbs. Warmth and moisture are all they need to get going. The bag method will just rot the new growth and the existing roots. Just pot this and let it grow. The only item on this orchid of any real consequence is that new lead. None of the other parts of this orchid are that important. Get this to grow, out in the fresh Florida air and sunshine. Good luck. Well that isn't really needed. Just give it normal cattleya culture and it will do just fine. Guaranteed.

---------- Post added at 12:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:05 AM ----------

Also the act of flowering for an orchid is very stressful or should I say energy draining. The flowering lead or pbulb draws energy from all the bbulbs and since these don't need roots anymore those roots can die with no consequence to the leading part of the plant. In perfect conditions, a nice warm moist, airy greenhouse setting the bbulb roots can keep going for quite awhile but in our settings that usually isn't the case. All that brown dead decaying material you see at the back end of this rizome is normal. That material is dying of old age and the normal aerobic bacteria is feasting slowly on the carcass. It is noting to worry about. The only problem here was too much moisture at the wrong time. Catts rest after they bloom. They don't do much even while we see new growth. They like to rest and yet we water them like heck. The new growth we see isn't growing new roots and therefore doesn't need to be drowned and all that brown/black material doesn't need physan 20 or anything else.

[SHag42]

Hey HighSeas

Hope your little guy gets to feeling better soon. And I am sure he will with all the tlc you are giving him.
Keep us posted.

[HighSeas]

Hi James! I didn't actually overwater him. All this rain "Mommy Nature" sent to Florida did! If anything at all, I'm an "underwaterer"! I finally pulled all my guys inside because I figured they would drown if I didn't.

I'll try putting him in that small pot with some good home made mix....and a bag over his head!

I don't mind, so much, putting the antifungals on my guys. I figure it doesn't hurt them but CAN help them. Otherwise, I loose the plant to some kind of tissue rot if I wait too long.

You should know however, that I'm an old Surgical ICU nurse....so I tend to lean towards the aggressive side in treatment. It's always worked for me...so that's a characteristic I can't shake!

Thanks Shag! I will keep you posted!

[james mickelso]

The chems seldom hurt anything. It's all the soaking and scrubbing and ..... I've just seen too many orchids killed by trying to save them. And wow did you folks have rain this season so far. I'm an old meteorologist from the Navy and still follow weather closely (ok I'm obsessed with weather and science). I'm amazed that any of you survived the onslaught. Maybe those using basket culture came out ok but those of you who grow in pots....wow. Ray here has some really good root stuff. I just bought some more. It works pretty well. maybe talk with him and get some.

[WhiteRabbit]

I agree that just potting this in the smallest pot possible and caring for it as usual should be fine.