My orchid is dying please help!

[jjan]

My newly acquired orchids doesn't look happy
They were fine 3 weeks ago when I got them but now they are showing signs of sickness, just wanted to make sure its not virus
Please help!

[MrHappyRotter]

It doesn't look like a viral infection. It kind of reminds me of sunburn and subsequently a secondary infection set in. Were the plants close to a window or under a skylight where they might've gotten intense beams of light for a period of time?

Can you describe your growing conditions? Looking at the photos without a bit of knowledge makes it hard to figure out what's going on.

[jjan]

Thanks a lot for your prompt reply.
the plant was sitting on the west facing window among all the other orchids. All other orchids are fine except these two.
I temporarily move them to east facing window where the sunlight is not that strong.

When I got the plants they were packed in orchid mix consists of bark, moss, charcoal and some other mushy dry stuff. roots were packed but most of them were dry.

I reported them in hydro balls and water them once a week.

I live in Toronto

please let me know if you need any other information.

[silken]

That was my thought too-sunburn and the white dots, some fungal or bacterial infection. What other orchids did you have in the west window? Phals don't like a lot of direct light. If the leaves feel warm to the touch, it is too much.

You could treat the leaves with something like Physan if you have it. Otherwise possibly wipe them down with some hydrogen peroxide of brown Listerine. If they get wet or soggy I would try and remove the bad parts with a sterile blade and put cinnamon on the cut ends of the leaf to seal and disinfect them.

[WhiteRabbit]

Could be that the afternoon sun was too much/too hot from what they were used to.
I have burned/cooked new plants a few times by putting them in the west facing window in summer. They will become acclimated if they start there in cooler weather.

[jjan]

Thanks for your replies guys,
one more thing the roots are kinda dying on me is it because they do not like clay pebbles or its just I am not treating them well.

I had another orchid regular phal...its taking out new roots and already put out a flower spike within 3-4 months of repotting it into the clay pebbles.

I want to ask one more thing on this form I read S/H ...what does that mean?

[silken]

Quite often the orchid has to adjust to a new medium so its a good idea to not make too drastic of a change all at once. It's existing roots will be developed for what it was in before so the best time to move them is just when they start putting out new roots so that the new ones can grow into the new media and support the plant.

S/H means semi/hydroponic. There is a section for that on Orchid Board. People pot their orchids in Leca pellets (other media can be used). The containers have the drainage holes part way up the side so that there are several inches of water and the Leca pellets wick the moisture up to the roots. It's impossible to over water that way. But again, it is best to move them over when new roots have just started. Old roots usually don't like it and die off. I'm sure growers who use S/H can explain better then I can.

You might want to try and find some seaweed (kelp) and use that when watering your plants that have root problems. This will help initiate root growth. It can usually be found at hydroponics stores.

[jjan]

Thanks for your kind reply and advice.

I think I made a huge mistake by putting them in pure Hyrdo ball aka leca.

I will try the S/H on one of my healthy orhcids and see how that works.

some more questions...

how long does it take for an orchid to get use to the new medium?

Is there a specific time period in which we can experiment that. like would it be safe when the orchid is putting out new spike or should I do it when the flowers are wiltting.

Any help is this regard will be highly appriciated.

[silken]

Originally Posted by jjan

Thanks for your kind reply and advice.

I think I made a huge mistake by putting them in pure Hyrdo ball aka leca.

I will try the S/H on one of my healthy orhcids and see how that works.

some more questions...

how long does it take for an orchid to get use to the new medium?

Is there a specific time period in which we can experiment that. like would it be safe when the orchid is putting out new spike or should I do it when the flowers are wiltting.

Any help is this regard will be highly appriciated.

I can't really say how long it takes to adapt. It depends on the health of the orchid and how drastic of a change it is undergoing. Some say the cellular growth of its roots are adapted to its environment which is why new roots need to develop and grow into a different environment. But if you try and give it the same amount of moisture and air that it had in the old media, that might help. Or mixing in some moss or bark will make it a partial change and easier to adapt to.
It sounds like the key now is to get it growing some new roots. The kelp can work wonders for some orchids so worth looking Into. Do not over use it or use it continually tho. It contains growth hormones so following directions on the package are important.

I don't recommend moving to new media when a spike is developing. At that point, the plant is concentrating on growing its spike, not roots. Some buds can blast if you upset the plant to much when n bud. After blooming is finished, the plant will usually return to a growth mode and that would be a better time to repot it.

[Bobits]

Jjan. Just wanted to day hello from an orchid friend in Oakville :-)