Is this what I think it is??!?!

[Suzanne17]

This is the orchid that started me on this collecting path. I don't even remember what the blooms looked like...just that they were pink.




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[Suzanne17]

And my phal. deliciosa x chibae has a purple stem and rotten roots. Tossed it and this phal NOID. Now bleaching the pots and tools and debating spraying the whole orchid area with physan 20...but I don't know if that's effective against fusarium.


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[Orchid Whisperer]

If you are thinking this is Fusarium, I don't think the one photo of a purple stem is diagnostic enough to confirm a diagnosis of Fusarium.

Many of my Phals develop purple coloration in the stems and leaves and are perfectly fine.

Here are a few links that include pictures or descriptions of Fusarium; read and judge for yourself. I hope it all works out!

This link is in German but Google translates it. Follow the series of photos, starting from healthy plants through a series of infected plants: Fusarium orkide Note the black lesions on the basal parts of the leaves which sheath the stem.

This is a link to a pdf on orchid diseases by Sue Bottom: http://www.phelpsfarm.com/OrchidPestsandDiseases.pdf scroll down to information on diagnosis of fusarium (Obviously for a Phal, there is no rhizome to cut through, rely on waht is happening with the leaves).

This abstract explains in technical terms the symptoms you may see in one form of the disease: SHEATH AND ROOT ROT OF PHALAENOPSIS CAUSED BY FUSARIUM SOLANI

[Suzanne17]

Well, the leaves were familiar. I've been struggling to recover this plant and the deliciosa x chibae for a couple of months. Both of them had wilting leaves but the NOID was the one with the yellowing and black crown (under the medium). It fizzed like crazy with hydrogen peroxide. So I was sure it was fusarium but when I cut the stem to look for the purple band it wasn't there. However the deliciosa had the purple band, though faint. But its leaves never yellowed.


So...I guess I'm not completely positive but the plants are being tossed anyway (obviously since I cut them).


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[Suzanne17]

Thanks for the links, btw. I've seen the Sue Bottom one but not so large.

I do have lots of other phals with the purple colors in the leaves that like you said are nothing to worry about- this bright fuschia is different than that, but I guess I will never know for sure unless I send a sample off for testing.


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