Oncidium/Odontocidium/Oncostele? Catatante leaf tips browning

[snowflake311]

Originally Posted by pezmaker

This has been very slow, and slowly edging down further and it all started at just the tip. it started back in, say, august, and it just keeps slowly working its way down the leaves. on the newest pseudobulb, it's probably half way down the second largest level of leaves, with the ones coming off the tips of the pseudobulbs not doing it at all.

How do you water it? Because any water left on the leaf will cause really bad sunburn Quick. I hope it is only Sunburn because thats no big deal. I Hope someone can give you more info.

[pezmaker]

Originally Posted by snowflake311

How do you water it? Because any water left on the leaf will cause really bad sunburn Quick. I hope it is only Sunburn because thats no big deal. I Hope someone can give you more info.

I set it in a very large bowl that I've perforated the bottom, which sits on top of a 5 gallon bucket. I then run water with a long necked can over just the media which drains through the container, through the bottom of the bowl, and down into the bucket below. Very controlled and never get liquid on the leaves.

[snowflake311]

Originally Posted by pezmaker

I set it in a very large bowl that I've perforated the bottom, which sits on top of a 5 gallon bucket. I then run water with a long necked can over just the media which drains through the container, through the bottom of the bowl, and down into the bucket below. Very controlled and never get liquid on the leaves.

Oh no it sounds like more then sunburn. sorry.

[pezmaker]

Originally Posted by snowflake311

Oh no it sounds like more then sunburn. sorry.

no problem! I'm just thankful for the input. It's still something to think about - but I don't think it's it. I had moved it out of the sun as per someone else's suggestion but it just keeps sneaking down. I'm thinking that the person above (writing on a tablet and I can't remember the username!) that asked about it being near a forced air vent has suspicions it's not enough humidity, but I'm not sure what more I can do than the mini forest and fake ponds I've put together.

[gngrhill]

I really don't think it's sunburn either. I have had sunburn several times and it never looked like you describe. I have a couple of onc. hybrids doing the same kind of thing and also one Paph, and the Paph is never in the sun

[WhiteRabbit]

I was thinking that perhaps warm dry air blowing on the plant might be the cause.

Originally Posted by pezmaker

Nope. Well, kind of. Office environment. I have 12 plants together and lots of open containers of water trying to keep humidity as high as possible.

I see you are in Wisconsin, so probably lots of heat going. It could be also that your attempts to raise humidity aren't being very effective. In very dry air, I don't know that sitting containers of water would have much effect, unless in a small enclosed space. I think I read you've had similar drying foliage on other orchids ? If the plants are otherwise ok, I probably wouldn't worry too much (I live in an often very dry climate, and have had to learn to live with some low humidity leaf tip dry out) - or, try growing then in your home, where the site might be less dry, or at least attempts to increase humidity may be more successful

[pezmaker]

Well, I think I know the issue. I finally got brave and/or "busy body" enough to check what was going on under the bark. Oops. Dry, crispy roots. As in I think they died and then dried out. Reminds me of slightly softer uncooked ramen noodles. I haven't watered in over a month and it's still a little damp in the bark.

Not sure if these pictures help show what I mean.

The pseudobulbs are all still solid and not rotten. It is also putting out a new one, I just noticed.

So right now I've stripped as much bark as I can from the (I presume) dead root mass. Now I'm not sure what to do. Chop the dead roots? That's near as i can tell it's pretty much all of them. Leave them intact but out of bark?

Halp!

[snowflake311]

The plant does not look that bad. Now that you are reporting it I think you will see a big improvement .

Always check the roots . I have to take my new Cym out and check the roots soon.

---------- Post added at 01:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:12 PM ----------

I would soak the plants roots and then see what is really dead. The plant looks ok. Dead roots will be smushy or so crispy they snap easy and break.

If after a good soak you find the roots are hydrated I would repot in a bark sphagnum moss mix and maybe use plastic with extra holes since clay will dry a plant out faster then plastic.

I think the plant will be fine just might take a year to fully recover. In the last photo it looks like new growth. So that's a good thing.

[pezmaker]

Yep, you did indeed see new growth. There are SOME new roots coming out all over too, but I just cannot tell whether the bulk of the mass of roots are alive or not, and what I should do. They still seem like dry ramen. After soaking, they moistened up, but they didn't change color, still the same off white color. The texture isn't firm, it's kind of springy. I can't pull the roots sheeth off the center, but if I give a light pinch, they do compress and don't spring back. So, I'm just not sure. Is it going to harm anything if the roots are dead and I don't remove them? In other words, am I worrying too much and should I just repot as is?

[snowflake311]

They sound like old roots. If they are not rotten just repot it all. New roots grow off of old roots.

How do you plan to repot it? What will you use and what kind of pot?