Cymbidium - Browning leaves - Orchid Board

tarajane · #1 01-26-2015, 06:06 AM

Hi all
I never seem to be able to get it right with growing and caring for cymbidiums.

Most times when i divide my orchids the leaves usually brown off and the plant looks dead.

I also purchased some seedling orchids a few weeks ago which i have not touched and these are showing the same signs of the browning leaves that the ones i have divided and repotted.

Photo 1 is a recent division showing the beginning of browning leaves.

Photo 2 is a recently purchased seedling.

Any help or advice as to why this occurs would be much appreciated.

WhiteRabbit · #2 01-26-2015, 08:02 PM

What type of potting media are they in? Do the pots drain? How often do you water?

Links to Cym care / culture here http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ad.php?t=73502

tarajane · #3 01-28-2015, 05:38 AM

the seedling from the orchid breeder are potted in a fine bark mix , my plants that are divided are potted up in a perlite/vermiculite mix. When i water they drain freely.

What else may be causing this problem ?

ollypolly · #4 02-03-2015, 01:37 AM

I had a Cym. that did pretty much the same thing. Looking at your tag in the photo it was from the same place. It was in a charcoal/vermiculite/pine bark mix and it got rained on and died. I have two others from another nursery who are doing fine. They were originally in coco bark now they are in a mix of everything mentioned here and they have taken off, new growth and roots. I was worried about them in the recent rain but they're fine. My Oncidiums on the other hand aren't.

Cym Ladye · #5 02-03-2015, 02:03 PM

By letting water stand in the crown or any orchid, there is a high probability of getting crown rot. This is one of the primary causes of die off in Phals but it can occur in Cyms too.

It appears that the leaves are dying from the base and that is indicative of crown rot. If they had all turned yellow at once, I would suspect another problem stemming from the the bottom of the bulb. Do not blame the seller for this as it appears that the cause was because water staying in the crown was the culprit.

In regard to mix, unless you are growing semi hydroponically, a mix of perlite/vermiculite on their own is generally not sufficient for mature Cyms. The primary ingredient should be of a more substantial type as coco husk or fir bark alone or with perlite added. Ask ten different people on this forum what they use and you will get at least 12 different answers! Research different media and adopt what you feel may work best for you, perhaps with some refinements to fit your own cultural techniques.

ollypolly · #6 02-03-2015, 09:14 PM

Great points Cym Ladye. Is there a reason why it would happen to one and not the others? And does it affect Oncidiums?

I was thinking it might have been an 'accident' with the growers seedlings. I didn't name the grower because I very happy with the other orchid I got from them and am thinking of buying more.

Climate too plays a huge part in the choice of mix I can't use anything too moisture retentive or too free draining as summer is hot and wet and winter is cold and dry.

Cym Ladye · #7 02-04-2015, 12:04 PM

I constantly have to look for crown rot on my seedlings. It most often happens with a lack of air movement and also that some seedlings, particularly those termed 4N, have tighter leaf growths and grow more slowly. This allows the water to stay in the crown too long. Increase your air movement with a fan, it the plants are inside and if necessary, tip the plants and let the water run out after watering or misting. Most plants grow out of it if the plant can send up a new growth. But it may be a genetic problem with that particular plant which continues as each new growth emerges. Another plant of the same cross may not do this.

ollypolly · #8 02-04-2015, 07:46 PM

I've hi-jacked the OPs thread but thanks Cym Ladye I'll be more careful in the future. The surviving Cyms were a bit older so I guess that saved them for me.