Crown rot? - Orchid Board

Jenn4a · #1 02-10-2015, 03:41 PM

I don't remember getting any water near the top leaf, but the leaf has been slowly dying. **Went to yellow to brown in the last month, so not that quickly. And it started at the very tip first. I'm not sure if it's bacterial; I dropped some peroxide into the top and didn't hear bubbling, but a weird smell developed? I used alcohol the other day, but doesn't seem to have helped.

It didn't feel wet, but it wasn't crispy either. It's soft.
Whatever it may be, what should I do? Pull the new leaf out? I don't want to cut off any good healthy leaves, but it looks like the brown tissue is pretty far down into the crown.

Sorry for the questions! It doesn't seem like a typical crown rot scenario, so I'm not quite sure what to do. It might have been happening before I bought it but didn't realize what was happening. I never leave water in the crown.

Leafmite · #2 02-10-2015, 05:42 PM

Gently remove the sick leaf and then pour isopropyl alcohol in the center. If it is just the leaf and not the crown, you should get a new leaf in a timely (Phals grow slowly so it could be a while) manner.
I usually treat it for a few days. If the crown is destroyed, you might get a new growth from the bottom (sort of like your Paphs). Good luck!

Jenn4a · #3 02-10-2015, 06:26 PM

All right, thanks! I'll see how far it goes down.
I'll take photos to make sure I'm doing it correctly.

I thought it would be better to use peroxide? I also have copper fungicide spray if that's beneficial?

Jenn4a · #4 02-10-2015, 07:07 PM

I don't think I got all of it out? The pic is not the best, but it looks gray or brown inside still.. It's hard for me to see inside, so getting a pic was even harder :/.
To get anymore out, I'll have to make an incision down the leaf (axis), and then use a tweezer to remove more.
Do I need to get anymore out? I'm sorry for the questions! TIA!!

Here's what I noticed:
**The leaf smells. But it doesn't smell sour... It kind of smells sweet? Maybe I'm crazy.
**The parts of the dead leaf that did come out have a white deposit on it. Mineral Build up? Mealies? There are some sunken spots on old leaves where it looks like the leaf had pests.

Leafmite · #5 02-10-2015, 07:10 PM

You don't need to get it all out if you use the alcohol (you don't want to massacre the orchid). I have never used anything but alcohol on my orchids so I don't know what works best.

Jenn4a · #6 02-10-2015, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

You don't need to get it all out if you use the alcohol (you don't want to massacre the orchid). I have never used anything but alcohol on my orchids so I don't know what works best.

Thank you so much!
I've been limiting my questions on many "issues" and they've usually resolved themselves or I figured out what to do. This is an instance I wasn't prepared for though. Thanks again!

This time I'm letting the alcohol sit in the top for awhile. (It can't drain out) I'm thinking that I'll use a paper towel to remove the excess soon though. Too long will damage the plant too..

I did make a boo-boo with this phal.

he was in some old sphag, and I moved him into a bark mix. The bark mix is so bad at retaining ANY water that I could probably water a Cattleya in that bark every other day! (Lesson learned) .. He's going back to mostly sphag with some bark and LECA, and I'll keep a container for him to water him from below.

**If anyone thinks it would be beneficial, I can do a gen. Cleary's soak. I won't unless I should though

WhiteRabbit · #7 02-10-2015, 09:09 PM

Make sure to have the plant sideways, so the water left behind from the alcohol doesn't cause further problems.

Hydrogen-peroxide 3% (the usual, on the shelf in the US concentration) shouldn't cause any harm - but as with the alcohol, becomes just water fairly quickly, so you need to make sure it is drained/dried from the crown.

wintergirl · #8 02-10-2015, 09:09 PM

I treated some crown rot by just using powered cinnamon right on the bad areas x1, carefully not getting it on other parts of the plant. It worked for me.

NYCorchidman · #9 02-11-2015, 05:33 PM

Pour hydrogen peroxide and that should kill off whatever's sitting on the surface.

But, if the rot is already further deep in the crown, then nothing will help.

You don't have to have water in the crown to have a crown rot. They just happen.

Jenn4a · #10 02-12-2015, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

Pour hydrogen peroxide and that should kill off whatever's sitting on the surface.

But, if the rot is already further deep in the crown, then nothing will help.

You don't have to have water in the crown to have a crown rot. They just happen.

What's the best way to tell if the rot is further down? It's a pretty tight "pocket" so I can barely see in there.