Epidendrum stamfordianum with spots and dying leaves

[bngns]

I have a young Epidendrum stamfordianum which has deteriorated since I repotted it about a month ago. Leaves gained small black spots on their underside and yellowed slightly all over. In the last couple of days one leaf has become very spotted and is entirely yellow.

I am new to orchids but my guess would be bacterial brown spot. It would be good to have a second opinion, and advice on what to do.

As both leaves on one stem are definitely affected, do I remove the whole stem down to the rhizome? There are spots on the end of a leaf on the only other stem and they have lost some of their vibrancy too. Should I be giving up and discarding the whole plant? It is putting out a new root with some vigour.

[silken]

Is that the only growth? It's hard to say but the pot looks way to big if it is and the roots may not be drying out properly or quickly enough. Was it growing new roots when you did the repot? Many bifoliate Cattleyas do not like being re-potted at any other time than when new roots have just started. It can set them back or kill them.

I would cut off that most yellow leaf. If you have a fungicide/bactericide spray you could spray it but not the roots as I find it can set the plant back to do the roots with Physan. That is just my personal experience. You could try using some seaweed when you water as it works well to stimulate new root growths, especially on Cattleya type plants. Other than that I guess it is a wait and see. A picture of the entire plant and pot would be helpful. These should be allowed to dry before being watered again. Using a bamboo kebab skewer inserted into the media and left there, then checked before watering can help you decide if it is dry enough to water.

[bngns]

Thanks for the response. It had just started to grow a new root when I repotted it.

The pot is an 8 cm pot, which was the next size I had from the 5 cm pot it came in. The roots had reached the edges of the 5 cm pot (but it wasn't bursting out of it).

I think I have the watering under control since repotting, but may have been over-watering for about a month prior to that. It's in medium Orchiata and watered normally every seven days. When I repotted it I was surprised how damp it was at the centre of the fine mix it arrived in.

I've cut off the yellowest leaf and sprayed the plant with Bayer "Fungus Fighter Plus". The leaf was quite brown at its base where I cut it.

I attach a photo of the whole plant as well as one of the underside of the yellowest leaf taken three weeks ago when it first showed signs of disease (I probably should have asked then, eh?).

Thanks for your advice - extremely helpful.

[silken]

So were here lots of other healthy roots as you say they had spread to the edges of the pot? The pot still looks big but if the roots are filling the pot fairly well, then that's fine. Rather than water on schedule every 7 days, water it when it has completely dried thru to the bottom and centre. Otherwise the roots could rot.

[bngns]

My memory is of roots that seemed quite woody but had growing ends. I don't know if woody is normal.

I could put it back into a smaller pot (and inspect the roots in the process), but perhaps leaving it alone is the best idea.

Sorry I wasn't clear, I meant I water when it dries through (tested with a skewer), which tends to be about every seven days.

Thanks - all this is very helpful.

[silken]

I would just leave it as is if it is drying out well between watering. Newly potted orchids hate to be disturbed. Usually healthy roots are white and turn green when wet. They are firm but I wouldn't say woody. some can be brownish coloured but again not usually woody at all. If they are hollow or soft and mushy they are dead, otherwise viable. I think you just need to wait and see now. Hoepfully it will adjust and throw out a new growth.

[bngns]

Thanks! I'll see what happens.