White spots and rotting on Cymbidium?

[estación seca]

Plants with scale don't root well after division. Get rid of it completely before you split it.

[HentaTenta]

Alright alright, just to clarify something:
- I did NOT split the plant; I repotted it, and if I remember correctly, I threw out one or two old pseudobulbs that were strongly smelling of rot.
- I will see what my local Home Depot/ Reno Depot can sell me as a systemic pesticide for scale.
- So I guess I'll start watering my cymb once a week.

What about those black spots that I showed on the photos? Caused by scale as well?

[estación seca]

I think the black spots were caused by scale down inside the developing shoot. Each spot represents where one insect attached to the leaf.

[Cym Ladye]

I fully agree with the use of the systemic. I use Bayer Mite and Insect Control. If you cannot find it locally, it is available on line. through Amazon. Bayer Advanced 701285 3-in-1 Insect Disease and Mite Control Concentrate, 32-Ounce. Another systemic product is Spectracide 95829 Triazicide Once and Done! Insect Killer, 32-Ounce Concentrate. There are smaller sized in spray bottles also.''

Where are you keeping your Cyms? The black markings usually indicate a fungal problem.

[bil]

Hit it with Imacloporid, two doses two weeks apart and wet the medium well with the solution as some of those pests hide in there.

Alcohol wipes are fine, but they take time and you have to be religious or it will come back over and over and over again.

[HentaTenta]

Originally Posted by Cym Ladye

I fully agree with the use of the systemic. I use Bayer Mite and Insect Control. If you cannot find it locally, it is available on line. through Amazon. Bayer Advanced 701285 3-in-1 Insect Disease and Mite Control Concentrate, 32-Ounce. Another systemic product is Spectracide 95829 Triazicide Once and Done! Insect Killer, 32-Ounce Concentrate. There are smaller sized in spray bottles also.''

Where are you keeping your Cyms? The black markings usually indicate a fungal problem.

I keep it in a separate room, indirect sunlight, humidity around 30-40%, ~20-22 °C.

Local reno depot had nothing as a SYSTEMIC pesticide, had to get a topical one, in a spray bottle. Says it's against mites, scale, etc.
Will see what will happen.
Thank you for the product names, will check amazon or pest control stores if the spray won't be effective.

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by HentaTenta

I water my cymb, and my other 4 orchids (phals), every two weeks; for example, water on saturday, then give them fertilizer (25/10/10 or 15/30/15,depending if flowering or not) two days later. Is this method OK?
My phals seem to do just great, growing roots/leaves/budding/flowering like crazy.

You've gotten some great feedback on the insect issue. Follow it closely. Whether it's scale or mealy bugs, you're in a battle. Evil things.

I'm not sure about your watering schedule, and it concerns me. You don't say how your Phals are potted; if they're in sphagnum potted in clear, thin plastic pots then two weeks could work. However, you can't put orchids on a watering schedule, you have to follow each individual plant's schedule. Two plants may look identical but need watering at different intervals. Phals like their roots to get plenty of air circulation, and for the media they are in to get just to dry before the next watering. Too little water and they may seem quite happy for a while, but the stress will eventually cause issues. Too much water and you can cause root rot because the roots, always wet, can't get any air. That four plants would all be just at the point of ready for watering on the same day, time after time, is kind of unlikely.

There are two good ways to judge when a particular pot is ready for watering. While you get used to it, the best way to start would be the skewer method, where you use a fresh (never reused) skewer - I use wood cooking skewers - sticking it well into the pot and leaving it for a good 10 minutes. If you can detect moisture on the skewer when you pull it out, don't water the plant. As you do this, pay attention to the weight of the pot. You'll be able to learn the second method, which is weight. Pay attention to how the heft feels when almost dry as compared to completely dry. Once you learn this method you'll be able to stop buying cooking skewers.

It's also unnecessary to wait a couple of days between watering and fertilizing, and it probably bothers the roots to get that second hit of liquid while they're just getting some air. There are constant discussions about three different fertilizing methods (I'm simplifying, so please forgive me Ray): the first says water first then fertilize just a short while later; the second says fertilize first then water just a short time later; the third says simply use a weak dilution of fertilizer at most waterings, and occasionally skip fertilizer and flush the pot with plain water. Pick the one that makes most sense to you and try it out.

[HentaTenta]

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

I'm not sure about your watering schedule, and it concerns me.

Hey there, thanx for the reply.
Two Phals are in clear plastic, two in opaque plastic pots (will use clear pots when will repot them).
All of them in a bark/sphagnum/perlite mix.
Regarding the fertilizer, I was applying fertilizer after watering because it was written to never fertilize a dry plant. But yeah, I'll start giving water, then fertilizing on the same day. Not EVERY day that I will be watering, of course.

I will start checking the orchids more often. I based my watering schedule on the fact that that's how I was watering my very first Phal ever since I got it more than six years ago; I figured if it was working and doing wonders to that one, all the other ones would be OK as well. I'll be more attentive.

[Dollythehun]

This sounds infrequent until you consider the medium. I often buy IKEA phals, which are in the same type of mix. It sometimes takes them weeks to dry out. They do fine with infrequent watering and when I repot into bark, the roots look good. Go figure.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

This sounds infrequent until you consider the medium. I often buy IKEA phals, which are in the same type of mix. It sometimes takes them weeks to dry out. They do fine with infrequent watering and when I repot into bark, the roots look good. Go figure.

Bark is the way to go. In coarse bark with no fines, you can't go wrong, can't over over water and don't have to repot nearly so often.

As for fertiliser, it's probably the least important element of orchid keeping. The easiest, simplest and most natural way is to water with very weak fertiliser at every watering. Because it is so weak, there is no danger of salt burn

My philosophy with orchids is very simple. Keep it as close to natural as possible. Potting epiphytes in media is for our convenience, not theirs, and the denser the medium too more you are pushing them out of their comfort zone. Once out of the comfort zone, they are more prone to fungal and bacterial attacks.

Don't believe me? Google images of wild orchids growing on branches etc, and they hardly even have a bit of moss there, let alone water retaing medium.