White spots and rotting on Cymbidium?

[HentaTenta]

Hello, just registered and making my post right away, I'm sorry for not checking the forum for existing threads regarding this situation.
I've bought a cymbidium a year and a half ago. It had a spike and it bloomed already.
A month or more ago I started to see these white spots on some leaves coming from one particular pseudo bulb. Now these spots climb higher and spread out to adjacent leaves. Photos are attached.
Also, some of the youngest leaves on a different pseudo bulb are very light colored, are thin, have problems going upright and are yellowing starting at the tops.

What am I dealing with?

I was planning to split the plant in two, should I transplant the bulb that has the white spots? Should I transfer the dead, dried pseudo bulbs as well?

Thank you very much.

[WhiteRabbit]

I can't be certain, but it looks like those spots might be mealy bugs. Look closely at them - mealy bugs often look fuzzy.

[SFLguy]

I would say it looks like the Hawaiian snow scale (or whatever it's called)

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

It's an insect infestation. You must treat it rapidly or they will kill the plant rapidly. You need to isolate this plant away from other plants, too, or it may spread to them.

Use the Search function in the top maroon menu bar to search on Cymbidium and Scale.

Cymbidiums don't do well unless you keep at least 3 or 4 pseudobulbs together when you divide. Don't divide plants going into winter. They have a hard enough time without that trauma. Insect-infested plants don't root well and don't grow well.

[HentaTenta]

Thank you VERY much for your answers.
So I looked into scale, and people are advising two types of treatment; using either rubbing alcohol or bathing the plant in soapy water.
Any particular preferences?

I won't be dividing the flower yet, however, since it's getting tight in its pot, I want to at least repot it. Can I do it now or should I wait until the scale problem is resolved?

Once again, thank you for your help, ladies and gents.

Stanislav

[WhiteRabbit]

For scale, I have cleaned plants well with rubbing alcohol a few times. I spray well, one leaf at a time, wipe well with a paper towel.

[HentaTenta]

Hello again, dear members.
I have to "revive" this thread once again, since the same plant is causing problems.

So the scale situation is somewhat under control; it keeps coming back every once in a while, but not like the infestation I had originally. By checking the plant every 2-3 days, if there are any,I clean the appearing scale with alcohol swabs, but it DOES come back.

I did repot the plant in October 2016, and after that the plant seemed to be stunned; nothing was growing, I had a new small bulb growing since September, and it kind of stayed the same size. Someone advised me to stop watering the plant so the root system would be stimulated to grow.
I did not water the plant for one month, which in my opinion, DID help - I have some visible roots that appeared on the surface, and even got what seems to be a new spike (see attached photos). The young bulb is growing as well, albeit extremely slowly.

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.
However, the soil mix in cymb seemed to still be moist after 2 weeks, so should I water less frequently?
Another problem, after I start to water the cymb, I have these black spots appear, more and more lately, on the leaves (see rest of the photos). Before, they were only close to the base, but after the last time I watered the cymb, almost 3 weeks ago, there are a whole bunch of spots that appeared on the leaves, closer to the tips. All affected leaves grow from the same bulb.

-So what is happening, and what should I do?
-How often should I be watering my cymb?
-Is there another, more permanent way to fight the scale?

Please help.

[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.

[Orchid Whisperer]

two subjects here.

Pests: You either need to use a systemic insecticide, or plan on dabbing the plant with alcohol every 2 or 3 days while it slowly declines. In the USA, i would use imidacloprid or acephate. Ask around at garden centers and see what _SYSTEMIC_ pesticides are available to you. Isolate the plant or your other orchids and houseplants will soon be infested.

Watering. IMO, once every 2 weeks is not nearly enough. Frequency should be closer to a thorough drench twice a week.

I also agree with the opinion not to divide your plant. Minimum 4 pseudobulbs per division when dividing. Also, most people only divide when wanting to propagate a plant to share or sell - you shouldn't do either until the insect infestation is completely GONE for 2+ months.