Dracula Psittacina black spots - Orchid Board

Manu · #1 07-18-2016, 08:26 AM

Hello everyone

I purchased 2 Dracula orchids from Ecuagenera a few months ago at our local show here in Montreal. Both plants sit a few cm apart and get the exact same treatment, however the Psittacina has a bunch of black and brown spots on the leaves, attached pictures. Other then that it seems to be doing fine and has a bunch of new growths...

When I got it it didn't have any spots apart from black tips on a few leaves which I cut off when I potted it. I water them every few days and never let it go dry. I use regular tap water even though I know it's not ideal (the Bella gets the same treatment and has no issues) with very low fertilizer about once or twice a month. They get misted daily unless I'm away at the cottage...

The spots look like what I have on my Colmanara or Oncidiums which I know is normal for them but never heard of such issues with Draculas...

So I'm wondering what those spots are (fungus, burn, etc), the cause and the solution??

Oh and btw, the new growths do not have any of those marks.

Thanks in advance
Emmanuel

estación seca · #2 07-19-2016, 12:08 AM

It looks to me like small scratches left over from being packed and shipped. That's why the new growth doesn't have it.

I don't grow these, but I've read they're fairly picky about water. Do you know the quality of your tap water?

Manu · #3 07-19-2016, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by estación seca

It looks to me like small scratches left over from being packed and shipped. That's why the new growth doesn't have it.

I don't grow these, but I've read they're fairly picky about water. Do you know the quality of your tap water?

Our tap water here is on the Soft side and as per my pool test strips perfectly balanced (pH alkalinity) right out of the faucet for a swimming pool not sure if that's good for these guys. There shouldn't be any chlorine left but I let the water sit for a bit before using it anyway. I could collect some RW however the area here is full of construction, it's super dusty and I'm in an urban centre I figured it must be polluted to a certain extent... is there another alternative? Also the dracula bellina right next to it gets the same water and shows no such signs. It seems to have gotten a lot worst in the past weeks and was fine for the past few months.

Could this be caused by something else then the water it self?

estación seca · #4 07-19-2016, 01:01 AM

I don't know what is causing the spots. If mechanical damage it would have showed up within the first week. I think poor water could be a cause, but fungus infection is also a possibility. Let us hope somebody who grows Draculas answers.

The main concern with the water is dissolved mineral content. This is written as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and measured in parts per million. I think Draculas need water very low in dissolved minerals. You should be able to find a water quality report online at your water utility that gives this number. I don't know what is acceptable to Draculas, but cloud forest plants in general need it very low, say below 50 parts per million.

Manu · #5 07-19-2016, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by estación seca

I don't know what is causing the spots. If mechanical damage it would have showed up within the first week. I think poor water could be a cause, but fungus infection is also a possibility. Let us hope somebody who grows Draculas answers.

The main concern with the water is dissolved mineral content. This is written as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and measured in parts per million. I think Draculas need water very low in dissolved minerals. You should be able to find a water quality report online at your water utility that gives this number. I don't know what is acceptable to Draculas, but cloud forest plants in general need it very low, say below 50 parts per million.

Thanks for your help, I'll wait and see if someone who grows those has experienced this or knows what it is. As I said the Dracula Bella right next to it requires the same conditions and gets the same treatment and has no such spots...

I checked and Total Solids(mg/l) is average 160 for MTL tap water...

ula · #6 07-19-2016, 06:51 PM

Hi, I don't grow any Draculas (yet

), but I have to agree it looks like mechanical damage than something fungal/bacterial. If you're very concerned you can always spray with antifungal agent preventatively, and see how the new growths mature. Good luck.

Manu · #7 07-19-2016, 06:59 PM

Thanks for your input, I'm really skeptical about the mechanical damage as its only recently it has appeared and has not been manipulated in any way that could cause that. It's really been deteriorating over the past few weeks, but haven't really handled the plant since March... except for misting and watering. Could misting be the cause? Misting over minor mechanical damage cause deterioration? The plant foliage is always dry by night time.