Cymbidium mosaic virus
 

I inspected some of my cymbidiums today and i have a really really bad feeling that a few of them have signs of this virus. :( I have pictures on my phone but cannot post them for some reason so i'm looking for someone who knows the virus and can tell me for sure to either pm me their email or phone so i can send them pictures. I'm gonna be really bumbed i think cuz it looks like the virus :'(

Dont fret...the only way to know its a virus is by testing it. I got mine from Ebay for $10...I got a negative result...it turned out just a mite bite and a fungal infestation.
Its not accurate to look at pictures of the plants in virus. Some of the viral pics are also similar to bacterial infestations and some are just sunburned and water spotting...

I sure hope it turns out that you just have a fungal problem.
Here is a link for the Agdia test strips and also a link with virus pictures that might help you.

https://orders.agdia.com/InventoryD....ribute_Size=25

Virus in Orchids Photo Gallery by Admiral Schnitz at pbase.com

Joann

I sure hope it isnt a virus :(. 2 plants have it bad and i keep seeing it spot up on the other cymbs. which would mean they are all bad : /. Those tests are really expensive too, couldnt find any on ebay. I've been spraying them with physan 20 every other week too, which worries me a little

Can you post a couple of pictures? Someone will be able to point you in the right direction.
Joann

I really wish i could, i tried to send them from my phone to my email and putting them on the computer but it always comes up as a blank file on notepad or something. So i can possibly send them to anothers email

Hope this works

I think that looks more like a n infection of some sort, rather than virus. On the second pic the leaf around the lesion looks bleached, making me think of sunburn.

That is not a virus....it could be a fungal or bacterial infection.
My first thought is to treat with a copper fungicide.

So where should i go from here? Should i send samples into somewhere? I'm worried still because of those circular rings of death. One plant had a whole leaf with like 6-7 different circular infections. The plants look nice from afar but up close it seems like they are ruined. Anyone know of a testing place in southern california?

actually the only way to know is a virus test
your pictures I think show more like some fungal infestation.

Maybe this is my noob side showing but wouldnt Physan make the fungus infestation decrease and not increase like it seems to have in the last few weeks?

Very often plants that look virused come out clean, and apparently healthy ones turn out infected. Looks don't really mean much when it comes to virus.

Since the test kits for home use are a bit expensive, you could also send some samples to Critter Creek Laboratories. crittercreeklab. They charge $5 a sample and if there is a doubt about a plant they will retest for free.

Agreed. I would cut off anything affected, brown or yellow at all, with a sterile pair of scissors or razor. And treat with fungicide. I'm no expert, but I had a Catt that was going downhill fast, and just cutting it back to healthy green foliage/psb's and treating with a neem oil based fungicide stopped it in its tracks. I can't advise on Physan, I haven't used very many chemicals yet.

Alright i'll get some rubbing alcohol and scizzors and cut off all the badly infected areas.

Shiffdaddy,

I do not see any signs of virus on the green leaves. The brown ones appear sunburned and I do not see the circular marks you refer to. I would make a nice diagonal cut with a sterile razor blade just below the burn and remove it from the leaf. I suspect you may have had a very hot day a while back which resulted in the burn.

Agdia strips work out to $5/strip. Not expensive if saving a collection. Go in with some friends and buy 25. It will be well worth it!

CL

Alright, so i went out with a glass of rubbing alcohol for steralization and some sharp pruning scizzors and started cutting all the black and yellow spots off the plant. Dipped the blades into the alcohol between every cut. Should i spray with physan right now or should i just wait and see. So theres no way to tell if its a virus or not besides a lab test? Would there be tell tale signs or do a lot of diseases/bacteria/fungus/virus look similar so its impossible?

Yo! Daddy...thats not viral(looking at the pics)...its sunburn and the tip of one leaf is black and dry=fertilizer deposit salts on roots(flush it with water)
no physan no chemicals please.
bring it in a shadier place and water it...it looks dehydrated..thats all
cut the affected leaf and dab with cinammon powder

no bugs, no fungi or bacterial infestations...it just a matter of sunburn and underwatering...is all...relax

Hey Bud!

Alright thanks! I'll flush the pots and bring them into less sun for a while :). I was literally tripping out yesterday because i swore i was seeing something bad and would ruin all the plants and my cymbs are my babies! Good to know it was a vast over reaction :)

Its just weird because those plants were out in a sunnier location allllll summer through all the heat waves and it burned in a less sunny location during a small low 90's heat wave.

I'll try and stay away from chemicals as much as possible. I've taken the soil and fertlizer and pest management class at my college so i understand the risks and all.

Ben

right...but the sunnier place might have a cool breeze that dissipated the burning as opposed to when the 90's heatwave came it was a dryer air and the atmoshere sucked the moisture out of them...
well...some of your plants might have a virus as we all get from the mail from creepy growers ...we just dont know! we need to test it. I understand you when you freak...that looked like a nasty blight from the Moses movie LOL
but its sunburn .. is all
cyms likes bright sun but not directly on its leaves...its best put under trees or a shadier part of your yard
Good Luck, Ben
show us pictures when it blooms

Physan is a general antisceptic and may have limited effect.
You should try to get a general copper fungicide at your local home depot and treat with that.
Sunburn is a possibility as well and if that is the case, all this would be overkill.
Also, if your water is high in solutes the tips of the leaves will brown and the margin will migrate in; thus, physan and/or fungicide "treatment" might not have an effect if this is the cause.

I agree the only way to tell if a plant is virused is to test it. But the lesions on your plant do not look like virus to me.

ALCOHOL WILL NOT KILL VIRUS!

Use disposable, single edged razor blades or buy a torch and flame your cutting equipment! Another option is to use clorox at a 5% rate soak for several hours to sterilize plastic equipment and steel knives, or bake blades for several hours at 325F in an oven if you want to reuse your disposable blades.

I am with Camille. Send samples to Critter Creek.

Remember there is a difference between bacterial infections and fungal infections. Be sure to use the right spray material or you are wasting your time and money. :twocents:

CL

Will Critter Creek tell me what is wrong if it isnt a virus or will they only tell me if the plant has a virus or not?

What if its bacteria or fungal? Then i'm back at step one again huh

Critter Creek only tests for the two viruses mentioned, which should be the primary concern of any serious hobbyist, in my opinion.

I have found that many novice orchid growers worry waaaaay too much about minute problems that can be eliminated by simple good culture. Orchids, especially Cyms, will develop a multitude of leaf marks that are totally benign. These are not plastic flowers! :biggrin:

I have a personal collection of over 1,000 Cyms and I can say that I have never used a bactericide or fungicide except on a one to one basis for a rotten bulb/growth. I do, however, test for virus before repotting/dividing every plant and bait continually for slugs and snails. If you have adequate air circulation, a mix that has not broken down, general good culture and the plant tests negative for the common viruses, minor leaf markings should be of no consequence. :twocents:

I stand by my original diagnosis - sunburn. By now, you have removed the damaged part of the leaves with a sterile razor blade :rofl: and placed the plant where it will not get so much hot direct sun. I do not know what part of So. CA you live in but that should be all that you need to do for this specific problem .... except to send off a leaf sample to Critter Creek. Your humidity is low enough, not like Florida, and there is no need to treat the cuts.

CL

I agree people worry over virus too often when they see disease on their plant. It is helpful if not necessary to familiarize oneself with the presentation of various "classic" types of disease vs. sunburn vs. ???

Sometimes a lesion will be confusing but more often than not you can reason between two things and pretty much treat for both :blushing:

Virus would not be on my list for this pic....however, I've seen other pics where it's my number one and sometimes "only".

The following website carries a presentation by Sue Bottom which has to be one of the BEST references for photographic review of disease and tabled references for treatment: http://www.houstonorchidsociety.org/...ySueBottom.pdf

You're welcome :bowing