Paph Acmodontum Crown Rot
 

I recently got this P. Acmodontum and noticed it was planted with a thick layer of sphagnum at the soil surface. It was retaining too much water, for my growing conditions, so I removed it and replaced it with a bark and sphagnum mix. I did lose two leaves when I originally got the plant, and noticed some rot at the base of them. At the time, I was not super concerned, as the new fans seemed very healthy.

As I was inspecting the plant more closely this morning, I noticed some brown on the plant's crown. Being a concerned plant parent, I wanted to get some second opinions. The plant is very sturdy, and when tugged on, none of the leaves seem to budge. I am trying to water less frequently, to see if this may help as well. Any advice or opinions are greatly appreciated :)

is it soft when you push on the brown area?

could be rot, could be nothing...It is not where i have seen the rot as that is usually in the actual crown..

I would separate it from the others for a while and watch it very close

In case it is anything that spreads, could consider some backup treatments, such as agri-fos. There is some other treatment that some paph growers believe can be effective - which is "dragon's blood" made from Croton lechleri. Yes - it does have a snake oilish name. I keep a bottle on hand, but have never needed to use it. But then, I collect various recommended fungal/bacterial treatments - just in case.

Luckilly it seems pretty firm, and smells normal. I will make sure to keep a close eye on it! Thank you for your help.

---------- Post added at 09:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 PM ----------

I just looked up the dragon's blood, and it seems pretty useful! I have some sulfur base fungicide around at all times, just in case, but I will definitely look into picking up some of your recommendations!

---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:01 PM ----------

I just ordered some agri-fos. Fingers crossed!

When I’m worried about a suspicious spot, I drop some cinnamon in the leaf axel. At a minimum it dries things out and makes things less friendly. If it’s due for a repot, Paphs seem to really respond positively to fresh substrate etc.

Some people were talking about it at this link Click Here.

One of them said they preferred unicorn's blood hahaha. I'm thinking that the Croton lechleri sap (aka dragon's blood) probably has some microbe killing properties. I think that - at least it doesn't seem to harm orchids - as in making them worse off. Also not sure if it is a systematic treatment.

Nice to hear that you ordered some agri-fos too. Other goodies are thiomyl (eg. cleary's 3336).

So a quick update:

While inspecting the plant this morning, another one of the leaves pulled off. It is now seperated from my other low light orchids, for the time being. Does anyone have experience with this specific brand:

Robot Check

I decided that while waiting for the agrifos to arrive, I should treat with preliminary dosing of hydrogen peroxide. I used a pipette to apply some at the crown, at the base of the new growths, and let it dry in a warm room with plenty of airflow. The media certainly was dry, so I decided to water later in the day as well.

I am debating repotting, and taking a better look at the roots. The orchid is in spike right now, and I am debating whether or not removing the bud would be beneficial to the plant. I really appreciate this advice, as I am very fond of this plant already, and really want it to power through!

I don't think it is necessary or helpful to remove the bud... enjoy the flower. You could gently slide it out of the pot to get a look at the roots. If things look ok, just put it back and the plant won't notice the disturbance. Paphs also don't seem to be fussy about the timing of a repot.