Prosthechea Cochleata fungus/ root rot?
 

Hi everyone i have had this Prosthechea cochleata (clam orchid) https://www.orchidboard.com/communit...1&d=1734216174for about a year now. It initially had some black spots on the leaf probably fungus so I sprayed it for a month and the plant was fine.

It bloomed about 6 months ago, I left the stem without the flowers until about a week ago when it started to turn yellow (the stem had been green al year). After that the two leaves it had started to yellow and fell and now the bulb has this huge brown/black spots that have white specks that have a weird pattern. The bulb also wrinkled a little same as some of the other bulbs, so I'm pretty sure im not over watering.(I only water once a week or sometimes once every 2 weeks if the medium is still wet)

At the same time this is happening the orchid started sprouted a new bulb.

Should I treat it with anti fungal or simply cut it off so it doesn't take energy from the new growth?
Thanks in advance!

https://www.orchidboard.com/communit...1&d=1734216174

https://www.orchidboard.com/communit...1&d=1734216174

https://www.orchidboard.com/communit...1&d=1734216174

https://www.orchidboard.com/communit...1&d=1734216174

First, Welcome!

That psedudobulb looks like it may be rotted inside, with the rot heading down to the rhizome. It's an old pseudobulb, I think if it were my plant I'd cut it off tthe rhizome (at the base). Then you will be able to see if the rot has already gotten into the rhizome, in whcih case more surgery or a systemic fungicide treatment may be needed. But that old p-bulb isn't contributing anything (except maybe rot) so you'd well be rid of it.

TY!
 

Thanks wanted to be sure. Its weird that it's rotting since it was originally wrinkling do to lack of water. Any ideas why it might have happened?

I decided to cut it off and I do have some methyl thiophanate. Could cutting it off and also using the fungicide be too much stress for the plant, or would you do both to be on the safe side?

Thanks again!

---------- Post added at 08:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 PM ----------

Thanks wanted to be sure. Its weird that it's rotting since it was originally wrinkling do to lack of water. Any ideas why it might have happened?

I decided to cut it off and I do have some methyl thiophanate. Could cutting it off and also using the fungicide be too much stress for the plant, or would you do both to be on the safe side?

Thanks again!

That p-bulb is on the way out anyway - probably has no roots, which is why it would have started to wrinkle. The plant won't miss it at all. I suggest making a clean cut with a single-edge (single use) razor blade.

If rot has gotten into the rhizome, it is probably not curable. So getting that p-bulb off is an important start.

I´ll do that ty!

---------- Post added at 09:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:59 PM ----------

roots look perfect, only thing I found is this little guy LOL wonder if it might be bad for the orchid.https://www.orchidboard.com/communit...1&d=1734227526

I can't see what it might be.

That is how this plant drops pseudobulbs when it doesn't get enough water. It needs a lot more water than most other orchids. During warm seasons it can stay almost constantly wet. If it is warm to hot and watered it can grow all year.