Help with seedling care

[Dollythehun]

I get it Roberta. I've got a few years on you. I told the Chief, going to Walmart reminds me of watching Mad Max! But I'll bet our OP can find an umbrella there (back to topic.)

[SouthPark]

CC - welcome to OrchidBoard.

Excellent advice given in the thread already by everybody. Also - the following bits of information could be useful to you for the future.

Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here

[CaptainCrud]

Well things went poorly overnight. Unfortunately it is now pretty clear that the darkened area that appeared on the Cattleya is indeed black rot. The plant has been isolated since yesterday so hopefully nothing will spread to the other plants.

At some point today when I have time, I will take it out of the pot, cut away the bad bits, clean the whole plant with hydrogen peroxide (I don't have any fungicide), and then put it in a new pot with new medium and keep it quarantined while I hope like heck it can cling to life. I don't really think there's much else I can do.

[SouthPark]

CC - make sure to not put any hydrogen peroxide on the roots ----- you probably didn't anyway - but - just mentioning - just in case.

If you can get any - get some monterey garden phos (or previously known as agri-fos).

If the growing area has gentle air-movement, then that can help a lot too ------ benefits the plant that is.

[Carebear2]

I don't think it needs to be a competition who is right or wrong as I think Roberta was in fact spot on - the most important thing is helping other members.

Southpark already mentioned that hydrogen peroxide as suggested by too many places in it's form available from pharmacies is too strong for plant and orchid roots in general but it can be used if it is diluted sufficiently enough.

For young plants I would recommend you use 10 times weaker. So make a mix of 10ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide and add 90ml of plain tap water - this will give you 100ml at 0.3%

Your hydrogen peroxide will last much longer and it won't damage your roots - you want to see the HP solution start bubbling. Leave it for 10-30 mins, rinse and repot in fresh media

I think the rot might be too far spread already but it is worth a try saving it

[CaptainCrud]

Thanks again for all the advice everyone. I really appreciate it.

Is there anything that I could have done differently after receiving the plants in the mail to reduce the likelihood of this happening? I've had the plants for about 10 days and this is the first time I have ever ordered plants in the mail so it's a bummer to have this happen. Not sure if I got too much water in the crown of the plant or did something else to open this door. I'd like to increase my chance of success next time.

[Roberta]

In that short of time, I don't think that there is anything that you could have done differently because most likely the problem was already there, lurking. Black rot in the rhizome can hide, and by the time it becomes visible it's too late. That is why I think that you need to be in communication with the vendor - you might even get a refund (Some do and most don't but if you don't ask your chances are zero). At the very least, the vendor will benefit from the knowledge of a potential problem and observe that batch of plant very carefully... if they have a systemic problem they'd want to know about it.

[CaptainCrud]

I sent the vendor an email and if I don't hear anything I will try to call. All 4 of these plants were pretty cheap since they are seedlings, but naturally this one was the most expensive one of the bunch

[estación seca]

Don't cut it up. That is not black rot. The new growth died from underwatering. What you are seeing is exactly what happens to new growths on seedlings when they aren't watered enough.

Your growing area doesn't have excessively high humidity. You've mentioned it's warm in there, you have a fan on the plant, and sometimes you haven't watered for 48 hours. Cattleya seedlings pushing new growth shouldn't dry out or this happens.

The plant is already stressed. If you unpot it, manipulate it and spray it you may kill it. Just leave it alone, take care of it and it will make a new growth. You will have learned something.

[Roberta]

I think ES is right... observe before you think about cutting. Separate the plant from the others, but cutting is permanent... don't do it unless and until you are really sure because there is no turning back.