Rossioglossum with yellow leaves...sad :(

[annierj]

I have been nursing along a rossioglossum grande for the last couple of years....no sign of a bloom but the bulbs were developing nicely and multiplying. Leaves a healthy shade of green..However, over the last fortnight, the leaves are turning yellow and dropping off. I don't know why. Haven't done anything different. It is under a slatted balcony, on the west side of my house. Have had some accumulated rain (4 inches a week ago) but have been watering to combat the heat of the last month. Too much water? Not enough? Any help would be appreciated...

It appeared to try and throw off a spike of sorts but it never fully developed and then almost molded...but did so over a couple of days. It is mushy to the touch and looks delightfully nasty.

Any clues?

And, as a follow up, where do I go from here?

Thanks.

[kindrag23]

Post some pictures, what type of media do you have it in right now? When did you repot it last? Umm if it is slick slimy to the touch I am thinking you have a rot issue some where. But I will say i am not completely comfortable with this type of orchids just yet.

[Leafmite]

I hope it isn't Black Rot. Calcium is very important to cattleyas and lots of rain flushing out the calcium can lead to trouble. Hopefully, not the problem. Here are two sites with great pictures of various orchid diseases. Hope it helps!

Orchid Pests, Orchid Diseases
http://www.houstonorchidsociety.org/...ySueBottom.pdf

[annierj]

No black rot that I can see....and orchid is planted in orchid bark.....can't post photos today as it is dark (fall is here!) but will try again tomorrow, if I can get home before the shadows fall.... Can easily repot and check out the undersides, if you will....

[silken]

I think these like a fair bit of moisture in the summer but they still shouldn't be soaking wet all the time. If the spike turned rotten, it makes me think too much moisture, or not enough moving air. I have one but am not the best to give advice on culture. Mine is growing but as far as I am concerned should have already bloomed and hasn't. Mind you, I have bought 'bloom size' plants before that were a long way from being bloom size. Mine is currently growing a new growth. Pictures would help a lot. When was it last re-potted?

[annierj]

repotted it last year, in the fall, when it had outgrown its little pot. It has only been watered when dry, as I try to be sensitive to overwatering. I was originally concerned that it wasn't getting enough water, as we had a long, hot dry spell just before the heavy rain. Would the torrential downpour we had last week have caused the potential flower spike to rot? I have looked underneath (gently) and there are green roots that I can see, so I am hesitant to tip it out and repot. Any suggestions? The bulbs are not squishy and the newest ones appear to be pretty solid. Will try and post photos tonight....it's still dark in the morning here until just before I leave for work, so no chance for photography.

[silken]

The rains may have cause the spike to rot if it never had a chance to dry out. Also if water was trapped between the leaves, they could develop bacterial or fungal problem. Since it was recently re-potted and roots and bulbs seem fine, I would spray it well with Physan and put it in a place where it doesn't get rained on heavily. Just water the media. Are you bringing it inside for winter? These don't prefer real hot temps but wouldn't want temps near freezing either. I think they should be grown a bit drier in winter.

[annierj]

After reading your email, I went out and turned over the plant, spilling all the orchid bark out. It was wet and heavy. The roots did not look as well as I think they should. The bulbs are solid but the roots are another matter. I repotted it in dry medium, hoping against hope that the dryness of the bark will help pull some of the moisture out of the roots. There doesn't seem to be any visable fungus or black nastiness about the base of the plant. What are the changes of it regenerating some healthier roots, like over the next few weeks? Should I not water it for awhile, pulling it in when it rains? Or let is sit outside (we are expecting rain on Sunday) and see what happens?One set of leaves is green...the others are turning yellow and falling off....

Personally, I don't hold much hope for recovery but orchids continue to surprise me, both in their willingness to survive and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, their fragility....

Thanks for your insights and help...and encouragement. Crucial when you enter this amazing and wondrous world of orchids.

anne

---------- Post added at 08:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:58 PM ----------

sorry...tonight can't type or spell worth a darn....that should read "chances", not changes.... silly Fridays...

---------- Post added at 08:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:00 PM ----------

And, if I read ALL the email and answered ALL the questions.... I bring all my orchids in when it gets near mid-30's....the cymbidiums I leave out until 28 and a bit, to encourage buds to form.... I leave the cymbidiums in the basement, under florescent grow lights, as it is cooler down there, for the winter, watering them infrequently. Last year was my most successful, with 12 spikes. The other varieties are scattered about the living space for the winter, getting filtered natural light... My house is like a green magic garden.....I figure by spring the air should be sufficiently filtered and then I turn the lot out in mid-April. A lot of work but worth it (for me)....

[kindrag23]

Good Growing and good luck. Yeah my family is not to thrilled with the whole plant nursery in the house and on the porch thing. Wait until they find out they all come in in November here HA! That should be one of the most interesting experiences around..

[annierj]

Watch out for the clever frogs that burrow down in the bark to wait out the winter....only to discoved it is summertime in your house! Then you get to chase them around and fight with your conscience as to whether to toss them out to the elements or figure out how to share your house with amphibians for a couple of months...