Addressing wounded pseudobulbs

[greenhouseFrog]

Long story short, this Cycnoches was attacked by a rogue potato…darn spud mashed the top of the back bulb!

Should I wet the wound with alcohol/Physan solution as a preventative to discourage anything funky from growing or would letting it dry out accomplish the same?

Thanks in advance!
The victim

Close up

[Roberta]

You could sprinkle some cinnamon on the wound... it has some antifungal benefits, and also helps to dry it up. I think it will be fine... you're not watering it so that reduces risk too.

[Louis_W]

I agree. Cinnamon or even let it just dry out. Loosing the very top of the bulb from two years ago probably won't affect the plant much. I'd also keep this plant away from water and high humidity until the wound scabs over with shouldnt be too hard since it's dormant. Won't ask about how a potato managed to attack your plant...

[greenhouseFrog]

Originally Posted by Roberta

You could sprinkle some cinnamon on the wound... it has some antifungal benefits, and also helps to dry it up. I think it will be fine... you're not watering it so that reduces risk too.

Wow I hadn’t been taking cinnamon seriously enough—thank you again, Roberta!

---------- Post added at 07:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:59 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Louis_W

I agree. Cinnamon or even let it just dry out. Loosing the very top of the bulb from two years ago probably won't affect the plant much. I'd also keep this plant away from water and high humidity until the wound scabs over with shouldnt be too hard since it's dormant. Won't ask about how a potato managed to attack your plant...

We’re having a substantial drop in humidity in the coming week, so I guess it couldn’t have happened at a better time

The offending potato was sentenced to 50 minutes at 425F.

[Waterdog111]

I love people with a proper sense of humor.
Good luck with your plant.

[Blueszz]

Originally Posted by greenhouseFrog

Wow I hadn’t been taking cinnamon seriously enough—thank you again, Roberta!

Just make sure to keep cinnamon away from the roots.

[Waterdog111]

I use a q.tip to apply cinnimon.

[Roberta]

In this particular case, I think I'd just shake some on the mess. If a little gets onto the medium, not a problem, it's not getting watered so the root zone isn't going to get a blast and the roots on those old p-bulbs are on the way out if not already gone, anyway. In general yes, you don't want to get cinnamon on roots, but here I don't think great precision is needed,

[greenhouseFrog]

Originally Posted by Blueszz

Just make sure to keep cinnamon away from the roots.

Noted! Thank you, Blueszz—I am a complete novice in cinnamon application and I would have gone out there with the whole shaker bottle thinking I’d be accurate enough

---------- Post added at 10:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Waterdog111

I use a q.tip to apply cinnimon.

I like this idea more than a garden duster—way easier to control! The only cinnamon I have is in a bakery sized shaker bottle and it’s not easy to shake out, especially if I’d have to do it at awkward angles. Thanks WD!

[Blueszz]

Originally Posted by greenhouseFrog

Noted! Thank you, Blueszz—I am a complete novice in cinnamon application and I would have gone out there with the whole shaker bottle thinking I’d be accurate enough

---------- Post added at 10:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 AM ----------



I like this idea more than a garden duster—way easier to control! The only cinnamon I have is in a bakery sized shaker bottle and it’s not easy to shake out, especially if I’d have to do it at awkward angles. Thanks WD!

With this surface you also might be able to use a small (painting) brush. Really small ones, like the ones used to make paintings (art).

But you get the idea. It's not a cinnamon roll