Bletila orchid rotting

[Longroots]

I've had so much success with this orchid in the past few years. It was consistent and never had a hint of rot.

However I recently moved and no longer had my cold extension which had low light. All I had was an outdoor shed.

It had growths coming out as normal, but when I moved house it sat in my warm hallway and sped up growth. I put it in the shed to slow it down, which is obviously dark and has no air movement. Now all the growths have died and some bulbs have clear but early signs of rot, they're light brown and very slightly soft.

I've attached the photos.

What do I do at this point to save it. Repot and cut off all the rotting stuff?

I cant upload images as the forum is not letting me.

[Roberta]

If this is Bletilla striata, I would expect to have the above-ground growths look pretty dead this time of year. New growth starts in the spring. But if the tubers are rotting, you have another problem... I would suggest cutting 'way back on watering.

These should do just fine in the ground where you live - frost is not a problem when they are dormant.

Try the upload again in a littly while, perhaps it is a system problem, you have uploaded photos before, I think.

[Longroots]

So there were lots of fresh new growths coming up, they were green and healthy before putting it in the shed.

Since putting it in the shed, they've completely died, and a brownish spot that's soft has appeared on a couple of the above ground bulbs.

Still can't upload images!

[Roberta]

Any chance that your browser is preventing pop-ups on this site? If so, that could be the upload problem, because it works on a pop-up. You can enable pop-ups for a specific site even though you're preventing them in general.

Going from warm ("Spring is here") to cold (suddenly winter) may have confused it. I'd reduce the watering until the weather warms somewhat.

[Longroots]

Thanks. Admittedly it did dry out COMPLETELY when in the shed. From top to bottom of the pot it's bone dry, I should of mentioned that.

As for images... I get the pop up and select the images, and when I tap upload it takes a while and then says there's a security tag missing.

[Roberta]

That upload problem does sound like it's a system thing. We have no control over that. If it doesn't resolve in a day or two, we'll have to try to reach gthe owner of the Board, usually not an easy thing. For the short term, if you upload to a Google drive (or OneDrive, etc), and create a Share link, you can paste that link into the dialog box.

Fully drying out? That doesn't sound good... Since these are terrestrials, in nature they would not experience that. Less water (from little or no rain) but humidity and dew would still be there. They originate from China and surrounding areas, so that would be an indication of what they experience in habitat.

[Longroots]

Normally in the winter I would have given it the occasional dregs of water I had finished drinking which served it well. But because I now have to go outside to reach it, and unlock the shed, I've neglected it. I think from now on I'll be covering it with a terracotta pot. It should breathe enough for air flow, not get too wet and feel the cold properly.

Those brown bits definitely look like early signs of rot, and I'm thinking of cutting them off and coating the cuts with cinnamon powder to cause it to callous over quickly. I may even leave them u potted overnight loose and pot them up tomorrow. God knows what's going on under the surface of the moss and non-clumping cat litter: either non-viable pseudobulbs or pseudobulbs that have probably dried out like daffodil bulbs in a shop!

---------- Post added at 01:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:57 AM ----------

I've taken it out of the pot, many roots still seem alive, some seem like they've desiccated and gone slightly softer, though no rotting in that department, so this was definitely caused from drying out, and maybe complete darkness.

The rot smelt a little like stale cat pee, and it was only smelt on the brown parts. I've cut quite a large portion out of both PBs, so both will probably die off which is probably fine. Hopefully it doesn't spread, but I'm unsure on how bacterial rots spread and the veracity at which it does.

A side note, it was also in a desperate need of a repot.

[Roberta]

Well, it'll get repotted... I have grown both in pots and in the ground, the ones in the ground have done MUCH bettter. Now, I live in a benign frost-free environment, but these can definite tolerate frost. My "ground" is better for building houses out of than growing things in (heavy, hard adobe clay) but having started a small clump with good potting soil, it has extended far beyond, into that brutal clay soil.

If you're repotting anyway, maybe try part of it in the ground?

[Longroots]

Now I've seen how resilient they are, I probably would like to try some grown in the ground. However my garden border is full shade, so I'm not sure I'd get the most out of them. I doubt they'd die so it might be worth trying.

Or I just buy another one this season when I see them in garden centres along with the Cypripediums I plan to try for the fourth time. At least the Calanthe is doing ok.

[Roberta]

Mine (in the ground) are quite shady, only get sun for a few hours in late afternoon. So I don't think they are fussy.

Cyps at my house would not have a chance. They need a reliable hard winter chill. I have to be satisfied with other people's photos of them.