What's Wrong w/ my Phal Leaves? (pics)Hi
 

Hi Everyone,

I have attached the pics of one of my rescue phals.
It's always had weird leaves, they are very firm but crinkle sorta (pic 1). They have some dark raised spots (pic2) which I never thought much about (sunburn?) but as it grew a new leaf, the top is speckled and i looked at the underside and it is very brown and weird towards the crown (pic 3 top/pic 4 underside of same leaf) it is growing another leaf and it looks ok so far but i'm starting to wonder if it has a virus or something. They are not soft or mushy although it looks like rott kinda.

I've had the plant about a year and it is fine and the roots are ok...

the leaves just look very odd and i dont want any of my other chids to catch something.

Thanks so much!

I'm afraid I don't know the answer, but hopefully this will bump it up the list for someone else to see.

:bump:

Thanks for your response...i hope someone out there can help me!

I really don't know either--I personally haven't seen that on my chids. Looks like it is planted in sphag--have you checked the roots recently? Is there sufficient drainage and airflow in your pot? Do you water early in the day and make sure that water doesn't pool at the crown and in the leaves? Are you sure the bumps on the leaf aren't scale or other bugs? These are the only suggestions I can think of. Hopefully someone else will recognize the problem and come up with suggestions to help you :goodluck:

I have the same (?) raised dots on the upper leafs from a Den. Phal. type. I bought it that way and have no clue what caused it. This years growth doesn't show abnormalities.
About that other leaf with the strange coloration... sorry... also now clue :-(

BUMP!

Nicole

Can anyone take a look at these pics...

I have a new leaf that grew and there are lots of new roots so I thought I was in the clear until today I noticed that the new leaf is developing the same brown spots/dots and weird coloring on the underside of the leaf...

can anyone identify what the problem is???

When did you last repot this guy?

What's your fertilizer regimen?

I repotted it last september and I give it a little fertilizer with each watering 3x/month and then usually once a month I just do a flush though and don't use any.

I use this kind of fertilizer.
FEED ME! MSU Orchid Fertilizer - RO/Rain/Tap Water - Pint

I put the orchid under the faucet and let tepid water run through, then pour the fertilizer (about 1/4 teaspoon mixed with water) through at the end.

I don't understand what this could be...first I thought it was sunburn but the spots are raised...i've had this one for a while now and I dont think it's from bugs. Is it a virus or fungus??

My suggestion is to get a viral test done (expensive).

If you decide to test for virus, and it comes out negative for viral infection, then it's probably a genetic disorder.

Also, if it doesn't test positive for viral infection, I recommend repotting in bark with maybe a thin layer of moss on top instead of repotting in full on moss. If you must use moss, at least add something like charcoal to give the roots more air.

I also recommend getting quality plants. The mass produced hybrids that are ailing aren't worth saving. They're, like I said, mass produced. I can tell you this because I've worked for a large and well known orchid nursery that gets large shipments of Phal and Cattleya hybrids from Taiwan (as in 1 or sometimes 2 sixteen wheeler trailer(s) full of boxes containing these plants) and distributes them to other nurseries and hardware stores or supermarkets throughout the US (yes, they distribute to places like Hauserman's and the Home Depot, Trader Joe's included, just to name a few, although if you actually visited the nursery you wouldn't have guessed it). And to give you a clue as to who they are, this nursery is located in Montclair, CA which is a little city in Southern California about 45 minutes away from Los Angeles.

I've also done my own personal research on cloning as a means to enhance my orchid hobby skills.

This kinda goes along with the practice in the tropical fish hobby where if you see a sick fish in the pet store, pass it up. It sucks, but in the end it's not worth it for more than one reason (there's a lot of personal and ethical issues involved).

thank you for your response...

where would this virus come from and can it infect my other orchids??

I am not going to invest in the plant to have it tested...do i need to get rid of it so my other plants don't catch something??