Yes, my small white Phalaenopsis is going through a process of transformation. Not to the good direction though. But that's life, I guess, we always adapt, transform and change ourselves, so do the plants too. When I saw the beautiful flowers in Ewkaw's post, I was tempted to check my plant. Not that I don't take care of my plants or neglect them, but they are outside on the balcony so not that often I observe all the details on them. That is how happened that I didn't see earlier a sad transformation my poor orchid is going through.
First of all, I was warned, winter is not good for an orchid to be outside. I know. But as this is a well-protected place from the cold, I just let it live with the succulents on the terrace. I even water it at the same pace as the succulents, about once a week. Until now, everything went fine.
Just until now! My first "cold shower" was seeing one big leaf having some brown and yellow spots, well, already bigger stains. Then I saw that some stems and buds are also drying out too.
I think it is normal for the branches to dry out after flowering. ( not after each blooming as many times from those just naked stems new buds are appearing after some time). However, I have noticed it is not the same way how those stems look now. They are now black and have some yellow stripes, stains on them.
It would still all look normal and acceptable. The stems would maybe dry and I could cut them, and new ones will come. However, unlike I thought, not just that one leaf is affected by the transformation. I found on the underside of one other leaf a brown spot too.
And here we go, one another leaf, that decided that green is just too boring. I took these photos yesterday... Today, the brown stain has spread and it looks worse. Goodbye to this leaf too! Three out of four big leaves are doing the same thing. Why, why, why?
I should maybe cut them, but the most probable scenery is that they will fall by themselves, I think. Some new leaves are growing below that big one. They still look good, but guess what? In the peaks of them, there are also some pale yellow-brown spots.
From now on the plant will be inside, both because of the cold (there were some colder days indeed) and sun (though the sun didn't reach too much there). Thanks to Ewkaw's advice and guess what can be with my orchid, I also checked the roots. They look ok, there are no rotten parts or waterlogging in the pot. I just watered the plant before I took the photo so the soil is wet because of that.
The plant still has plenty of new buds, but I am afraid they will die, as some parts of those stems are dried and some not. And the plant will lose the leaves, that is for sure. The big branch with a lot of flowers blooming right now looks good.
This is how the whole plant is. The dried branches are reminiscent of scenes from a horror movie, but this branch with white flowers still gives hope. Orchid lovers, please don't cry over this half-sad scene. But if you have any idea what to do, shoot. Or we should just pray now for its survival of the transformation and environment change as I took it inside, to a warm place :D
Well.. this does not look good.
Looks like some fungus.
What I would do... I would cut that part off like 2-3 cm above (above that yellow part). Also cut then big damaged leaf off. That one spot on the top leaf - you can observe it and if it dries up and doesn't get bigger you can probably leave it. If this is fungus it might spread. Cut it off!
After the main middle stem is infected there is almost no way to save it.
Cut the dried and damaged flower stem. There is no use for them.
I would also cut down the ones that do not have any buds so the plant doesn't get tempted to grow new flowers there and doesn't lose energy. Better for her to grow some new leaves now.
Roots look good. She will be fine :) Just a bit butchered.
Omg, fungus? I missed the day lol 😂
I just called Dexter so he did some butchering work :D
Back to seriousness! So if the fungus spread, no way to save her :(
So, I cut off the big totally damaged leaf. This one from the photo too, not the whole but as your said, a few cm above the yellow part. I removed all the dried stems, so now we have just the one with flowers and a few small ones with fresh buds. And one big leaf, one with that spot and half leaf that is cut. The new, small ones are there to save hopefully the plant!
The spot in the underleaf will be monitored, but there are some smaller black dots too, all over it, so I don't have too much hope. 😐
I should have seen this happening before 🤦♀ but thank you so much for your time to give me the guide on what to do!! If she dies, you can call me officially a plant-killer!
Hahaha yeaaa :D
It can be stopped and she will be fine :)
There are fungicide sprays, but I never use them. I am not 100% sure if it is fungi, just looks like that one that one leaf. Observe the rest. If they go bigger cut. If not, maybe the leaf will be fine and it can be removed when new ones are big enough.
You could put a bit of cinnamon on the wound after the cut - just on the edge. Cinnamon has drying, antibacterial and antifungal properties and it can help healing faster. Just make sure it doesn't fall on the roots.
The new buds still might blast so don't get scared :) If they do that - cut the flower spikes. Let her recover.
#NoPlantKillingOnMyWatch!
Ok, I will have it in mind. I already saw some of those white flowers getting a bit dried today. And it is just a day she lives inside.
#WhenIWillJoinTheClubThen? :D
Cinnamon...now I have an idea. I am going to bake 😅
Oh now I get it! You did it on purpose to get to the club :P
Put her back outside ASAP!
maaaaaybeeeeeee :D
Cookie Monster 💙
I’ve tried a few orchids - even once had a maxi an vanilla bean orchid growing from a seed! But I’ve never kept one alive very long…I suppose they’re like succulents for me. Sorry for your loss, it looks like it was a beautiful companion plant!
Oh no, orchids are not doing well with you either? This I can understand, but @albuslucimus, the succulents!!! The succulents 😁
Have you started to water them just once a week?
Hahaha!!! You just made me laugh out loud :)
I have been paying more attention to my watering schedule with the succulents, but it’s always hard to tell because I think once they start dying, they don’t often seem to recover - so I may just be slowing down their death at this point…I suppose the real tell will come when I get a new succulent and stick to a weekly plan from the start :)
That is good! 😂
At least some fun in this dying orchid post :D
You just did it again - also, probably I should not have laughed in your dying orchid post! I am thankful for your patience :)
😂😂
The dying orchid is still not giving up! now it likes to be inside 👍
just two days for now, but I hope it will go to better now!
That’s awesome! I am sending my good intentions to you and your orchid!!!
thank you 😇
O no… sorry to hear that you found your orchid like that.
I’m no expert but that doesn’t look good.
Hope you can save it somehow.
Orchids are tough to take care of…
I don't know if it will survive or not.
According to Ewkaw, it will be fine, but now I am afraid if it is fungi and I don't stop spreading it.. well we will see what will happen :)
Keep us posted…
I cross my fingers 🤞🏻🤞🏻 All will be fine.
Thank you @littlebee4
I hope too, it seems that it likes now to be inside
there are some buds that started to open the flowers 😀
Orchids do like to live inside as far as I know. My mother has some, and they are in front of a window on the windowsill.
Sounds like it is reviving 🥳🤞🏻
I know, but not a lot of space inside. No windowsills what I could use for it as all are those big hole wall cristal doors in the apartment instead of regular windows. Just one window, in my son's room, but no space there for the orchid :)
Hence it lived in the balcony with all the other plants :)
Yep… I know. Our only window is in the kitchen with no windowsills.
Maybe on the floor in front of a glass window that doesn’t open like a door?
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