Beware and be aware!

[opaline]

If id have exposed these plants to my grow area without checking i think i would have screamed the house down. Reputable or not, cheap or not, innocent or not, in any circumstancies no grower would want this bacterial/ fungal infection wiping out susceptible plants one by one, day by day.

If youve encountered any diseases on orchids you will know how rapid these spread and with such ease.

Professional or amateur many vendors, sellers, traders specialise and take pride in providing good quality plants. But what about attempts to deliberately forward on bad products for a fast buck. Of course it happens but their are also genuine hobbyist or relatives of collectors etc that are unaware and non educated in orchid care so increasing the possibility of spread of infection.

Careful what you introduce is all im saying, the pics are of horrifying bacterial infections. They enter through wounds/ damaged membranes and spread like wildfire. Once noticed its usually to late as the vascular system has been destroyed and as primary infection matures a secondary occurs. Simply reduced to soft mushy foul smelling decomp. Systemic fungicides essential as precautionary spray, bleach and hydr perox as back up.

The bad and the ugly and potential for misery. A dendro and epiphyllum recieved in parcel. after emergency surgery - in pics the amputated limbs.

These diseases could have wiped out my jungle cacti esp epipies easily within a week and orchids on a slow road to decline. 2 - 3 days is all this bad pathogen requires for some orchids.

[panam]

Yeeks! I'm glad you caught these before they could damage everything else...

[opaline]

So close, Patty, so close. I havent heard language so foul, strong and offensive since I snapped a spike off my vanda. Such a shame some poor bugger orchid lover will get their worst headache ever as they watch their plants develop the colour of jaundice! When I first started plants my orchid pest headache was a free sample of a few thousand spidermites that came in on a calathea and then attacked my cyms. By the time one realises these things its too late as we did not know what to look for.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

.....a free sample of a few thousand spidermites ....

Oh horrible! I echo Patty - Glad you the above issue before they could damage anything else.

cheers,
BD

[cdayinflorida]

Great catch, Matt.

[zainal abidin]

I also had a bad experience Matt, most of my phals within a day after a heavy rained then I can spotted translucent area over the leaf they spreading very fast and difficult to eradicate and the smell ...wow horrible this dangerous bacteria can kill entire orchids in our garden the best always make sure the plants is dried in between the next watering.

[opaline]

Oh horrible! I echo Patty - Glad you the above issue before they could damage anything else.BD

Ditto Bruce, the spidermite threat is a pest Im on guard 24/7 for esp with the astonishing ease of contagion, safe to say its one that wont defeat me easily. I have noticed, post awareness, how widespread this demon is! even in Uk ! outdoors infesting hedge rows and folks front gardens.

On a positive note, as i recall the damage inflicted to my prided OAP cyms, its always worth the fight no matter the pest or disease. Prevention is a definite!
cheers,

Great catch, Matt.

i think Cathy, i even heard the orchids express a sigh of relief. I know what happened to my Stanhopea collection now! Deadly pathogens!

I also had a bad experience Matt, most of my phals within a day after a heavy rained then I can spotted translucent area over the leaf they spreading very fast and difficult to eradicate and the smell ...wow horrible this dangerous bacteria can kill entire orchids in our garden the best always make sure the plants is dried in between the next watering.

Glad you corroborated the 'speed' factor Zain, i had doubted the 24 hr - 72hr timeframe in severity as hard to believe. I guess our environments arent that much different after all in terms of bacteria/ fungal pathogen threat, your humidity/ damp is just warm and mine is damp cool/cold. Lethal combination anyhow!

[Cjcorner]

I used to think spraying was only done when you saw a problem. I've learned, as you obviously have, the hard way. There was one shipment about three years ago that killed about 20 of my nicest plants. Now I spray on a weekly basis for rot and bugs get sprayed every couple weeks. It's been a long time since i've lost a plant to bugs...rot once in awhile will get one before I see it...but not very often anymore.

[opaline]

........and did you ever find out/ sus out the culprit for your orchid tragedies from that shipment Connie? If theres one thing if not included in care routine, its to have it in stock for immediate use as these things act so quickly and can be quite advanced in some cases on recognition. I will be using a systemic fungicide in routine bi or 4 weekly intervals, soapy water to wipe every and each cymbidium strap leaf monthly and PV+ or pyrethrin based product also monthly.

We must be suckers for punishment musnt we?, on the commencing journey into orchids. Im sure most normal folk would give up! by the time they learned their phal roots have rotted.

[Cjcorner]

........and did you ever find out/ sus out the culprit for your orchid tragedies from that shipment Connie? If theres one thing if not included in care routine, its to have it in stock for immediate use as these things act so quickly and can be quite advanced in some cases on recognition. I will be using a systemic fungicide in routine bi or 4 weekly intervals, soapy water to wipe every and each cymbidium strap leaf monthly and PV+ or pyrethrin based product also monthly.

We must be suckers for punishment musnt we?, on the commencing journey into orchids. Im sure most normal folk would give up! by the time they learned their phal roots have rotted.

When the plants arrived and I watered them, i'd noticed how odd the roots of a Oncid. Josephine looked (note I even know the plant name! i'm still mad at the guy...who is no longer in business thank goodness!). With in a few days a few other plants looked bad and within a week over 30 were affected. I had sat it out on the porch and even plants ten to fifteen feet away caught it, while others next to it were fine. I was in an uproar for about a month or two until I got it under control. I finally began taking anything suspicious to the other side of the house where air movement was way better and finally got it stopped...on top of spraying/treating anything that looked suspicious till it got better or died. I sent the guy several emails but he wouldn't even take it back for a refund. I now only buy from a select few vendors. Since then the only problems are the occasionnally cloned into weirdness plant with wacky flowers. I also no longer rescue anything with bugs...rescue that is. I did get a buggy cattleya this summer, but it was so big and healthy I knew i'd get it under control when I sectioned it.