Sick Encyclia?

[Tmai]

Can anyone help me with my cochleata? She is mounted on cork and was in bloom when I got her last November. About a month ago she dropped her blooms (that appeared normal). But since then the newest growth got soft at the base and dropped off, and now one leaf is yellowing and another pbulb is turning brown from the base up (it is not soft).
I've been misting the roots thoroughly daily and dunking the mount every other week or so. Fert has been weekly like the vandas. Humidity has been between 50 and 70%, but light has not been the best over the winter.
Any advise or suggestions would be most welcome!!!

[Ron-NY]

This one is a bit different than most Encyclias it prefers more constant moisture (I grow this one in a pot) and less light than most Encs. (~2000 - 2500 fc) Intermediate to warm temps.

[Mahon]

I agree with Ron... typically, the Prosthechea (this one is now Anacheilium) prefer more water and less light than other Encyclia. I think one pot medium that does well is sphagnum moss, but keep some of the roots above the moss so there's less chance of complete rotting of roots...

-Pat

[Tmai]

Ok, so it sounds like the light levels are ok, and probably the humidity (for winter anyway). The temps have not be less than 60 F. More water then? Should I soak the cork more often, like once or twice a week? How about the fert? Where I got her they said treat her like a vanda - heavy feeder. Is weekly too much?
She has 4 large pbulbs with leaves (one or two), and all have produced spikes. The root system is extensive around and through the cork mount - white, firm, and healthy, and has been there a while.
Should I remove the yellow leaf and the browning pbulb or up the water and see what happens?
Thank you so much for your input. This is one of my favorites; I'd hate to lose it.
Tami

[Ron-NY]

Ok, so it sounds like the light levels are ok, and probably the humidity (for winter anyway). The temps have not be less than 60 F. More water then? Should I soak the cork more often, like once or twice a week? How about the fert? Where I got her they said treat her like a vanda - heavy feeder. Is weekly too much?
She has 4 large pbulbs with leaves (one or two), and all have produced spikes. The root system is extensive around and through the cork mount - white, firm, and healthy, and has been there a while.
Should I remove the yellow leaf and the browning pbulb or up the water and see what happens?
Thank you so much for your input. This is one of my favorites; I'd hate to lose it.
Tami

Now that the weather is warming for you, it wouldn't hurt watering it daily. Soaking the mount makes sure that the roots get well watered. Cork does not absorb water. I find it is impossible to overwater a cork mounted Enc. - 1/4 strength fertilizer once a week should be fine. If you can grow it outdoors, hit it with a hose on a daily basis. The yellowing leaf will shed on it's own. You can remove the browning p-bulb.

[Tmai]

I didn't know cork does not absorb water. I'll give her a bit more moisture and see how she does. Thanks!

[Tmai]

Oh Orchid Gurus, I need thy advice. I've increased the water to everyday (sometimes twice) on the cork slab. Now I have 3 pbulbs browning from the root up. The beauty only has 4 pbulbs. What do I do? Nothing squishy that I can tell but the largest browning pbulb is not firm. Help, please?
Tami

[Becky15349]

There is a possibility you could be overwatering it- obviously, if increased water hasn't helped, you really ought to cut back drastically. Remove all the dead roots, yellowing leaves, etc and let it be for a while. Sometimes I find we do too much to our plants when we really should just let them grow :-) What do the roots look like? You could have creeping rot...and in that case, I'm not totally sure what you can do. Anyone have other suggestions?

[Tmai]

Hard to guess overwatering due to mount on cork. Roots are white and firm and barely get green with watering. However, does this orchid have a winter rest period? If so overwatering may be the probem. Guess it won't hurt to try anything. Thanks!

[Hoa Tony Nguyen]

Hi Tami,

Well, if you water the plant, and the roots stay white, then there is a problem. Orchids with pseudobulbs need a temperature difference between day and night and the night temperature also needs to be low enough so that the pseudobulbs can mature!!! Premature yellowing leaves and pseudobulbs dying could be problem with temperature (too hot when it needs cool-cold rest or too cold when it need warmth to grow so the roots are dying en mass!!!). Do you grow this plant outside?
Cheers. Hoa.