My poor Purpurata Rex

[doodlekitty]

He everyone.....(sorry to drop in out of the blue) but I have a problem with my beautiful Purpurata; can someone help???

I purchased this orchid about 6 weeks ago (pic with bloom attached) and now its turning brown and mushy. I treated with peroxide, cut on of the leaves and treated with cinnamon...but its getting worse.

Could this be too much water or the result of a fungus?

[Ron-NY]

I would remove it...cut into the good tissue below the black. Looks like fungal rot...maybe water got stuck in there and with cooler weather . Well, catch it before it spreads any further. It is better to loose the growth than risk the plant. You can treat the cut

[doodlekitty]

THank you Ron....I've cut one (in sheath too...made me sick) but I don't think I cut it back far enough...its getting worse. (see additional pic). The thing is....I'm in S. FL so it really isn't cold. We have had a few cool days..(50s-70s). We had tons of rain 3-4 weeks ago and I'm thinking the poor thing got waaaay too much.

Thanks for your help

[Ron-NY]

cut right into the middle of the p-bulb. If when you cut you see any dark in the center, cut further. It may have been the rain. We train our plants to grow upright...in nature they tend to be at an angle so water does not tend to gather in the growth.

Good luck with it! Beautiful shade of blue on yours!

[doodlekitty]

Thank you....I'm going to work on it right now (again). Can I assume that if this is fungal rot that it will be contained to this one orchid? Not something that will spread?

[Ron-NY]

I think it looks like fungal rot. Bacterial rot is soft, moist, and smells real bad.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Did you remove it? Yes, if fungal rot, it is going to stay on the one plant, but your conditions may make other orchids susceptible. Make sure you have good air movement around and through your plants.

Cheers,
BD

[doodlekitty]

Yes I performed surgery this a.m. and dusted with cinnamon. Its now directly under the ceiling fan. I can't believe this poor guy survived hurricane Katrina in 2005 (I bought it from a grower in Homestead, FL) and now this! All my other orchids are in good shape so I don't get how this one got hit so hard.

[Tmai]

Hi doodle, good to hear from you. Don't be afraid to cut it back hard, well past the rot. If you don't you'll just end up hacking your beautiful orchid to death one piece at a time. As Ron said, better to save the plant. Might consider dividing it so if rot does increase on one side you have a healthy plant on the other. Yeah, I know it hurts.
Really pretty bloom, good luck with it!!
Tami

[doodlekitty]

Thank you everyone! So far, so good...(maybe its too soon to tell) but I cut away all effected areas and it appears that the rot has not spread. I'm keeping a VERY close eye on this one....poor baby.