Poor Phalaenopsis micholitzii

[siaogu]

This poor fella contracted the ring spot virus. I had to snip off 8 (used to be) lush leaves and this is how it looks like now.....poor fella



Vincent

[ManilaByNight]

I don't want to sound cruel but if your plant contracted a virus then I don't think any snipping off of the leaves will get rid of it. Viruses are systemic in nature meaning they infect the whole plant including leaves and roots. That is why most experts would advise to destroy a virus-infected plant by burning it so as to avoid the virus spreading to your other healthy plants.

But if it is just bacterial rot or fungus then cutting off the diseased part and treating it with an appropriate fungicide or bacteriacide will do the trick and you still have your plant.

Also don't forget to flame your cutting shears in between cutting from plant to plant so as to avoid spreading disease inadvertently to your collection.

[siaogu]

What i did is I treated the plant. Stop the virus from spreading. Continue treating for the next 5 days. Then, the plant stables down. I snipped off those leaves that are too badly damaged. I treat the wounds and flamed my shears

sounds okie?

Vincent

[harvey]

Vincent,
please report later about the success.
P.

[Daethen]

I wish you luck, but I have also been told that virus spells disaster. If it gets rid of it, please tell us so that we do not need to fear viruses so much.

[ManilaByNight]

I wish you luck, but I have also been told that virus spells disaster. If it gets rid of it, please tell us so that we do not need to fear viruses so much.

Jonada I don't think one has to fear (plant) viruses that much just as long as one practices safe methods in plant culture specially the sterilizing of tools like the flaming of the cutting shears when cutting/trimming live parts from plant to plant.

That is why I keep a cigarette lighter in my pocket handy - not that I smoke - in fact, I hate cigarette smoke .... but to use that lighter to flame the cutting edges of my shears each time before working on a different plant. It just takes about 15-30 seconds to heat the cutting edges to a hot temperature that effectively deactivates/kills any virus and then letting the tool cool off for a few seconds before starting to work with it.

Viruses are commonly spread by infected plant sap through cutting tools and also by plant sucking/biting insects but not as common as the former method specially inside a clean greenhouse.

[Daethen]

Can't they spread from plants possibly touching each other? And most clean greenhouses get bugs from time to time. I guess I am just a safer than sorry person, but if I am overworrying I would love to find that out.

[walingwaling]

hi vincent, wish you all the best with this rare phal!
its pretty hard to tell if its a virus or not, unless you have the lab test, and there is no way of stopping a virus just by cutting off parts of the plants, as far as i know.

just isolate the plant for now and be very careful with using tools on it, as jojo said, and pls keep us posted.

[ManilaByNight]

Can't they spread from plants possibly touching each other? And most clean greenhouses get bugs from time to time. I guess I am just a safer than sorry person, but if I am overworrying I would love to find that out.

Well they could if there are any open wounds on the plants' leaves where the sap can get transferred. And yes, greenhouses do get bugs from time to time but overall it shouldn't really be that big a thing to worry so much about. Just keep your eyes open for any early, tell-tale signs of a possible virus infection like chlorotic leaves, unusual and strange spots and/or deformed leaves and/or blooms (unless of course if the plant you have is a known pheloric plant where the deformity is but natural) and isolate the plant(s) from the rest.

Cheers!

[Daethen]

Good to know, thanks.