Whoa, what is this?

[Piper]

My Epi ilense is not happy. This has developed in the last few weeks, but is worsening quickly. I also found a Phal equestris alba close to it had a similar "W" pattern with yellowing on it's leaf.

I've sprayed with Physan and it hasn't helped. I can be faulted for insufficient watering - the hoard is so large I just can't get to them as often as they need it. But that would more likely make a plant vulnerable for a problem. These markings aren't from underwatering.

The leaf markings are recent. I'm worrying about the "V" word - the plants are sequestered. Would anyone with direct virus experience please comment? Or if it's not and you know what it is, any help is appreciated!

Thanks,
Julie

[IdahoOrchid]

Cymbidium mosaic virus (CyMV)

CyMV causes yellowing of the leaves that forms a mosaic pattern followed by a blackening and death of that area of the leaf along the leaf margins. More specifically, CyMV has been shown to cause colour breaking in Cattleya flowers.


Cymbsymptoms


http://www.imagine123.com/orchidtips/gallery/sick.html


Sorry. The only hope regarding the V word is that this particular virus seems to only be transmitted by cutting tools, not contact. I guess if each plant had an open wound that came in contact that would count.

[smartie2000]

ouch I hope its not a virus.....they scare me
i don't know what else it could be

[Diane]

I don't recognize it, although I have seen mosiac virus and it did not look like this - but I saw it on a catt. Keeping my fingers crossed...

[Hoa Tony Nguyen]

All right, I chip in.
Loren Batchman, a very respectable cym grower and hybridizer showed me a while ago how cymbidiums infected with CMV look like and I can say that they don't look like what we see here.
Diane is right. She might have seen something similar with catts. I have seen it too with some of my catts. I believe it is caused by some sort of bacterial rot brought about by poor growing conditions like not enough light or air circulation. This happen more often during winter months when we can not keep good air circulation and not enough light to sterilize the environment. (These problems tend to happen when you grow your orchids too dense without strong air circulation!) When I notice a catt gets inflicted with this illness, I immediately take the plant to a much brighter spot or raise the plant to higher up levels in the GH where the plant would enjoy better light and air circulation. And keep the plant on the drier side. Within a week or two, the disease progression stops! The plant would grow and flower normally again!
Well, McJulie, these are the problems that you have to deal with when you slurge with too many orchids !!! Heheheheheheee .... Now you might have an indigestion problem at hand!!! Heheheheee ....

Cheers. DocSpock.

[Piper]

Thanks, Doc Spock!

They've been too dry, for sure. I haven't been running the humidifiers, which give great circulation in the winter, because it's been so warm. But that's changed. We just got that cold front yesterday, and it's single digits now. Quite a shock after 70 a week ago! So the humidifiers are on in force. I'll spray these guys and be nicer to them.

I'm finding a lot of plants are stressed, because I'm having trouble keeping up. Fewer, better cared for, are better!

McJ

[Korxi]

Ok, now we're talking rot and so on I'm getting the fealing I might be experiencing the same with my Pot. Burana beauty... Last week when I came home I found that one leaf was almost completly black and soft, so i cut it of thinking it was just some sort of cell collapse, and that it had spread to the other leaf of that PB - so I cut that leaf to

Now I see on another PB that the leaf is looking like this:


I don't remember seeing that dark stribe before and I'm kinda worried now - what do you guys think??

Christian

[Piper]

If it's dark and soft, it could be a fungus. Try spraying with Physan. Post a picture - it will be easier to diagnose.

McJulie

[Korxi]

The all black ones are in the trash... It's the one above I'm worried about.

[Piper]

Most of the time that sort of problem is fungal or bacterial, particularly if it's spreading that quickly. Correct me anyone, if you disagree.

I'd follow Doc Spock's Rx - spray with Physan and increase the air circulation.

Let us know how it goes!

McJulie