Crown Rot

[Bikerdoc5968]

I'm sure this thread is "old news", but I have a beautiful Phal with that dreaded ailment.....crown rot! Fortunately, I didn't kill the entire plant. In fact, what remains is quite healthy...green, leathery, firm leaves and even flowers! My question is: What is your experience with this type of situation going on to growth from the crown, keiki growth or eventual death at some time down the road...or don't know...."pay your money and whatever happens, happens? Is there anything that might encourage Phal's to produce new growth? I know and have used Keikegrow Plus Plant Hormone to induce keiki growth from nodes on flower spikes, but this has not been as positive an experience for me as it may have been for others..... so what's the word out there? Thanks.

[clintdawley]

In my experience when the crown is heavily damaged, keikis are created from lower nodes. But then again, I guess it depends on the degree of damage. I've had phals with slight crown rot that just lost a couple of leaves and continued happily on their way.

A picture might help with any kind of prognosis.

[Diane]

Usually the plants will keiki from the base, but I would apply keiki paste to the lower nodes of the plant to encourage it to keiki, if you have the paste.

[Bikerdoc5968]

Here are some pics of the crown of the affected plant...

[Gin]

I would remove the bloom spike , use peroxcide in the top if you have not done it already , (if the crown is mushy) , wick the peroxcide out after it is done fizzing as it reverts back to water , if crown is dry I would do nothing to it . set the plant in a shaded area keeping top dry but continue to water the roots , It probably will produce a basal keiki from the base of the plant . Sorry about the problem the bloom is beautiful . Gin

[IdahoOrchid]

I had a phal seedling that had crown rot. I applied some Dragon's Blood (Sangre de Grado resin) to the affected area after removing the affected leaf.

Here is a picture of the plant after it has been grown out for some time. Notice the damage down low and the missing leaf in the pattern.

[desertgal]

I was surprised with crown rot and leaf loss in a beautiful phal. I think it was a result of getting water in the crown when my granddaughter was watering for me. I just kept caring for it as if it was OK and soon a Keiki formed at the base. Now how do I care for the Keiki? Do I transplant it at some time or leave it alone?

Katie

[IdahoOrchid]

I just kept caring for it as if it was OK and soon a Keiki formed at the base. Now how do I care for the Keiki? Do I transplant it at some time or leave it alone?

Katie

If the rotted portion is fully dried out and not progressing just care for it as a single plant. The damaged portion will provide energy for the new keiki and eventually die away.

[Bikerdoc5968]

Gin,
Thanks for the advice. This Phal has looked like the pics for about 10 months or maybe a year. I have been hoping it would through a keiki from the base but instead I got the flower spike....so I am going to wait until all the flower buds have opened and apply keiki paste to some of the lower spike nodes and see what happens....really don't want to lose this one!