The Orchid Garden

Bud Rot

Question:

Most of my plants are good guys. they are growing, spiking, flowering each in their turn bringing joy to my greedy heart. Several have lost the spikes or sheaths though and always to a sort of creeping rot. I suspect it’s too much moisture around the developing buds. examples are potinara, paph, dendrobium, and vanda. Any ideas what the cause is and more importantly how to avoid it? sandra

Response:

Maybe they need better air movement?  It might be worth a try before you head in more serious directions. Ken Woodward Newton, MA

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Most of my plants are good guys. they are growing, spiking, flowering each in their turn bringing joy to my greedy heart. Several have lost the spikes or sheaths though and always to a sort of creeping rot. I suspect it’s too much moisture around the developing buds. examples are potinara, paph, dendrobium, and vanda. Any ideas what the cause is and more importantly how to avoid it? sandra

Response:

Most of my plants are good guys. they are growing, spiking, flowering each in their turn bringing joy to my greedy heart. Several have lost the spikes or sheaths though and always to a sort of creeping rot. I suspect it’s too much moisture around the developing buds. examples are potinara, paph, dendrobium, and vanda.

Sandra,    If it were just Potinara and other Catt-types, I would suspect a rot …but since this is affecting Dens and Vandas, which typically don’t have the ability to trap a lot of moisture around the buds, I would suspect thrips to be the cause.  As you see a bud start to go south, check for tiny whitish, yellowish, orangeish, or reddish bugs (the size of pinpricks)… they usually will sit still, but if you breathe on them, the CO2 in your breath will make them start to get ancy and crawl around. I’ve found that one of the easiest preventative measures for thrips is something bright yellow and sticky (some folks use yellow styrofoam plates covered in vaseline…others use these yellow sticky whitefly traps). Insecticidal soaps will kill thrips, but can often help hasten the demise of the infested buds/flowers as well. — Prem – Animator, programmer, and orchid and fossil nut extraordinaire… – DNRC Title: Minister of Lightwave 3d Plugin Design Foolishness – Home – http://www.PremDesign.com "We in our foolishness thought we were wise He played the fool and He opened our eyes We in our weakness believed we were strong He became helpless to show we were wrong." "God’s Own Fool" – Michael Card

Response:

It’s a possibility but a faint one. In my 9 x18 greenhouse there are two casablana ceiling fans and a table fan at bench level, plus the swamp cooler and vent which increase air movement. thanks, sandra

Response:

Sandra, I am still a novice but I had some kind of mold on my plants in my greenhouse & I sprinkled with cinnamon & set up an extra fan to emulate Hurricane George!! This good advice was from people on this group & best of all it worked. Cheers Wendy

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Most of my plants are good guys. they are growing, spiking, flowering each in their turn bringing joy to my greedy heart. Several have lost the spikes or sheaths though and always to a sort of creeping rot. I suspect it’s too much moisture around the developing buds. examples are potinara, paph, dendrobium, and vanda. Any ideas what the cause is and more importantly how to avoid it? sandra

Response:

Filed under: Dendrobium Orchid

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