Bent/broken leaves near base

[Jak]

Thank you!

I will keep you posted - as I have not found this issue elsewhere I will do this as a resource for anyone else who may encounter this.

p.s. hope for some nice flower spikes as well - last year this one had 3 :-)

Jak

[SouthPark]

Most welcome Jak. The only thing(s) I can think of for the moment are ----- variation in conditions around the plant.

If it is an indoor environment, then could consider if the plant experiences any significant changes in conditions - such as if heating system of the house or something turns on and off (temperature/humidity changes). That is - around the times of the growth of that particular leaf.

Also, whether the orchid's position changes whenever watering is done. Is the orchid's position (leaves etc) placed back in roughly the same spot as it was before - thinking about variations in lighting.

Maybe that won't have any affect, but could just consider that too. Also, temperature of water used during watering - such as - is it around the same temperature of the plant.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Also, whether the orchid's position changes whenever watering is done. Is the orchid's position (leaves etc) placed back in roughly the same spot as it was before - thinking about variations in lighting.

Maybe that won't have any affect, but could just consider that too. Also, temperature of water used during watering - such as - is it around the same temperature of the plant.

Hard to identify what the factor might be, the one that it probably isn't would be water temperature. My Cyms get watered early in the morning - automatic sprinkler system, and in winter that water is pretty chilly. Actually, true of everything else, nobody seems to care. The RO water that the greenhouse gets, has a heater to keep it a bit warmer when it hits in the morning, greenhouse babies can be touchier. But Cyms are tough.

One thing about positioning after watering or just looking, if a plant (Cym or otherwise) is in spike, it's important to keep it in the same position relative to the light, otherwise the spike may twist in unattractive directions to chase the light. It won't hurt the plant or flowers, but after all the work of getting a plant to the blooming point, one would want, I think, to do what it takes to make it display well when the flowers open.

[Jak]

Hello Roberta, SouthPark,

thank you for the light insight! I leave my Cym turned in the same direction for when it is outside and then inside - give or take 10 degrees by estimate... I turned the side where I wanted things to grow more towards the brighter side... and so far it looks like it is working - the larger spikes are there.

I am posting a weekly update of that big spike (has to be a growth as we have not had any chilly nights yet)... it is getting large fast, and hasn't separated out any of the leaves yet as the other spikes have done which are of similar age... and as far as I remember this is what the one with the sticking issue did...

Jakub

[Roberta]

Once you have seen both, you'll find it easier to identify which is a spike and which a growth... growths tend to become somewhat flattened as they emerge. Spikes start out with a "bullet" shape and then continue to maintain that shape until the top starts to thicken with buds.

[Jak]

Hello Roberta,

thank you - I am confident this is a growth spike :-)

On Sunday I will post the next week's snapshot.

Jakub

[Jak]

Hello all,

another week has gone by... this is what the spike looks like now - again grown, still not visible separation of leaves (although I think I detect a hint of it now) - all other growth spikes have long since separated by this point... still looks to be a big spike (the kind I had the problem with), so the observation continues.

for the record all other spikes are separating nicely (I do not interfere with them).

J.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Jak

Hello all,

another week has gone by... this is what the spike looks like now - again grown, still not visible separation of leaves (although I think I detect a hint of it now) - all other growth spikes have long since separated by this point... still looks to be a big spike (the kind I had the problem with), so the observation continues.

for the record all other spikes are separating nicely (I do not interfere with them).

J.

Patience, patience. If it starts to look like the spike is being held back by sticky stuff, you can spray with a bit of soapy water to help loosen the sap that is causing the problem. Otherwise, just watch.

[Jak]

Hello Roberta,

Soapy water... Are you saying I hould I combine with the gentle prying apart discussed earlier in the thread? I guess both of these methods together would work best -the prying to separate the leaves, the soapy water to make sure shey remain unstuck for non harmonica/leaf destroying growth :-)

J.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Jak

Hello Roberta,

Soapy water... Are you saying I hould I combine with the gentle prying apart discussed earlier in the thread? I guess both of these methods together would work best -the prying to separate the leaves, the soapy water to make sure shey remain unstuck for non harmonica/leaf destroying growth :-)

J.

I have used the trick on Laelia anceps buds that tend to stick closed if they don't get enough direct water. So yes. Same stuff that also works (at least locally) to kill insects like aphids. It just helps to soften sticky sap that may be "gluing" leaves - or flower segments - together. Your plant may have a genetic disposition to do this, so you have to "help" things along.