Cym browning leaves, hollow bulbs, almost all gone :(

[raetaulbee]

Hello! I'm new to the boards a a member. I've used this forum as a resource since I began collecting orchids in 2019 and always managed to find the help I needed for my little collection. I have around 20 orchids now, and mostly collect oncidium.

However, almost a year ago, I fell in love with this gorgeous cymbidium! She was huge! Slightly overflowing a squat 6 inch pot three spikes in bloom and four more in bud. I don't know the exact variety because there was no id tag. Yellow with reddish purple centers.

About three months ago I noticed she was losing a lot of leaves to browning. I tried not to panic though she had lost about 1/4 of her foliage and some bulbs were deflated and dead. I decided to remove them and do a repot because when I squeezed them it released a foul smell. I also thought it may be time because she was growing over the side of the pot pretty far.

When I lifted her out, I saw that a large amount of the root matter was mushy and/or falling off, leaving behind strings especially toward the center of the root ball. I cleaned her up as best I could (following guidance from other posts) and put her back into her original pot (pictured) which now had plenty of room. I used an orchid medium that specified cymbidium (pictured) and hoped for the best. She lives in my sunroom in indirect sunlight, and has ever since I brought her home.

Today, I noticed more lost bulbs (the two clusters pictured) some hollow and smelly and some still firm, but the firm ones came off with the smelly ones. Again the roots were sliding off leaving strings (pictured) and wet. The potting medium is very dry by comparison. I haven't watered her in a week.

All that's left of this massive beauty is one cluster of bulbs (pictured). I see some hope (what looks like new growth) on the side, but the roots are not looking good. They also have root matter sliding off. I'm at a total loss. I'm going to clean up the bulbs that are still firm and see if I can get them to start up again in a ziplock bag (read that on another post) but I'd really like to save what's left of her. Please help.

[Roberta]

Firs, Welcome!

That new root is promising. That part, at least, should revive. I'd skip the bag - the new root is an indication of growth, and so pot it up. I would not cut the few roots - they are still capable of hydrating the plant (if not efficiently) and will also serve to anchor it in the pot - it is very important that when it's repotted that it be held firmly in place, and those old roots (with or without the velamin) can serve that purpose. Also, clean the old dry leaf sheaths, but if any of the leafless pseudobulbs are green and firm, leave them because they can provide reserves of energy and moisture to the plant. I don't like the bark mix much... I would rather see smaller bark, but if it is all you have, Cyms are pretty forgiving. Hopefully, the pot is well drained. With fresh medium you don't need to worry about rot if it is kept on the moist side.

[estación seca]

Any chance it got way too cold? I would also look for slugs or snails. Indirect light in a sunroom is probably not enough; they are far more resistant to disease and damage with much more light than that.

[Cym Ladye]

You have rot on these bulbs is shown with the smelly bulbs.
1) check the existing BBs. Remove the old dry leaf sheaths
2) squeeze the roots. If they are soft that means they are dead. If they are on the BBss they will NOT germinate new leads
3). cut half the roots off and slip the velamin off the remaining soft ones. Frankly, I would take almost all the soft roots off leaving only enough to anchor the plant in the new mix.
4) check the cut on the oldest BB where you removed it from the rest of the plant.
5)Does it smell? Is the cut black? If either of these, you will need to remove this BB too as this rot spreads from BB to BB either starting at the newest growth or at the oldest.

You can either pot each up in a small pot or put in plastic bags or try one of each. If the rot is still in the BB's you will eventually lose the plant, however.