Oberonia needs emergency soft rot help!!

[Plantdesign]

Hello everyone,

I recently bought an Oberonia sp from Singapore Garden Festival, with 2 mature bulbs and 5 leading shoots. A week later I realised I've lost all the leading shoots and is at risk of losing the 2 mature bulbs to soft rot. I cut off all affected parts and drenched the plant with isopropyl alcohol, and am hoping the plant will bounce back to recovery. This plant is very precious to me as there is nowhere else where it is available locally, and Singapore Garden Festival is held only biennially, and losing it could mean me waiting for two years before getting another one to try out...Does anyone have any solution to increase the chances of its survival through this ordeal?

Thanks a lot...

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

It may be too late, idk.

Oberonia don't have large visible pseudobulbs, btw. They are fan-like growths. If they do have pseudobulbs, (which I doubt), they are obscured by the arrangement of the leaves. Once it rots, it rots. See if the central portion of the plant is still intact or not. The central portion of the plant is where the meristem is. If the meristem is rotten, that's all she wrote, you'll have to buy another one.

How are you growing this plant?

They don't like to be potted. They do better mounted.

They're intermediate - warm growing. (55 F - 90 F)

They grow in bright shade.

Moderate to high humidity is adequate. (60% - 80%) They are not that picky about humidity.

They don't need to be grown sopping wet. Water 3 - 4 times a week is fine.

These plants are usually moderate to fast growing.

Oberonia are not too difficult to grow, but they can be a tiny bit demanding sometimes. If you know where the seller sets up shop, just order through them without having to wait 2 yrs.

[Leafmite]

With alcohol, you often need to treat the plant a few times to stop the progress (2X a day for a few days). The sooner you catch the problem, the better the chances of saving your orchid. The roots should not be treated (too drying, but the rhizome shoud be). If you can get your hands on a copper-based plant systemic, that would be very beneficial. If your orchid survives (or for orchid #2), your orchid might benefit with the addition of calcium while new growths are in progress. I went through this. If you do lose the orchid, ask around until you find who sold you the orchid and do try to replace it. Good luck! Please let us know how it went! I am hoping that you can save your orchid! Welcome to the forum!

[Plantdesign]

Hello guys,
well not much hope, another bulb turned soggy...left the last one...haizzz...seems like I really have to look for the supplier...

nevertheless, thanks everyone

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Well, at least now you are better equipped with actual growing info.

If you need more help with Oberonia spp. don't hesitate to ask. They are really cool plants.

[Plantdesign]

hello all,

Since not much of the remains, and all it is left with are a rossette and dead roots, I thought of this as an opportunity to experiment it with Aspirin (said to promote plant growth and inhibit fungal and bacterial growth, hope it might get something growing out of my Oberonia again) to see if it works...so today saw me visiting the pharmacy for some aspirin pills that I powdered up to dust on the Oberonia...and if it works, maybe i could use it on my other rotten plants in future...

[Leafmite]

Good luck! Hope you let us know the results and when you find your replacement.