What is on my phal orchid leaf?
 

Hello, I just got this phal for a gift... And it has some kind of infection on the leaf... Dark hard spots.. I wonder if I should remove the leaf so it won't spread? Any advice?

https://plus.google.com/photos/11414...OaBs83psOye6gE


Thank you, Jenn

It's hard to say for sure, but it looks like scale insects. See if you can scrape one off with your fingernail and look at it closely for little legs. I think there are 2 kinds, hard and soft. I'd guess that's hard scale. I'm dealing with scale (soft) now. I take an alcohol wipe and rub them off, and then I use a pyrethrin spray, getting it into the axils. Keep it away from your other plants.

Scales..
 

I've tried scrapping them off and they are too hard to remove. I'm thinking maybe more bacterial?

It looks like brown scale to me. But a close up would tell better. Check the edges of the leaf too as I find they like to go there as well. And check the undersides. Make sure to isolate the plant from other plants until you figure out what it is. Scale spreads and is hard to eradicate.

It looks like oedema to me.

What is oedema? I have similar looking things on some of my phal leaves. I've scrapped at them and found that they were almost like scabs and left the leaf open. I thought it was probably just that, scabs from some damage somewhere along the line.

Medically, oedema (or edema in US English) means swelling of tissues . I assume it means the same thing with orchids?

Looks like bug or mechanical damage that has healed hard to tell in the picture ..

Yes, I think it's sometimes from the plant receiving too much water and it causes little swollen bumps. I don't think they go away once culture has improved tho. It shouldn't harm the plant, but doesn't look as nice.

No edema bumbs don't go away once they've formed. Sounds like what's on this plant, they form hard corky scabs. Completely harmless,