Brassavola Dropping Leaves and Roots Turning Dark

[LoriM]

My Brassavola (I think it’s a Brassavola) has been declining in the past few years. I’ve had it for about 15 years. When I first got it, it was newly mounted to the piece of driftwood. Eventually it grew to cover most of the driftwood and bloomed for the first time about 7 years ago. I have attached photos of the young plant and one from the year it had the fullest bloom, which was three or four years ago. For the past two years, it has only had a few blooms. It usually blooms in late November.

Last fall and winter, its leaves started to turn yellow and drop off. It lost a lot of leaves, including younger leaves that had never bloomed. This summer the leaves stopped turning yellow dropping off, and it grew several new leaves, but now that I have brought it inside, the leaves have started dropping again.

It may be helpful for you to know that I hang the plant outside during the warm months in a place where it gets filtered morning sun. When the temperatures drop to low 60’s in the fall, I bring it in the house. In the past few years, I put it in a north-facing window for the winter, but I just moved it to a south-facing window after reading in another post that the Brassavola likes the sun. Over the winter I water the orchid once a week by hanging it in the shower and pouring water over it, plus I give it a light mist just about every day.

I’m also concerned about the roots. Most of them have turned dark.

This orchid was given to me as a gift, it has sentimental value, and we enjoy the sweet fragrance its blooms put out in the evenings. I don’t want to lose it! I appreciate any suggestions!

[BobcatJohnson]

It's difficult for me to see from the photos, but, has it been mounted to that same piece of wood for all these years? If so it is quite possible that the wood is breaking down and beginning to rot. This could cause the problems you are describing. If this is the case, I would unmount it and find a new clean piece of wood to mount it onto.

[Roberta]

It definitely can come back. If the mount is rotted, you can easily remove it (likely it will crumble) and then you can remount, or put in an open basket with minimal medium. If the old mount doesn't remove easily, just tie it to another stick. New roots will then grow on the fresh mount and eventually the old one will become irrelevant.

Some loss of old leaves is inevitable, but with some "new territory" new growth is very likely. (I have one of about the same age, or maybe older, that stared out as a seedling with about three leaves, struggled for awhile, but once it took off, it has sort of become a ball. It's in , or mostly on, a basket. Any medium that was there originally is long gone)

[LoriM]

The orchid has been on this mount for 15 years, and the mount is rotting. I'll try to remove the orchid from the wood.
Thank you for your help!

[Roberta]

You don't have to get every bit that is stuck to roots... root preservation is key. But if the wood is rotted, it will be easy to pick out most of it, since it is soft and coming apart.

[LoriM]

Thank you Roberta. I'll be careful with the roots.
Once I get it off the stick, which do you think would be be better, mounting it to a new stick or putting it in a basket?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by LoriM

Thank you Roberta. I'll be careful with the roots.
Once I get it off the stick, which do you think would be be better, mounting it to a new stick or putting it in a basket?

Whichever works better for you. If basket, no medium or large bark. The plant and root system look quite well developed enough to not need much help with moisture. These do want to dry out between waterings.

[LoriM]

You've been so helpful! Thank you!

[Leafmite]

Good luck with it!
Large chunks of lava rock make a good medium for this if you plan to pot it. I use a basket pot as Roberta is suggesting. The idea is that I will not need to do anything with it in the future....

[BrassavolaStars]

I have had similar things happen to me with brassavolas from broken down medium combined with poor light and air circulation.

I fully agree with the others on what to do/treatment.

You might even want to go a tiny step further and give it a fungicide treatment just to be on the safe side..