Scale on this denphal or something else
 

Hello all,

In the process of researching what I believe are fungal spots, I found some pictures of scale on some denphals that made me a bit paranoid. I have one denphal that seems to have several issues and doesn't seem to be doing well. This is my first time dealing with any kind of pest or disease, so I'm just trying to keep my other plants safe.


So, 2 questions:

Is this scale or old, dead growth?

If one out of three canes is doing worse than the others, is it wise to cut my losses, cut the cane, and try to let the other two get healthy?

hi blooferlady,

I have 2 questions for you:

Why do you think you have scale?

What substrate is it potted in?

It is normal for older canes on denphals to lose their vigor, the fact that your newest cane is doing much better than the oldest is a good thing. Old canes rarely last more than 3 years. Every year the plant should produce 1+ new canes and old ones dry out. Don't cut it. Let the plant suck any nutrients and energy from the canes, if there is green left then leave it alone.

I was looking for what the dark spots were and how to treat them and came across a picture of scale that has a similar appearance. It seemed to me that the white flakey bits were old growth that the cane had on it, so I'd never worried about it before!

Maybe I was supposed to be looking at something else that picture of scale that I saw!

Either way, that's good to know. I'll leave the old cane and just treat the fungus. The newest cane is nice and healthy!

Thanks!

Edited to add: the substrate is the same moss that it came in. It's a hardware store purchase. I haven't seen the need to repot it yet.

I'm not sure what you are asking about. The round black spots on the leaves are probably bacterial or fungal. Are they enlarging?

What is the light brown streak on the underside of the leftmost leaf? I can't see it that well.

How long have you had it?

Are you growing it indoors, or outdoors? What are the temperatures and humidity in the growing area?