Help! Sick Paph lowii var richardianum X sib
 

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This paph has been in my care for 5 months and was repotted about 2 months ago. It hasn't bloomed, but has produced new growths and was extremely healthy until a week ago when I noticed yellow/brown areas emerging from the base of two healthy growths.

The discoloration has not yet moved to leaf tips. Also, there is no foul odor.

It has been inside, under lights, with day temps 75F-ish and night temps 65F-ish.

The first pic is one growth that I removed. It did not have many roots, but they were firm.

In order to remove the discolored areas completely, I had to cut into the rhizome, which I immediately sprayed with a tad of Phyton27, then sealed with cinnamon. (See last pic.)

I searched the internet for pics of what the problem might be, but could not find a picture that looked exactly like this.

Please let me know if you have any idea as to what this might be, and the best action to take for the remainder of this plant.

Thank you so very much! ROBB

hey ROBB,
unfortunately looks like rot to me. I don't think there is any saving it.
See what others say.
It's a seedling, they are tricky. Bigger plants are much easier to take care of and less susceptible to problems.

I think your approach of applying phyton27 is just fine ROBB. Possibly some pesky fungal or bacterial activity occurred. Maybe not absolutely necessary to remove the discoloured areas - as I have seen amazing turn-arounds (come-backs) when applying an appropriate remedy - such as a copper-based treatment (without removing bits) ---- and phyton27 is probably copper-based treatment (I think!).

Hard to say the cause of it - eg. erwinia, or something else. Or whether it starts in the media or not. Nice gentle air-movement in growing areas can cut down on issues.

This example here ------ which surprises me even today ----- really demonstrated to myself - what sort of nasties do hang around ----- and what they can potentially do in a relatively short space of time. And what a suitable treatment can actually do to those nasties - in return.

In this case, I returned the 'favour'. A copper-based treatment genuinely took-out whatever it was. Seriously stopped them dead in their tracks. The turn-around was surprising.

Link

And it was only recently - that another one of my baby paphs started getting the same sort of brown spot on a new leaf --- which began to increase in size. Starting from a relatively small spot. Out came my copper-based treatment (I spray it). Once again - stopped dead its tracks. So aside from that first 'major' incident ...... I've had two additional incidences (including this latest one) ----- except these 2 extra ones turned out to be minor cases, as the treatment very effectively deals with whatever that nasty is. And my growing area is actually pretty good already in terms of the environment.

Sick Paph Lowii
 

Thanks for the quick response, SP.

I sprayed the foliage today in Phyton27, (Copper Sulphate) and am now soaking the roots for a few hours in same. I will then let it dry a bit, and repot in new bark.

After reviewing my "grow notes", I see where six weeks ago, the plant was sprayed with Thiomyl, a fungicide (sprayed but not drenched).
Also, it tested negative for ORSV and CymMV.

(The pics of your plant do not appear to have had the same as mine because the damage on your plant does not go all the way down to the base, whereas mine STARTED at the base. Not sure that makes any difference, though!)

Unless advised otherwise, I will repot and hope for the best.

ROBB --- most welcome. Thiomyl is another good candidate treatment. I have that in my arsenal of weapons too - just in case! Right with you ROBB ----- hoping for the best, and good results.

Thanks Shade. I removed all the brown/yellow -- back to clean tissue and will pot it up -- just in case.

You are probably right! Hoping against hope here!

ROBB

The closeups are somewhat blurry. Could this be spider mite attack? Paph. lowii prefers somewhat lower temperatures than some others. Your temperatures and care sound excellent. I would be surprised if this is fungal infection.

ROBB ----- check this site too --- LINK

Hummmmm, ES, never thought of spider mites. Do they cause yellowing/browning from the base up?

I haven't seen anything crawling, however, I did not get out the magnifying glass. Will do that now.

---------- Post added at 03:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:33 PM ----------

Excellent Site, SP. It looks exactly like Erwinia Picture #3 (Under VIEW MORE IMAGES) - "Brown Rot on Paph". I THINK WE FOUND IT.

But how does that help. I always have to smile a bit when someone has a Eureka moment online discovering something when that discovery won't solve the problem.

Of course now you have a name for it but naming it friendly frank won't make it any less deadly on a seedling.

I hope the copper treatment works, I'd be really curious to know if it does.

ps: If you don't discover any mites and want to know why this has happened, sometimes there are no answers but if I had to guess it would be the media or the watering which eventually caused problems. It's a learning curve, if something doesn't work then try something different next.