Is this crown rot?
Hello! Needing advice on my Phalaenopsis orchid in akadama medium. I just noticed this morning that the base of my orchid has turned yellow. I wonder if this is crown rot or normal? My plant has been thriving as I have observed from the past weeks and i water it carefully. Then suddenly saw this. Should I worry or can I do something about it? 😞 #OrchidLovers
4” pot
Last watered 3 years ago
8
Hi! I’m not 100% sure but I feel concerned about what the black is just underneath the yellow patch. That’s a possible sign of stem rot, which would then affect the leaves. It makes me wonder if water has managed to get into the crevice between the leaves when watering or misting? You can dab cinnamon onto the black area to try and dry it up or use hydrogen peroxide 3% to do the same. Miss Orchid Girl on YouTube has some videos on saving phals with stem rot… @Nataleaf might also have some ideas. She’s really good at answering the questions I’m not so helpful with!
Thanks @MotherOfOrchids @ksaginak ! Yes, I’ll look into it further. Hopefully still salvageable if in case it’s stem rot. Have a great weekend! 🌸
Hmm. Interesting that it isn’t the lowest leaf yellowing. This does make me worry it’s stem rot. Keep an eye on it and see if it progresses. Another concern with a pure sphag medium is that the center of the media often stays wet while the outside dries, and it can get funky in there quick, causing rot issues. At this point, I might cut the stem to preserve energy, remove media around the roots, and gently inspect the root situation. This is why I like to grow my phals in clear pots - allows for easy visuals on root health. The only way to tell otherwise is with time. If I were you I might post this in an orchid specific forum or group that has more orchid experts. Good luck!
@Nataleaf thank you! I have actually removed the affected leaves with blackened base. As i noticed that the yellowing spread already around it. I put on some cinnamon powder that could help with disinfecting. Ill keep a close eye on this one. Thanks again for the advice, appreciate it alot!
