I'm so sorry...It is always hard to lose your first orchid. :(

Did you get it tested or are you assuming that mysterious markings are virus? Leaves get marred in various ways and those don't look very much like virus to me.
{{gwi:181970}}

Richard, Are you saying that what your photo shows is not a virus? This looks like what is happening to several of my phals and I don't know how to treat them or if the plants should be trashed. The new leaves appear to be fine but as they mature the markings start showing up and the leaves gradually become very pitted and turn yellow or brown before they fall off.

No, my picture is of a virus. Mosaic, to be specific. My point is that leaves can get marred in a number of ways and that a test is required to verify virus. At least one plant should be tested before deciding if the markings are virus. The test is not expensive. If that plant is verified as having virus, then other plants having the same symptoms can be assumed to have the virus also. They should be discarded immediately.

If the phal leaves are the oldest and there are 3 to 5 leaves remaining, then what is happening could be normal aging.

Every time I've had a plant tested for virus, It has always come back as being bacterial. Not virus. All dying leaves tend to look alike. And just to make things extra vexing, I've heard a plant with a virus can look completely healthy. Don't toss before you test. Your County Extension office can tell you how to take a sample to be sent off for testing.
Sherlene

There are many things that can cause leaf damage besides a virus. I was sure at one time That I had a virus but It turned out to be mites. I'ld never had mites before and the damage from them looked like some virus pics I had seen so I got lucky. Get the testing done if the plant has any value to you. It could be a simple fix instead of a death sentance for the plant.

looks like odontoglossum ring-spot virus. Virus usually appear after new growth matures. New leaves will appear fine, but as it ages, the ring like patter (or with Cymbidium mozaic virus) yellow streaks will appear and then become black and necrotic. Most virus is spread by the grower. You really have to flame sterilize your cutting tools with a propane torch, or use a disposable razor blade once for each plant. You can spend the money for testing if the plant is that important to you. I have my plants tested but I collect very valuable cattleyas to be used for breeding. And even if they only have cymbidium virus, I will always keep the plant because of it's intrinsic value. If the orchid is a cheap big box store value plant, I'd toss it.

All living things have bacteria and virus in and on them. Many are innocuous, actually most are. Plants and animals that are healthy have systemic processes (immune systems) to prevent the 'germs' from taking over and killing them. In humans, we get a fever that raises the body temperature high enough to kill the bacteria. Antibodies are produced to tackle the virus. In plants, if a bug or a dirty blade punctures the cuticle of the tissue, the plant will induce a protective death of the cells surrounding the wound, thus sealing it off and preventing the spread. If that doesn't work, the plant will often drop the affected leaf. It saddens me to think about all the poor plants that have been thrown away due to this paranoia about virus.

Obviously if you're a breeder, there are certain viri that are worth worrying about. But for most casual hobbyists, there are MUCH bigger problems. Squirrels, for instance... or scale/mealies/crown rot. Hydrogen peroxide is your friend.

Besides, how often do people really have to cut into their plants??? I can think of maybe two or three times I have in the past five years. If you're doing surgery on your plants more often than that, perhaps you should be growing roses. :)
-MB

Hmm, perhaps I'll wait a bit, it is going to flower and I did just pull this one back from the edge last year. It is more noticeable on newer leaves but as long as the flowers aren't affected and I'm not one for cutting my plants, I'll just keep an eye on it. I certainly hadn't planned on breeding. I don't have a local agricultural base here does anybody happen to know of a viral tasting service in Canada.

Thanks

Shaun

Check the roots when the plant's done blooming. I had a huge hit of bacterial rot, mostly because the plants had been baked, dried, baked some more on the back deck after we moved, dried out more during an extreme summer heat wave, then stashed in an underlit, freezing cold garage during winter snows while we got the greenhouse built and running. Mine mostly shows up as brown streaks on new leaves, or black leaf tips. Difficult to get rid of, and every single plant like that had quite a bit of root rot when unpotted.

Good luck!

Sharon

Just in case it's bacteria, you might try spreading the area with triple antiobiotic, the kind you get in the drugstore. Wash off the area first with hydrogen peroxide, then treat with the antibiotic. The leaf won't return to normal, but it might stop the spread of infection.

Orchid126, please clarify for me. Can you buy a triple antibiotic over the counter? Do you have a brand name? To wash a leaf with hydrogen peroxide, what strength would you use? Sounds like it's worth a try! Thanks.

You have to use agricultural fungicides.
Use Physan for disinfecting plants and tools. Kills bacteria, fungus, algae and virus on the surface (will not kill virus once the plant is infected)

For systemic fungicides use Dithane or Truban.

And again, for disinfecting tools, you can dip tools in mixture of Physan and water, Chlorine and water, but the best way to disinfect a tool is using a propane torch and heat it till the tool becomes red hot.

Hi everybody:

You mention about testing. What kind of lab you are looking for to perform these tests?

Thanks

The lab I have seen previously mentioned on this forum is Critter Creek, but I am sure there are numerous other labs out there.
~Jem

Here is a link that might be useful: Critter Creek Lab