Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Pleione and Orchidaceae => Topic started by: JPB on December 28, 2013, 12:06:56 PM

Title: Fungus (?) on Pleione humilis pseudobulb
Post by: JPB on December 28, 2013, 12:06:56 PM

I found a brownish discoloration on this pseudobulb, which bursts open after some time. Could it be a fungus infection?
But I don't see any spores or anything...

So far, I have only seen it op P. humilis. Has anybody seen something like this before?
Thanks, Hans

Title: Re: Fungus (?) on Pleione humilis pseudobulb
Post by: Maren on December 28, 2013, 12:23:03 PM

Hi Hans, I have found this on one or two occasions. I don't know what caused it but I certainly did not want my other pseudobulbs to be infected.

Case 1) this looked like yours and I threw it away instantly.
Case 2) here the brown patch was quite small. This is what I did:

• cut it out with a very sharp knife right down to the pure green flesh,
• dusted it with sulfur powder (I could have used nutmeg, it would have had the same effect)
• let it dry,
• put it in a separate container and
• planted it individually the next spring.

No further problems occurred.

Generally, I discard rather than saddle myself with a lot of individual treatment. :)

Title: Re: Fungus (?) on Pleione humilis pseudobulb
Post by: JPB on December 29, 2013, 04:02:51 PM

Thanks Maren. I'm afraid the bulb is lost as the brown spots are everywhere... I'll check my other humilis pseudoblulbs and will treat them if necessary as you describe in case 2.

Cinnamon also seems to have anti fungal properties. Have you (or someone else) tried that?

Title: Re: Fungus (?) on Pleione humilis pseudobulb
Post by: Slug Killer on December 29, 2013, 05:03:11 PM

Quote from: JPB on December 29, 2013, 04:02:51 PM

Thanks Maren. I'm afraid the bulb is lost as the brown spots are everywhere... I'll check my other humilis pseudoblulbs and will treat them if necessary as you describe in case 2.

Cinnamon also seems to have anti fungal properties. Have you (or someone else) tried that?

As Maren has already said, cut it out. Don't be afraid to go too deep as I've had far worse than that survive. I've cut a bulb in half before now and as long as the shoot it still in one piece it should still come through for you but expect a smaller bulb next year. I use sulphur as well but mainly to stop the open flesh weeping. Also give it a spray with a fungus fighter containing Sythane. Cinnamon will certainly stop it weeping, I've known people use flour before now.

Title: Re: Fungus (?) on Pleione humilis pseudobulb
Post by: Maggi Young on December 29, 2013, 05:35:22 PM

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9989.msg264164#msg264164 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9989.msg264164#msg264164)
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=5509.msg153768#msg153768 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=5509.msg153768#msg153768)
- these are two other treads where the anti-fungal properties have been mentioned.

Title: Re: Fungus (?) on Pleione humilis pseudobulb
Post by: JPB on December 31, 2013, 12:06:10 PM

Thanks Maggi for the links! And David, i have cut out the infected area's of another, less infected humilis and put cinnamon on the wound...we will see.
The pseudobulb from the photgraph was beyond repair and I put it in a sealed paper bag with cinnamon and nutmeg. We will see what happens...