# Aging leaves or disease?



## Ernesto (Jun 18, 2020)

I had a multifloral Paph hybrid arrive last week. It was in transit for about 6 days, so I’m worried about. It had one large leaf on its oldest growth brown, so I cut it off, however now an old leaf on its flowering growth is browning too.


The other leaf tips of this flowering growth are beginning to yellow as well.






Is this disease or senescence? It currently has four younger growths that don’t have this yellow spotting at the leaf tips. I also pollinated two of its three flowers.


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## GuRu (Jun 18, 2020)

It's difficult to make a diagnosis but I would think by the look at your first three photos these aren't ageing leaves. I would go for a disease (Brevipalpus) caused by false or untrue spider mites, orchid mites (Tenuipalpidae). There used to be a site of an German orchid propagating company in English too but unfortunately it's gone and now this site is only in German. Nevertheless I put the link here Brevipalpus . I think you might get started a search in English too.


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## Ozpaph (Jun 22, 2020)

I also think the first leaf is mite damage. Not 'rot/fungus'.


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## Ozpaph (Jun 22, 2020)

That's a good link, thanks


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## Ernesto (Jun 22, 2020)

Besides treating for mites, is there anything I can do to address the damage that has already been done?


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## Ozpaph (Jun 22, 2020)

nope. dead tissue is dead.


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## Tony (Jun 23, 2020)

I have found that multis, particularly in bloom, tend to drop a few leaves after transit. If I buy one in bloom I almost always cut the spike after unpacking as I have had a couple of plants crash hard and die down to two leaves within a week or two of arriving and they take forever to recover. I definitely wouldn't let a plant that small carry pods, particularly after shipping.


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## GuRu (Jun 25, 2020)

Ozpaph said:


> That's a good link, thanks



Yes it is, Ozpaph. I don't know whether you noticed it, there are two different sites, one of orchid pests and the of orchid disaeses


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