# Fusarium, Pseudomonas ...?



## fibre (Aug 11, 2012)

Since some month ago I have a problem with brown rot. Yes I know, the cause of brown rot can be quite different. 

But how to distinguish between Fusarium, Phytophtora, Erwinia and Pseudomonas? 
The pics at the website of Hark can help a little bit, but most of them are about Phals.

Today I found a very strong smelling rot at the base of the leaves of a Paph that appeared and killed an whole shoot within two days. It smelled like a overripe pineapple.
My guess is that this is a bacterial infection. What do you think?


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## likespaphs (Aug 11, 2012)

erwinia is stinky!


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## likespaphs (Aug 11, 2012)

http://www.staugorchidsociety.org/culturepests-diseases.htm


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## SlipperFan (Aug 11, 2012)

Cloud's Orchids in Canada has a great website for diagnosing problems:
http://www.cloudsorchids.com/doctor/diagnose.htm


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## Rick (Aug 12, 2012)

fibre said:


> Today I found a very strong smelling rot at the base of the leaves of a Paph that appeared and killed an whole shoot within two days. It smelled like a overripe pineapple.
> My guess is that this is a bacterial infection. What do you think?



Classic Erwinia

It is a bacterial infection. Erwinia is a fermentatious motile rod. It cues in on the plant's hormone to lyse off old leaves for new growths and roots to come out. Plants grown on high potassium low calcium/magnesium diets are highly susceptible to this organism. 

I use Dragons blood/cinnamon to stop infection spread in tough cases, But since changing my feed regime I rarely see infections in my older plants that have really tough high calcium growths.


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## fibre (Aug 13, 2012)

Thanks a lot for your help!

Esp. this website ( http://www.staugorchidsociety.org/cu...s-diseases.htm ) was helpful.


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