# treatment for bacterial rot



## Eric Muehlbauer (Nov 18, 2008)

A week or so ago, I spotted a circular brown patch on my fowlei.....it was a soft, damp looking circle...which I know by now means a nasty bacterial rot..Pseudomonas, Erwinia, who knows, I've never been good at these things. I couldn't cut off the leaf without causing major damage and probably spreading the rot even more...it was right near the base of the plant. In desperation, I thought of sprinkling cinnamon on it...but couldn't find any. So I had an idea...I took some Bactroban (muciprosin) cream...prescription topical antibiotic...and smeared it over the rot and the surrounding healthy tissue. Well, its been at least a week...the brown spot has not spread at all, and is now looking sunken and dry. I spread a little more Bactroban today, but I'm optimistic that this treatment may have worked. Has anyone else tried this approach? Is it working, or just coincidence? Take care, Eric


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## Gilda (Nov 18, 2008)

Great news ! I have read about using topical antibiotic creams but have never tried them . Now I will !!


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## Rick (Nov 18, 2008)

I have talked to a plant pathologist about erwinia in orchids. It's a gram + motile rod. It is sensitive to a handful of antibiotics of which carbenocillin may be the best well known. The main issue of using antibiotics with plants is the delivery as uptake can be poor.

Also antibiotics can be relatively expensive. What is the generic name of this antibiotic? Maybe I can cross reference it with the products available from the place I consulted with.

I wouldn't write off your experience as coincidental, but given this was a prescription antibiotic, how accessible is it?


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## Corbin (Nov 18, 2008)

I think you are going to need a good relationship with your doctor to pull off going in and asking for a Rx for your orchid.


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## Yoyo_Jo (Nov 19, 2008)

Corbin said:


> I think you are going to need a good relationship with your doctor to pull off going in and asking for a Rx for your orchid.



oke: Just tell 'em it's for your 'chid. :evil:


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## Corbin (Nov 19, 2008)

Yoyo_Jo said:


> oke: Just tell 'em it's for your 'chid. :evil:



and what are yu going to say if he ask to see the child?


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## Phrag-Plus (Nov 19, 2008)

I'm using Baciguent since many years when the rot reach thee crown, if it's not I'm using a powder mix of cinamon, charcoal and sulfur.


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## Gilda (Nov 19, 2008)

Rick said:


> . *What is the generic name of this antibiotic?* Maybe I can cross reference it with the products available from the place I consulted with.
> QUOTE]
> 
> 
> Generic name: mupirocin (myoo-PEER-oh-sin) Bactroban Cream is used for treating skin infections.


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## tocarmar (Nov 19, 2008)

I just checked my stash of meds & found a tube of it!!  I'll have to try it & see if it works.
This could turn into clinical trials!!!!

Tom


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## NYEric (Nov 19, 2008)

Interesting, keep us posted.


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Nov 19, 2008)

A few local growers have sworn by Neosporin for years for rot on Phrags. My orchid mentor Tom Cox used to always put it on the cuts of all the leaves he trimmed. Seems to work pretty well.


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## Hera (Nov 19, 2008)

I knew I was saving that Neosporin for something. That's a good tip to know, and it does kind of make sense.


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## P-chan (Nov 19, 2008)

Thanks for the Neosporin tip. I've always used powdered cinnamon, but it's good to have another avenue. Thanks!


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## TADD (Nov 19, 2008)

Phyton seems to work well......


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## Yoyo_Jo (Nov 19, 2008)

Hmmm, neosporin, eh? Thanks for the tip. We have lots of that around...


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Nov 19, 2008)

This was in the cream form...how would an ointment work? Bactroban ointment was something that my kids always got from the pediatrician for impetigo...I got this cream from the dermatologist for a mystery rash...which cleared up instantly with it. I felt that the cream would be easily absorbed, more so than ointment...but if ointment can be absorbed, how about bacitracin? Or triple antibiotic, which includes bacitracin, polymixin, and neosprin...and is non-prescription? Also, somewhere in my cabinet is a bottle of what i think was streptomycin powder, sold for fireblight...an Erwinia species....that's available from garden supply catalogs. Still, this cream is soooooo convenient! I hope it really works! Take care, Eric


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## tocarmar (Nov 20, 2008)

I also use bag balm for cuts, & scratches. It is an antibiotic & sold over-the-counter.

Tom


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## biothanasis (Nov 20, 2008)

Nice idea for treating your plant, although there should be some caution on how and how much we use it!!!
Additionally, what Phragplus suggested sounded good!!! Super mix!!!

Anyway, keep us updated!!! Thanks!!!


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## paphiness (Nov 22, 2008)

*very clever idea...*

Hi Eric,

Using mupirocin on your plant is quite clever, I think. While its main target is Gram-positive _Staphylococcus_, in the local concentrations the bacteria "sees" when you smear some of the ointment on an infection, the concentration should be quite sufficient to kill a lot of Gram-negative bacteria, too. 

While mupirocin/Bactroban requires a prescription, you can use Neosporin (which is a combo of three antibiotics) or Bacitracin.

Absorption into plant tissue may or may not be a problem as it would depend on a number of factors; I would think you'd have to just try it and see if it works for you or not.

Actually, if anyone has old antibiotic pills in the medicine cabinet, here's something you could try: crush the pills into powder (don't inhale, though), mix with a bit of vaseline, and make your own plant infection ointment.


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## biothanasis (Nov 22, 2008)

Nice idea paphiness!!! Thanks!!


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Nov 22, 2008)

How about antibiotic powder and water, as a paste? Would that work? Also, forget prescriptions...you can buy capsules of erythromycin and tetracycline in any pet shop, as a treatment for fish diseases. Also, erythromycin is sold as "red slime remover" as a treatment for cyanobacteria in marine tanks. Take care, Eric


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## cnycharles (Nov 23, 2008)

on a sad note, many milk and meat products contain systemic antibiotics (if it has been introduced into the feed of the animal) so theoretically they might inhibit bacteria. so, slopping milk onto a plant cut or bad spot might resist both virus and bacteria! (I'm not seriously suggesting this, btw)


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Nov 23, 2008)

Feh! I hate milk....but we get it anyway for the family (and the 2 drops I put in my coffee...) But its organic and antibiotic free.....also get grass fed organic beef whenever possible...............and lets not forget our salmon! I try to get that organic....I prefer wild but my wife thinks wild salmon tastes like mud...........Eric


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