# My paphs need help!!!



## Just1more (Aug 1, 2022)

When I watered yesterday I found about half dozen plants with darkened areas on leaves. The worst plant being a vexilaria (sp.) that is opening abloom. The previously bloomed fan’s leaves are almost covered with these darkened areas. I removed the worst leaves, but those that still had quite a bit of green on them I left in place. I treated it with a solution of cinnamon bark oil mixed in alcohol. On some of the plants the darkened areas are down the center of the leaves. How do I treat? What am I doing wrong? Thank you for any suggestions, I absolutely don’t want to lose these plants!

Sheila


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## FourEve (Aug 12, 2022)

Curious if there was a resolution or improvement with the cinnamon/alcohol treatment?


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## Ray (Aug 13, 2022)

Don’t know how I missed this thread…

There seem to be a number of reasons such areas can appear. One could be mites, giving a “rust” appearance to the damaged area, unlike the “silvery” look of phalaenopsis. I am not aware that the rust fungus affects paphs, but it might. Another could be more-or-less normal lease senescence, but I think the most common issue is the age of the potting medium, which covers the possibilities of both suffocation and toxicity.

Alcohol and cinnamon can help a bit with all but the last possibility.


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## Cklinger (Aug 13, 2022)

Could possibly be a pH issue caused by the potting medium if it’s too old. Too low pH could cause random chlorosis through the leaves.


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## Just1more (Aug 13, 2022)

Just received new pots and I’ll be repotting all these affected plants tomorrow. They are not looking any worse and I know the scarred leaves willl not repair, that I’ll just have to wait for new growth. 

I still had azamax, so I sprayed all the affected plants. Thanks for your thoughts. Hopefully I caught the problem in time and will just have to wait patiently for recovery.


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## Happypaphy7 (Aug 14, 2022)

Clearer photos might help better but those damaged area appear to be mites or thrips related.
Since the damage is quite extensive, if these are the work of thrips, you should be able to see them moving around on the leaves upon close inspection.
If you don't see any bugs, then, you can rule them out and consider treating for mites.
The damage is pretty bad and I'm not sure what the best course of action would be.
Perhaps start by spraying for mites if such chemical is allowed in your area?

Regarding the old potting mix being the culprit as suggested above, I highly doubt that.
As someone who has many plants that are not repotted frequently (I have many paphs in the same potting mix for over ten years and not a single leaf tip burn on most of them), I can say that any issues regarding old potting mix/soil for both orchids and non-orchids plants typically appear as leaf tip die back or coloring. They would start either red brown or dark brown, then darkens from the tip down gradually.


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