Help ! is this phrag virused ?

[Gilda]

I have a friend who is primarily a cattleya grower...hundreds of catts. He does have a dozen or so phrags. They ALL are exhibiting these symptoms. He thinks phrags or paphs can not get virused.

Now I do not know if any of his catts have these spots but he does have his phrags sitting under overhead catts and the water does drip down .

Personally, I think it looks like CMV..... but wanted your all expert advice and opinion. He thinks it's fungal/bacteria.

 

[Justin]

does he test for virus? that is the only way to tell since the visible symtoms can look the same as other diseases.

 

[Gilda]

does he test for virus? that is the only way to tell since the visible symtoms can look the same as other diseases.

No, he doesn't test. He has some very old catt X's and I've seen what looked like suspicious spots etc on his catts, but I've never seen bad blooms, no color breaks etc. Just the opposite ,his catt blooms are amazing.

It is so strange that ALL of his phrags are doing this at the same time.

 

[eggshells]

Looks like fungal.. Use mancozeb on these guys and new growths will come out clean.

 

[SlipperFan]

It's not true that slippers can't get viruses. Those plants don't look good, but the only way to know for sure about viruses is testing from a lab that does that.

 

[Stone]

I don't think it's virus. If new leaves are clean you should be good

 

[daniella3d]

exactly, if the new leaves don't show sing of this, then it's not a virus. I have a vanda that have these on the leave when I got it, and all the new leaves come out perfect. Maybe a fungus or it was burnt.

 

[Ozpaph]

do the test

 

[Erythrone]

do the test

Agree....

 

[Happypaphy7]

True. Test is the only way to find out.

I would think this is fungal, but I would test if the plants are important.
Visual inspection can be misleading.

It's strange how some people still believe paph/phrag are immune to viruses.

 

[Gilda]

Thanks for your input. I'll pass this info along and see if he will test. I had already suggested a fungicide which her never uses but was going to try. Like I said, he's a catt grower and prob would be more inclined to test if they were his catts affected. Then again, knowing him prob not!!:wink:

 

[phraggy]

Just try submerging the plant in water with a generous amount of bleach ----
kills any amount of things but has never killed a plant!!

Ed

 

[Leo Schordje]

Old spider or false spider mite damage provides points for fungal infection, often looks like a virus pattern, get rid of the mites, and new foliage will stay clean.

Do do the virus test just in case. But old insect damage is my guess

 

[daniella3d]

I killed a bunch of iris that way. Now I use Physan 20 instead. Much better and safer.

Just try submerging the plant in water with a generous amount of bleach ----
kills any amount of things but has never killed a plant!!

Ed

 

[SlipperFan]

Just try submerging the plant in water with a generous amount of bleach ----
kills any amount of things but has never killed a plant!!

Ed

What is "a generous amount"?

 

[Hien]

I had phals that I soaked in protek , seeing that it seems to make the leaves stronger against heat & cold , one year , I dumped all the protek (without using any other fertilizer to balance the plants need) in the phals and soak them for months, the leaves started to look like hell (exact like virus with collapse cells , rings , streaks) it took one year with lot of water , and minute amount of other fertilizer , the new leaves look absolutely healthy ... The photos are so big I can not post ..but if I can email them to slippertalk members who know how to reduce them and post .you can see for yourself..I hope someone will volunteer to receive these photos & post for me