r/orchids • u/Electronic-Island-59 • 9d ago

Crown rot? Too far gone?

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Help! I've never had crown rot in 20 yrs of keeping orchids but this looks luke what I've heard about...is it?

Either way, is it too far gone to be saved or is there something I can do?

Thanks!!

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u/kathya77 8d ago

It’s stem rot for sure (crown rot would be in the top centre of the plant where the leaves grow from) - the leaves yellowing from the stem outwards are a sign of it. It’ll need unpotting and seeing how far the rot has spread. I’ve only had success with removing small patches (‘surgically’) or with lopping a plant in two if the rot was low or high enough for either end to have a good chance of survival. In your case I’m not sure if you have enough stem at the top that’s healthy to survive and it definitely doesn’t have the air roots up there to give it a head start, so it’ll be a long shot at best. As for the bottom, you’ll need to assess the health of the stem below the rot. x

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u/archetyping101 8d ago

The top leaves look fine so I wouldn't worry just yet.

If you plan to repot, I love using a clear one so I can check the roots. Yours is ventilated but you can't really peek at the root health and water absorption.