Dear orchids enthusiasts,
A few of my A. papilionaceae have lost their chlorophyll in the crown.
Last year the same thing happened with this species.
Does anyone have an explanation for this?
They get their fertilizer with trace elements.
could it be an overdose?
These plants have also been visited by thrips, nasty little insects! :sad:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50969175533_1b908e4cf0_c.jpg)
Hello Marcel,
this topic has already been discussed on the pages of this forum, e.g.
Weitere kalte/kühle Erdorchideen und Algemeines / Winterblätter pages 42, 43 and 45
or https://www.orchideenkultur.net/index.php?topic=36606.0.
I am also struggling with this phenomenon, but so far without result. So far, I have not been able to determine the exact cause of this chlorosis or a reliable procedure for its cure. I'm inclined to think it's a metabolic disorder, but I don't know which one. As I have found, it occurs quite often in growers of hardy orchids. I don't think it's a disease caused by a virus. It's definitely not overfertilization.
Hi Stanislav,
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have found a single Ophrys (kotschyi) seedling with the same symptoms, to me it looks like a form of stress.
It is different from the variegated leaves of some other plants.
It has only become visible in recent weeks.
Cannabis growers face a similar problem, but I'm not sure if it's the same - see https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-plant-problems/iron-deficiency. The phenomenon is caused by a lack of iron taken up by the plant, caused by the high pH of the substrate. Remediation is possible by spraying iron chelate on the leaves of the plant and lowering the pH of the substrate to a level below pH 6.5.
I add that the phenomenon can also occur with a lack of manganese with an excess of iron.