Well, I have some good news and some bad news… Good news first. My huge Phragmipedium Grande (caudatum x longifolium) is going to bloom!! It has been growing like crazy for the past two years but has refused to flower – until now. It has a beautiful bud coming and I am sooo proud!
Ok, so to the bad news. I am really kicking myself for letting this happen too… On the big shower day a couple of weeks back I must have gotten water in the pockets between the leaves on the Phrag because for the past week the two oldest leaves on the big shoot started turning yellow with a brown spot in the center that was slowly spreading taking over the leaf. Dammit! I am always really careful not to get water trapped in the leaves when I water, but I must have missed some this time. I usually blow the water out (works great on Phalaenopsis) or blot with some tissue paper (or paper coffee filters work even better). Vandas I usually just turn upside down to shake them out. Works great.
Alas, with the Phragmipedium I wasn’t vigilant enough this time. This is the only Phrag I have (so far) and I guess my inexperience with this species got me this time. It really seems like the leaves grow much tighter and at a steeper angle than on its cousins the Paphiopedilum, of which I am much more familiar, and some water must have been trapped at the base. I know this could escalate to brown rot very quickly. So, I made the hard decision to cut the affected leaves off and dusted the cuts with cinnamon. It is important to do this to help dry out and “heal” the wound and also to prevent the development of fungus.
All in all, the plant is huge and it is none worse for the wear, and I still have the coming flowers to look forward to. Exciting!
