
Aww crap-- mush! I hate that,... never had stem rot before, just bud rot, but I know that watery-spongy ganky feeling tissue from some orchid bulbs/stems that went tits-up!

...you know, at this point, with the fungals that deep into the tissues, letting it dry out as best you can along with basting in S-paste will likely be the best chance of knocking it down enough for the plants internal defenses to seal it off,... the other worry of course, is loss of structural strength, particularly as those buds start packing on the weight! I'm sure you'll be shoring things up though...

...is this a reoccurring problem, mate? I wonder that the stem training is doing something that later, as it grows, expands, and starts supporting serious weight start some sort of "fault line" in the stem, cracks that allow fungus to get in, coupled with the regular watering of that area, shaded and (I'm guessing) most often moist is promoting the infection...? --just speculating here,...:smoking:

dude, I already applied for camping rights in your garden!-- didn't you get my paperwork yet?

I lust for your beefy girls--

:drool:

-- bark and all! .... I like fluoro's for starting a lot, it's great bright diffuse light, with the right spec's in the bulbs,... LED is fairly new to me as well, started last year using them for supplemental light after daylight hours... My little Mars 96x3w Reflector works nicely, and has been solid so far,... recently got a gift lightly used Platinum 300, superior diodes and all that, but it's footprint is too narrow for prime intensity.. needs to be wider and longer if it's to really cover a 3x2 area well... The girls are loving it though!

... If the seedlings stay too squat, may raise the light even more?