Dactylorhiza problem

[mark smyth]

I'm hoping this damage is weather related and not ...

As a precaution I have cut off all stems and put them in the bin

[annew]

I think it's just normal senescence, egged on by dryness.

[mark smyth]

Quite the opposite. I first noticed the leaves turning after many days of rain. Many were 'stuck' together. The clump was also congested.

[annew]

Bang goes that theory, then! 

[Ian Y]

Mark we have a number of Dactylorhiza with  brown damage caused by the bad weather as they were emerging so it may just be that.
Taking the precaution of removing the affected leaves does no harm.

Interestingly the symptoms of dryness and water logging in plants are very similar. A plant requires a layer of air around the roots to enable them to take up moisture. If the air cannot get to the roots because of too much water then the plants cannot absorb the water so the plant displays similar symptoms. May not be your problem Mark but an interesting fact.

[Jeff Hutchings]

Mark,

The yellow I suggest is stress and the brown is a result of the weather. Wind damage allows bacterial rot to get into areas of the leaf. This year has been a nightmare with various genus and dactylorhiza is no exception.