Normal yellowing on Cattleya leaves?

[Carkin]

This is my Slc. Smile Again 'Hawaii' Cattleya that I bought Nov. 12th. The first picture is how it looked just shortly after I brought it home, and the next two pictures were taken today (Nov. 25).
I am wondering if the yellowing leaves are just age related or if there is something else going on?
It is a medium seedling and the newest growth looks healthy but the other three have wrinkled psuedobulbs and sad looking leaves.
I am wondering if I should keep it away from my other orchids?
I would really appreciate your advice.

[jsehorn]

It is normal for the oldest leaves to yellow and drop, but leaves should last for several years, and the yellowing leaves on your plant look like they are too close to the lead to be yellowing from normal aging.

The yellow leaves plus the shriveled pseudobulbs look more like root rot to me. Take the plant out of the pot and inspect the roots and the medium. If the medium has started to break down, it should be replaced. If the root system is not in good shape, increase humidity around the leaves, but keep the roots fairly dry until you see new root growth. Once new roots are a couple inches long, you can resume regular watering.

Also, what is that brow spot at the top of the third pseudobulb from the front? It's hard to tell in the picture, but that almost looks like bacterial rot. Bacterial rot tends to abound when plants are grown too cool, too wet, and with poor air circulation. If your other plants are healthy with favorable growing conditions (particularly sufficient air movement) then it probably won't spread, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to move the plant to a place where it can stay drier and warmer with less sunlight until it recovers.

[Carkin]

Thank you Jeff. I did repot it shortly after I got it, but I repotted so many that I couldn't remember what the roots were like on this one, so I popped it out again to take a look at the roots. They are not bad but not great either. It looks like the bulbs with the yellow leaves don't have any roots, should I just cut those off seen as they are dying anyways?

Yeah I was wondering about that brown spot too. It isn't soft.

[jsehorn]

If the pseudobulbs are in fair condition, you should probably leave the plant intact. Even when they are leafless and rootless, pseudobulbs still act as water/nutrient storage vessels. If that brown spot is in fact rot, you can scrape all the brown off and then sprinkle the wound with sulfur or cinnamon or whatever you have on hand to treat cut surfaces. If it spreads, you may have to remove the entire bulb, but for now I'd leave the plant intact.

If the medium is still in good condition but the roots aren't in great shape, this could be the result of overwatering. Cattleya roots need plenty of air, so too much watering can cause problems. You should allow the medium to become very nearly dry before watering again. Even if the plant isn't completely rootless, if the roots it does have aren't in great shape, it may still be a good idea to reduce watering until new roots start to grow.

Glad I could help, and I hope you find this information useful!

[Carkin]

That's a big help! Thank you again Jeff.

[jsehorn]

No problem! Keep us updated on how things progress

[11Orchid126]

Can you answer a couple of questions, please. What kind of light is the plant getting? How far is it from the light source?

[FLBob]

since you just bought the plant 2 weeks ago, my guess is that the plant is suffering from it's change of environment.
The most recent photos indicate an increase in light intensity and reduced humidity. The leaves look to have taken on a more reddish tint,which is an indicator of light level.

[Carkin]

Originally Posted by 11Orchid126

Can you answer a couple of questions, please. What kind of light is the plant getting? How far is it from the light source?

It is about a foot away from a Southern window. I have something in front of the window to filter the sun. Does it look like sun damage to you?

[Carkin]

Originally Posted by FLBob

since you just bought the plant 2 weeks ago, my guess is that the plant is suffering from it's change of environment.
The most recent photos indicate an increase in light intensity and reduced humidity. The leaves look to have taken on a more reddish tint,which is an indicator of light level.

Wow! You are good...I bought it from a greenhouse which is definitely more humid and probably has less light. I have it about a foot away from a southern facing widow with something to filter the sun in front of it. But my other Catt's seem to be okay. This one was on the edge of the table so maybe it got more direct light than the other ones. I will move it so that it gets less light. So, reddish tint means too much light?

[FLBob]

Yes the reddish tint is a good indicator of light, but not necessarily "too much light". I believe that your issue is the abrupt change of conditions. The plant will take time to adjust. To assist it you will probably want to reduce the light and increase the plants access to moisture.
Try adding a layer of sphag to the top of your medium. I remember reading that you repotted the plant. The new medium (bark) will absorb less moisture than the older medium. The sphag will slow the rate of evaporation.

[Carkin]

Thank you FLBob! Great ideas, I will try that.

[RebelCowgirl]

Hey Carkin, I hope you Catt. gets better quick. I have no advise on Catts, but I know you can bring it back to good health. Keep us posted on the progress

[Carkin]

Originally Posted by RebelCowgirl

Hey Carkin, I hope you Catt. gets better quick. I have no advise on Catts, but I know you can bring it back to good health. Keep us posted on the progress

Awww, thank you Jenny...you are the best!

[zaeem]

Carkin,
Seems a change in environment.I had similar issue moved it to more moist place,no direct sun.

[11Orchid126]

Your catt could probably use lots of good light, probably more in the winter, but not all at once. It's equivalent of you going on the beach without sunscreen all day. Your plant needs to be introduced to light gradually. As FLBob says, the change in environment was too abrupt.