yellowing leaves

[Linda Buxton]

I have a new cattleya that has had several leaves turn yellow one at a time. I am giving it the same care as my older catts , fertilize etc. but one at a time the leaves are yellowing from the pseudopod upward slowly. I 've never dealt with this before . Is it sick? It came in a plastic pot, so I repotted it in an new orchid pot. Should I remove it from the six others I have on the patio?

[11Orchid126]

Your cattleya may be suffering from moving shock. It came into entirely different conditions that it had known previously. Hopefully the leaves that are turning yellow are on the older pseudobulbs. Keep it on the dry side for a while. It should eventually settle down. If the leaves are yellowing on the newer bulbs that might mean problems. If you have it on the patio, you should have introduced the plant to the brighter outdoor light gradually.

[BunnytheOrchid]

Hmmm, we might need a bit more info on the care of the cattleya (light, temp, humidity, etc). Its true orchids may suffer a bit while being moved around, but at least I always thought that was displayed in flowers dropping. I assume 11Orchid126 is right though and leaves can drop too So I agree if the orchid is new, it could be a case of "leaf blast," but to make a true diagnosis we'll probably need to know the other growing conditions.

[kmarch]

Cattleyas are tough plants and while they might skip a bloom cycle or 2 to adjust to new ocnditions, they typically don't start loosing yellowing leaves. Even if the yellowing leaves are old leaves, cattleyas have mostly persistent leaves (meaning they don't typically loose their leaves). Leaves should not blast when a plant is taken into new conditions. I think somethign else is going on, perhaps a root problem or sunburn.

When you repotted it, what condition were the roots in? Have you closely examined the plant all over (especially in the tight places and under the leaves) for scale?

We really can't say if the patio is the best place for it or not because we don't know anythign about your patio. As Bunny requested, can you please tell us about your growing conditions (what direction it faces, temps, how much sun, what they're potted in, etc., etc.) and where you are geographically. We have members all over the world and people in different areas use different techniques tomeet the needs fo their plants.

[articuno75]

Cattleyas don't loose their leaves unless there is something very serious going on.

Linda if you could please update the location on your profile, this would be a big help to the members giving advice.

I agree with Bunny and need to know what the condition your orchid is in, ie~ light, watering habits, humidity, etc. Also a picture is a thousand words. If possible, post some pics so that we can see what you are trying to explain.

Another question is how long have you had this Catt? This plant might have had issues even before purchase. Again, pics would be most helpful.

[articuno75]

Hey Kevin, we came in on this one at the same time

[Linda Buxton]

I live in Tampa Fl. My orchids live on the patio underneath a partial roof and gets sun early in the morning till 12:00pm and is shaded in the pm. This one is new having been purchased from Loew's garden supply . It is getting humidity from my pool and jacuzzi . I water it after checking with a bamboo stick in the soil about every 7 to 10 days and include fertilzer in the water. It is planted in orchid bark. It 's roots looked clean and healthy when I repotted it. My other orchids seem to thrive in these conditions . Thanks for your help.

[PhalPal]

I'm new to growing Catts and wanted to get in on this thread. Are Catts like other orchids and will yellow leaves if overwatered?? I'm thinking bark in Florida humidity might be too wet??

[articuno75]

Yes, and they will yellow if not watered enough as well.

[11Orchid126]

I go back to my original statement: A change in conditions. If the orchid is new, how long did it take for you to introduce it to the sunshine? Did you just bring it home and set it on the patio? The yellowing leaves may be from sunburn. It sounds like you're doing everything else right. What type of fertilizer are you using, and how much?

[Linda Buxton]

Thanks for all your help. The fertilizer I have used is Schultz orchid food 19-31-17 water soluble. I put1/4 teaspoon in a gallon of water that I have let set overnight and warm up. The leaves yellow from the bottom up rather quickly . Just today one has almost completely turned yellow. All of my orchids are in the same location and don't really get heavy sun just am light.
This one came in as a gift and was wrapped in celophane so perhaps that is why it is having a difficult adjustment. I checked the roots and it is getting some nice healthy green new ones. I'm hopeful it will turn around and get better.

[Nancy]

I was noticing your fertilizing practices. It seems to me that you are saying that everytime you water the plant, you fertilize it. Perhaps the yellowness is caused by built-up salts in the pot. Do you water the plant with plain water before you add the fertilizer? It might be a good idea to fertilize it a little less until the situation rights itself. I'm sorry if I have misread the situation. Just trying to help. Good luck with your plant.

[mgiannukos]

Thank you for the helpful info I received regarding yellowing leaves on my orchid.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

A couple of things. Please click on your name or avatar in the upper left corner of one of your posts, and it should bring up your profile. Then add your location in the appropriate place. This is very important, as we can't keep asking you your location over and over again in every post. If you look at the posts of most others, you will see their location in the upper right hand corner where it should be for everyone.

A picture would help. If these yellowing leaves were the oldest leaves, it might not be a problem, or at least not a serious one. If the roots are good, and the yellowing leaves are not very old, I would say that either someone mistreated the plant before you got it (over heating or chilling), or you should look for scale. Often times, when scale is bad enough to cause leaf loss, you will see a lot of immature scale at the base of the pseudobulbs which looks like mold.