is this sunburn?

[exasperatus2002]

Ive never had a problem with this Catt before. Now that I have it in both a south & east exposure, it seems to be developing something which I pray is just sunburn.

[FLaCo]

ALthough, the only sunburn I have experienced has been with Phal. It usually had a crispy/light brown spots. I would think that isn't sunburn but instead a fungal problem. Have you done any pruning or have had soggy medium...anything different?

My catts ...can take a good amount of sunlight...where was this plant that makes you think it could be sunburn?

[kid a]

hmmm.. that looks odd. It looks by the color gradient on the second picture after cutting like it might spread. Or is that on another not in the first picture? I think it's not sunburn but bacterial or fungal by the way it is in two other small circular spots. I say put some of brook's recipe on it, that seems to dry out things and stop spreading, or maybe some peroxide and see if it foams or sizzles.

[Aleksa]

I've had sunburn on Cattleya. This doesn't looks like sunburn to me... Sunburns are usualy reddish and they are rarely this small in size...

[jbigio]

The black spots are a fungus which is fairly common when there is too much moisture and not enough air movement. The yellowing of the leaf look like the results of too much/to strong fertilizes. Try leaching the pots with clean water for a few minutes then cut back on the amount of fertilizes or the frequency.
Joe

[exasperatus2002]

ok I've hydrogen perixided the leaf & exacto knife after cutting off the infected parts and then cinnamined the cut. I've also put in some extra holes up the side of the plastic pot for the mix to dry out better. It's also been a few years since I put new mix in. This is my pod plant for my new hybrid. I dont think itd be good to try to repot while its got a pod nearing maturity on it.

[jbigio]

No I would leave it alone till the pod is ripe then you can check the roots repot with fresh mex and so on. I wouldnt be to worried about the plant.

[patticake]

OOO! We have to take care of "MOM"! Do you have a fan on her? I put small fans near my growing spaces, and it helps so the air doesn't get stagnant!

[jerrymeola]

This is a fungal infection entering the plant through the roots. It spreads rapidly and is quite often irreversible from this point. It is a fungus that exists all over the world. It attacks weakened plants when re-potted or stressed. High humidity and lack of air circulation spreads the condition.

The spots on the leaves can be cut off, but the black that is at the top of the pseudobulb and up the leaf from there is in the pseudobulb and probably down into the roots. Systemic fungicides are very toxic and expensive. Treatment needs to be immediate and in my greenhouses, the best I hope for is to not spread it to other plants.

I have had good results using Bracillus bacteria to combat the problem, but it, and all fungicides, are better as a preventative rather than a cure.

[kid a]

Oh no! That's not good at all! I hope it can make it through this without loosing the pods. Poor mama plant!

[exasperatus2002]

I have a ceiling fan in the room which is kept running. Hopefully the pod will ripen before the plant go terminal, that is if it doesnt respond to any treatment.

[solay]

Boy, that is horrible. I better check some of my plants too for the same kind of infection. No hope? !!! I hope it will be OK. There's always hope if nothing else. Keep us updated on how it and the pod does.

[JLu]

There is a very good chance that jbigio is correct. Your plant is showing signs of isolation of a toxic salt by sending it to the leaf tips. You really need to repot in new media or at least flush thoroughly with distilled or rain water. Remember the damage is done so it won't heal itself.

You might also have a fungus. If I were you I would cut off the leaf tip well into clean green. If it's a fungus that should end it. Why not do both...cut off tip and flush with clean water?

You also mentioned the plastic pot and potential wetness. That needs to be straightened out immediately if you want the plant to live long enough for your pod to mature. You mentioned putting holes in the pot..good start, but if the medium is decayed it's still going to remain too wet. You should be able to correct this without damaging your pod if you are careful.

One thing you don't need to worry about is the disaster scene that Jerry painted. If every orchid with a yellow leaf tip had a deadly fungus there wouldn't be any orchids on the planet. Yeah, there are deadly things, but rarely. Treat for what you can control and forget about ebola-for-orchids.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I'm with JLU. Jerry, did I miss something? I do not see any fungus at the top of a pseudobulb or in a leaf, just the spots and the leaf tip. To my knowledge the only fungus that affects orchids that comes up thru the roots is fusarium, of which I have had WAY too much experience. This problem does not look like any fusarium problem I have ever had. I think the leaves look kind of tender/lush, which may be an indication of something, but one really can't say very much about such things from looking at pictures.

[exasperatus2002]

The leaves felt stiff and the spots are hard when I trimmed the leaves.

[patticake]

Hi Scott.- I think that Jerry M- thought the black was coming from the Pseudobulb. When you look at one of the pictiures that you posted, it almost looks like the black is coming out of the bulb. I think, (and you can correct me if I'm wrong) that the photo has the tip of the affected leaf in front of a bulb, almost looking like it comes from that bulb.

If your bulbs, etc., are still good, I say things will be o.k.-

One more note: We have similar conditions for weather... I have found that aggressive air circulation in the winter isn't needed, since it's a real chore to keep ANY humidity around at all. I'm finding now, that it's more humid, that I need more than the overhead fan.
I didn't want to chill the plants in the winter, but now they really like the direct breeze of the small fans that I bought them. The fan is still a ways away from them, but directed towards them. Go figure.....

[solay]

Patti, you are absolutely correct. I thought the dark black infection was coming out of the center of the plant too. At first glance it didn't look like it was from the tip of the leaves. An optical illusion!

[patticake]

Thanks, Solay! I'm glad that I'm not seeing things... Scott, "Mom" will be O.K.- I just know it!

[exasperatus2002]

After reviewing the pics I can see why someone would think its on the PB between the shadow & the black tip over lapping the pb in the background. The only spotting was on the leaves. I cut atleast 1/4" into good green when trimming. I have also flushed all the orchids with fresh water only and I've opened the window infront of them for added air circulation. The parts I've trimmed are looking good so far and theres no new spots anywhere at this time. I appreciate all of your opinions. Its best to hear all the possibilities when theres a problem no matter how grevious they may be. This is my first real orchid. By this I mean, it was the first orchid that had a name & that I had ordered from a greenhouse (clackmatus {spelling? sorry didnt feel like running downstairs to check the tag.}) after wetting my feet with half dead noid's from home depot. So she's got alot centimental value to her. Now that Im thinking of it. Shes my first "real" orchid and also the pod plant for my first hybrid. what a coincedence.

[patticake]

Yay! It's a beauty, too. Keep us posted!