Cattleya hybrid with sunburnt or infected new growth

[mendoccino]

Hi,

My two-pseudobulb cattleya started a new growth but the new growth has a dark spot on it. I couldn't decide whether it is fungal infection or kind of a sunburn. Shall I leave it like that or try to remove it in order to try a second chance with another point of growth?

Suggestions are welcome.

A bit of history: I bought this plant as a four-bulb pot in last September. The smaller pseudobulb in the picture had a sheath with buds but they got all blasted in late October. In mid-December, I repotted the plant because the pot became smelly (root rot). While repotting, I saw that I had two two-pseudobulb plants and potted them separately in fresh medium. The other division started a new growth during winter and it has a large sheath now. I hope I'll be able to share its blooms when they decide to open.

[Orchid Whisperer]

That dark spot could be some sort of mechanical damage. I can't rule out sunburn, though.

I suggest leaving that new growth alone. It may continue to develop, but if it does not, another "eye" like the one you show in the third photo will take its place and start growing.

[tucker85]

I don't think you want to stress a small plant like that anymore than necessary. I would leave it alone and let it do whatever it's going to do. If there's something wrong with that growth the plant will just grow from the other eye. Don't worry about it.

[Bulbofett]

Is it the color that is worrying you? Because it looks normal to me. I have a Cattleya with a purple growth on it. As it is growing it is starting to turn more green, but initially looked exactly like yours.

[mendoccino]

Thank you all for your suggestions; it seems the best is to wait and see.

As a precaution, I wiped around with a cotton swab dipped into dilute hydrogen peroxide and cleared a few pieces of medium so that the new growth does not stay wet.

Bulbofett, I saw that reddish color in winter on a new growth of the sibling plant that I mentioned in my post. However, the black-brownish spot worries me.