Cattleya leaf problem

[littleflower]

Thanks so much for all the great information!

[JScott]

I have burned the heck out of plenty of plants due to being negligent about moving them accordingly as the sun changes position through the year. For me, the most dangerous time is fall. As the sun gets lower in the sky, the direct light creeps closer and closer to the side of the house, and stays there longer, and the covering on the patio doesn't protect them because the sun has gotten so low in the sky and the light creeps in under the patio (this patio faces south). As fall approaches, I have to keep moving the plants further from the edge of the patio and closer to the wall of the house, until finally there's no way to keep them safe and I have to bring them inside, or if the weather is still nice, I move them off of that patio to the northeast patio. They don't get enough sun there to leave them there all year, but it's sufficient to let them enjoy just a few more weeks of the nice fall weather.

[estación seca]

A sheer curtain in the window will usually prevent this kind of problem.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by estación seca

A sheer curtain in the window will usually prevent this kind of problem.

Well yes, of course that's the best solution, but it's far too simple for me to have thought of it myself

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Carebear2

I could be off, I don't want to say the wrong thing but generally sun damage occurs on the leaves closest to the sun not the ones furthest away... No? This is how it's generally been with mine, I mean it looks like possible sun damage, maybe a tree was providing shade on the top leaves. Otherwise it could well still be something else

I doubt closeness to sun has anything to do with sunburn. After all, there is no change is sun strength for leaves that are a foot or so closer to the sun!

Instead, notice that the burnt leaf is horizontal and facing the harshest sun rays at all times. Whereas the other leaves are at least partially turned away from the sun such that the widest part of the leaf is NOT facing directly at the sun.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by littleflower

I’ve been growing cattleyas for several months in this area. That was a drop of water on the leaf, I usually try not to get water on the leaves, but always have a fan on after watering just in case. Thank you

LF ------- thanks for mentioning that. Looks like consensus from everybody is sun-related - definitely sounds right.

Your orchid should be ok - as in unlikely being attacked by pathogens. During the day-time ----- keep an eye on the amount of light from the sun getting on the leaves, and leaf temperature. Sometimes, it could be the actual high temperature itself doing the damage. Other - times, it could be due to abrupt change in temperature - such as if air-con comes on when the leaf is sun-warmed ------ and then cooled relatively quickly due to cold air. Or --- maybe for some cases, the other way around too.

And also see if those particular leaves have most of their surface facing the sunlight ----- while the other leaves don't face the 'brunt' of the sunlight.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by Carebear2

I could be off, I don't want to say the wrong thing but generally sun damage occurs on the leaves closest to the sun not the ones furthest away... No? This is how it's generally been with mine, I mean it looks like possible sun damage, maybe a tree was providing shade on the top leaves. Otherwise it could well still be something else

That's a good point, and I understand what you mean, but I think that applies mostly when the plants are outside and the sun is coming to them from above. I know when my plants are outside and I've burned them, it's always the highest point on the plant that burns the worst. When there are leaves that grow upward for a while and then curve down, such as in a Cymbidium, it is generally the top of the curve that I have seen burned the worst. I don't think it has anything to do with the distance from the sun, I think that's just where the sun tends to hit the leaves when it's coming from above. On a porch or by a window, it can be different because the light is coming in from the side, so if leaves are going to burn, it's going to be the ones that are facing the direct sun, not necessarily the ones at the top of the plant or the highest point on the plant the way they burn when they are outside.