Cattleya leaf problem

[littleflower]

Can anyone identify this? It’s on two leaves of one of my cattleyas , the rest of the plant looks good and healthy. Someone on Facebook mentioned sunscald, which certainly is possible.... But all my cattleyas are generally in the same place, near a window, no problems with any of the others

[SouthPark]

If the leaf temperature gets too high or too low, or if temperature of the leaf changes from one to another much different temperature too quickly, then you could get results like that.

If those regions appear to be drying, or becoming dry and hard - then that's ok.

I can see a blob of water or something on the leaf. Are the leaves getting water on them? Sometimes - a warm leaf that cools down abruptly due to water on them - can also lead to that kind of thing ----- which is still temperature-related.

This is only assumption. How long roughly have you been growing those orchids in that particular area?

[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

[JScott]

That looks to me like thermal damage: too much sun, too hot, or too cold. Tell us more about how you grow it. Is it by a window? Which direction does the window face? Does it get any direct sunlight? Have you moved the plant recently? Do you grow under artificial light? Has the leaf been in contact with any objects, such as pressed up against the window itself? It's hard to tell for sure from just a single picture, but it looks like thermal damage to me.

As southpark said, if the damaged area dries up and doesn't spread, you'll have an unsightly plant for a while, but no concern about disease. The leaf is damaged over a large enough area that it may turn yellow and fall off. If that happens, that's okay as long as it hasn't spread to any other leaves. If the problem spreads anywhere else on the plant, then you may need to worry about bacterial rot or other disease, but such diseases are uncommon if growing conditions are right. If you notice it spreading, you will need to cut away the damaged parts to keep whatever bacteria or pathogen is causing the problem from spreading any further.

Sometimes things just happen that we can't really explain, but if the rest of the plant remains healthy, I wouldn't worry about it.

[littleflower]

Thanks! It is near a south facing window, I need to be more conscious of how much direct sun it’s getting. I wasn’t concerned previously because all the plants are doing well. No artificial light, just sunlight. And no, Not up against anything. I will keep my eye on it, my main concern was all scratched other kids. I think I might keep it away just in case.

[JScott]

Oh yeah, by a south window, it very may well be sun burn, and it may not have happened before because the sun is just now reached its hottest position in the sky, and also as the sun's position changes in the sky through the year, the places where the direct sunlight lands and stays change over time. I adjust the position of my south facing orchids periodically throughout the summer to keep them from getting burned as the sun changes position in the sky. It won't hurt to keep it separated from your other plants for a bit, but I don't think you have anything that's going to spread. Just keep an eye on it, pay attention to how much direct light it gets, and adjust its position as necessary.

[littleflower]

Thank you!! I’m always learning....often the hard way!!

[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

[estación seca]

That's sunburn.

[Roberta]

I concur with the general consensus - sunburn. The seasonal shift in sun can totally surprise you - and the plant... a sudden blast of light and heat, rather than gentle increase. For toasting leaves, the most dangerous time at my house is right around the vernal equinox in March when the sun suddenly clears the house or trees. Second most dangerous for me is the fall where again sudden sun shifts, accompanied by the seasonal hot, dry conditions, also can cause burns. For those growing behind a window, it may be summer instead but the common thread is rapid change. Vigilance is vital...also taking notes (and putting them on the calendar) can be useful, because the pattern is likely to repeat next year.