Is this cold damage or what?

[avian]

Received a Catt. Naranja el Flor as well as 4 other Cattleyas on Friday. The heat pack was expended and all of the plants felt very cold. The leaves just don't look good on this one and I did send an email to the vendor.
I was also not overly happy with another orchid I received that has a very wrinkled leaf and some yellowing at the base of the largest leaf. If I had seen these two orchids on a sales table I would not have purchased them. The other orchids seem to be OK but I'm going to monitor them. It probably wasn't the best idea to order now.

[rbarata]

In my experience, cold damage might cause leaf yellowing but not in parches like in the photos. What I see is more consistent with a mild mineral deficiency.
But let's see what others say...

[Dimples]

I don’t grow these, but I have a lot of experience with plants and many issues transcend species. That said, are twisted/twisting leaves common for this plant? If not, they could also be a result of a deficiency of some kind. Cold exposure may have exacerbated an existing problem, but that should show itself over the next 14 days (+\-).

[Burgos]

I think I had something similar on a Cattleya purpurata I ordered last May. At first I thought it was due to cold, but I monitored it closely and it must have to do more with some nutrients. The plant quickly adapted.

My advice is to inform the vendor and follow the plants closely. That way if something happens the seller won't be surprised when you contact them with bad news.

[avian]

I sent an email on Friday including photos and then sent another one yesterday and no reply at this time which is VERY disappointing. I'll wait another day or two and then send another email. I looked through my orchids and a few do have curled leaves but none have that yellow mottling.

[RJSquirrel]

the mottling you see is algae Me thinks that's grown on the leaves. Grown in high humidity. Probably close to a swamp cooler with bright shaded light.


I think not cold damage at all

[avian]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

the mottling you see is algae Me thinks that's grown on the leaves. Grown in high humidity. Probably close to a swamp cooler with bright shaded light.


I think not cold damage at all

Doesn't look like algae to me. Still have no idea about the mottling because the vendor has still not replied to my emails. When I've had questions previously that vendor has responded within a few days and it's now been over a week since I sent the first email.
I've ordered from this vendor a few times.

[Leafmite]

Orchid Show season has started so some vendors may be busy with orchid shows (travel, packing plants, etc.) and are unable to reply immediately. Maybe give the vendor a little time to respond.

It is a very good sign that the largest growth looks healthy. If the orchid was imported from overseas, then grown until it was established, that could explain why the old growths look rough and the new growth looks good. If you give the orchid good care, it should be fine. With the Cattleya growing season starting, you should get new growth beginning very soon.

Good luck!

[avian]

The orchids are not imported. I think there was an orchid show in that area over the past weekend. I'm going to wait a few more days and send another email. The leaves aren't getting any worse although the very wrinkled one on the 2nd orchid is about to fall off.

The largest growth on the Naranja el Flor does look OK but the other leaves don't look great. I had requested plants in spike, bud or sheath if available but I wasn't holding my breath that I would get those. There are some sheaths on two of the plants but they are either shriveled or empty. Maybe something will "pop up" in the healthy looking empty sheath. One of the plants out of the five does have new growth and I'm happy about that.

I definitely prefer going to an orchid nursery or sale and picking out my own plants.

[Leafmite]

Some Cattleyas do make buds in dried sheaths, even months after the sheath has dried...just depends on the ancestry of the orchid. Even if these ones do not, the sheath indicates that it is now blooming size...if it is getting good care, the next growth that matures should bloom.