What is this on my new shoot??

[Helen]

It's a hybrid: Potinara (brassavola X cattleya X laelia X sophronitis) The flower will look like my avatar.

Also, why is it that only the new shoot is reddish and not the rest of the plant? just because it's new and tender and therefore more sensitive to light?

[justatypn]

Mine is the same way, new to light is my guess as well. The parent leaves are no different than yours. Looks like it will be ok, I am sure you will have a winner. My cattleya alliance's are the same size as yours and a few larger with the same appearance. So we now must be patient, which is the hardest for me...talk about a single gonna have to have the whole dance floor full... when I see the bloom peaking. This will be my first round with cattleya's blooming, bought in bloom but nothing like bloomin' your own.

[Helen]

I never got to see my flower as it had bud blast within a few days of bringing it home this past March, so this will be a first for me, plus a first orchid ever for me...other than the two phal noids I bought in bud....so make room for me on that dance floor!! Here's a photo of my foliage!
(picture is not great, I only have a webcam). And, many thanks for helping me out today. I really really appreciate it!

[justatypn]

Thanks Helen for the PM, this thread was 2nd page, wow, so many threads just less than 24 hours ago.

Your potinara looks great. The shoot will bless you with a new bloom come spring (?), not sure of your orchid types blooming cycle, but I am sure it will be a beauty. Can't wait for you to share the coolest day of a orchid hobbist "first" bloom.

I don't think your location will be a bad one if you can shade the sunlight. You definitely want a cattleya alliance orchid in bright but not direct sunlight. The only direct sunlight my catt. and pot's get is east a.m. direct sun for 4 hours...this is enough for the leaves not to go over the peak of bright, keeping the leaves a nice reddish green.

I would love to share the dance floor

[purplegirl]

Cheryl, have your orchids ever reduced the size of their blooms year after year? A few of my orchids had nice, big blossoms when I bought them, but the reblooming flowers are smaller than I remember. Could this be a light problem, Too?

[harleymc]

I can't believe I'm seeing artificial lighting suggested as a wa of growing orchids. How much human induced greenhouse effect do we want on this planet? same goes for artificial heating.
grow orchids or other plants that are adapted to local conditions - stick them outside where the belong.

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by harleymc

I can't believe I'm seeing artificial lighting suggested as a wa of growing orchids. How much human induced greenhouse effect do we want on this planet? same goes for artificial heating.
grow orchids or other plants that are adapted to local conditions - stick them outside where the belong.

Yeah sure and have eeryone movin to Florda ...Reality check here but do you live outside in a palm leaf hut?

living green is important but in reality none of us can 100%

[GOLDO]

HEY; I DON'T THINK THAT IS SOMETHING BAD,IT JUST SEEM TO ME THAT IT WAS EXPOSED TO DIRECT SUN. JUST THE OTHER DAY I VISIT A GREEN HOUSE & THEY HAD A BUNCH OF PLANTS WITH SIMILAR THING LIKE YOURS. WHEN I ASKED THE GUY WHAT WAS THAT,HE REPLIED SAYING THAT IT WAS TO HOT & THE FANS WERE OFF FOR TOO LONG. SO THAT COULD BE THE SOURCE OF IT.

[tucker85]

Although that could be sunburn, my feeling is that it's a fungal rot of some kind. Possibly black rot. I hope I'm wrong. If it's sunburn it will begin to turn a lighter color, eventually becoming tan. If it's a fungus it will stay dark and begin to spread. If it starts spreading you'll need to cut off that pseudobulb. Just wait and see. Good luck.

[Helen]

I was surprised to see replies to this 3 year old post...but to bring you up to date, it ended up being rot afterall...I lost that plant back in late 2009....just rotted away to nothingness....so sad it was at the time, for a newbie it was heartbreaking...thanks again!
Helen