Newb question - got water on oncidium and it turned brown.

[dr_orchid_lady]

Just got into orchids. I can't find a good anatomy reference for the smaller parts so excuse my lack of terminology.
I water my orchids in my kitchen sink and try not to get water on the leaves/stem. However, some got on one of the leaves that sprout out of the side of one of the pseudobulbs of my Sharry Baby. I put it in front of a fan for awhile as Miss Orchid Girl says. However, the base of this "folded leaf" part and the structure below turned brown. The leaf itself just fell off today. The pseudobulb the structure-with-leaf juts out from looks fine.

What can I do differently? I feel like no matter how I try some water is going to get places.

Side question - what about when the ridges below the pseudobulbs look a bit dry and flaky, but the plant itself is hydrated. Is this normal?

[Dollythehun]

Could you post pictures? I often get my oncidium leaves wet. Older pbulbs lose their leaves naturally. This is the time of year that happens for me as there is a flush of new growth too. I don't think you need worry but, a picture would help.

[ArronOB]

Indeed, I have a number of Sharry Baby’s and just water them by an overhead sprinkler, which soaks everything. Never any problems.

The leaves seem to be permanently spotty, which in any other species would worry me but in their case it seems to have no consequence.

[Optimist]

These plants point straight up and get rained on when they are outside. I can't see how water would be getting in the fold of the leaf at the base. Do you have the base of the pseudobulb buried too deeply in the wet medium? As was said by Dollythehun, they lose their leaves normally, one or two a year should be average. However, the leave usually gradually goes a bright "banana" yellow color before dropping off on its own. Going mushy brown or black does insinuate a water problem. All I can think to do is to dig down a bit at the area that touches the pseudobulb so that the roots are exposed and replace the material (should be no more than 1/2 inch or so, with some lecca or fish tank gravel. This top-dressing will be even faster draining, and water will not sit on the surface. (Miss. Orchid Girl also does this if you doubt it. Check out the pots she has with white stones on the top.) I had some small species paphiopedilums where the bottom leaves were becoming waterlogged and dying, and I put a top dressing of fish-tank rocks (the small kind) on the top, and that solved the issue of dying leaves.

[Ray]

If you're talking about the small leaves that surround the pseudobulbs, there is nothing to worry about.

[dounoharm]

I water from a small hose overhead....but I always water early in the day, so that everything gets dry by end of day....and in cloudy weather, I delay watering....just give ANY plant time to dry off the leaves before dark....daylight the plant will soak the water up, nite time they are inactive and DROWN....more or less.....there are some phrags that need to sit in water tho....lol....don't stress over your plants! gl!

[Spotted Milti]

You could also dunk the pot when you water-- that's how I avoid a lot of disease in my environment. I just let it sit in a bowl of water for 4-5 minutes (the water level comes up about 1/2 inch before the growth starts) and it's saved a bunch of my plants from stem rot.