Rth Siam Fancy 'Mighty Wing' leaf dieing

[bellflory2]

I left this orchid with hubby for 6 weeks. It's in west window, 30ish % humidity, self-watering pot, 68 degrees. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Roberta]

I don't worry about the loss of one leaf... Actually, the think that jumps out at me is the self-watering pot Catts definitely like to dry out between waterings, so water sitting in that reservoir would be worrisome to me though the medium looks very well drainied. that leaf will drop, but keep an eye on the plant for signs of other issues,

[Shadeflower]

That's interesting Roberta.

Can you have a look at my Cattleya Jenamannii?

I'm trying self watering - been a year but I feel my root growth is lacking a bit.

What do you think? Do you think it doesn't like self watering and I should change it?

[Roberta]

I see a lot of roots that are escaping, so maybe they're looking for air. Same thing that Phals do when the pot gets oppressive. They do seem to like the fresh air - which is something that I have observed with Catts generally, ,they grow best once they escape from the pot,

[estación seca]

What are the temperatures? How much sun does it get and how sunny is it where you live? What do you mean by self-watering pot?

[bellflory2]

I live in central Illinois, it's definitely still winter here but west windows get a lot of sun. It's about 68 degrees and doesn't drop at night where it is growing. My self-watering pots are leka with a reservoir in the bottom and cotton wicks. Thanks for all the replies, I'm just trying to figure out if I should be treating fungus, changing growing conditions or staying patient and doing nothing.

[estación seca]

Are you certain water is getting up to the zone where it has roots?

[bellflory2]

The medium is moist just below the top layer. Does the loss of a top leaf pose a real problem in Catts? Is it a terminal growth point or can the plant just put out another leaf?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by bellflory2

The medium is moist just below the top layer. Does the loss of a top leaf pose a real problem in Catts? Is it a terminal growth point or can the plant just put out another leaf?

That particular growth won't make another leaf. It may or may not bloom anyway. But Cattleyas grow along a rhizome, making new growths so what happens on the older ones doesn't matter much - even with no leaves, the pseudobulb is a "storage tank" for the plant. This type of growth pattern is "sympodial". Phals on the other hand are "monopodial" - they have just one central growth point, and add leaves (and blooms) over time. (Eventually they make additional growths around the base to form a clump) But that's why losing the one growth point of a Phal often means losing the plant, where with sympodial plants, there will be new growths coming along.

[bellflory2]

Thank you all so much!