Cattleya with black on stem casing

[smithgerry]

Often when leaves die they can get kind of nasty looking. If the bulbs are firm I think there's nothing to worry about. They may just be getting more sun as the days get longer and the sun gets stronger. If they're getting soft, cut them away from the plant and dust the cut with cinnamon. Make sure you cut away all the soft tissue from the rhyzome.