Cattelya with bacterial brown spot?

[NYCorchidman]

I think you did the right thing for now. Hopefully it won't come back.

Adding Ca can help plant fight diseases, so it doesn't hurt as long as it is not ovedose. lol

Good luck and happy holiday!

[james mickelso]

I agree with bacterial brown spot. I've had my fair share. You did the right thing. Cut off the new leaf about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch below the damaged area. Treat with powdered cinnamon along the cut edge. The damaged leaf will grow another bud from the base. If the damaged area was dry you could have left it alone. If it continued to spread then I would have cut it off. Either way what is important is the next growth from the damaged pbulb.

[Andre]

I agree. Cut off below the damages area on the leaf and cover the margin with cinnamon. Don't go wild and do it too many leafs, I have killed or stunted plants in the past by doing this. I hate to have blemishes on my leafs, so I have to restrain myself from hacking some plants apart (usually sunburn spots). You can also use cal- mag liquid with your fertilizer from time to time, I find adding calcium powders can get gummy in the mix.


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[james mickelso]

When you find that your plant gets some form of bacterial or fungal grunge and you need to cut off part of the plant to keep the grunge from spreading, here is what you need to know. The plant will most likely not bloom on this growth. The pbulb(s) will continue to store energy consistant with how much leaf is left on the pbulb. And the tissue of the pbulb also photosynthesizes too so take off those papery sheaths on the pbulb as they dry. What you end up with is a pbulb which will put out a new growth more quickly on average than on a healthy pbulb. This new growth bud is what you need to nurture. It is the future of your plant. Don't give up. This rescue will preserve the plant and give you future flowers. Here's a picture of what becomes important. I encourage you to learn how to grow orchids that are far from prefect. It's how you learn.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

When you find that your plant gets some form of bacterial or fungal grunge and you need to cut off part of the plant to keep the grunge from spreading, here is what you need to know. The plant will most likely not bloom on this growth. The pbulb(s) will continue to store energy consistant with how much leaf is left on the pbulb. And the tissue of the pbulb also photosynthesizes too so take off those papery sheaths on the pbulb as they dry. What you end up with is a pbulb which will put out a new growth more quickly on average than on a healthy pbulb. This new growth bud is what you need to nurture. It is the future of your plant. Don't give up. This rescue will preserve the plant and give you future flowers. Here's a picture of what becomes important. I encourage you to learn how to grow orchids that are far from prefect. It's how you learn.

Thank you, jamesmickleso. No, I haven't given up. I do remove the sheaths as they dry. And believe me, I haven't been doing this long, so I'm getting pretty good at growing orchids that are far from perfect. I'm just darned glad I've gone from dead orchids to not-quite-perfect ones.

Isn't that the truth? "It's how you learn." Five years ago, had I an orchid like the one I posted here it would have gone straight to the trash out of fear of infection of others. Now, at least I've learned enough to isolate and attempt treatment. Lotta difference between culling a bad plant in the garden, and throwing out an orchid.

[james mickelso]

I seldom post pics of most of my orchids for fear of being laughed out of the orchid world. So I know what you mean. Rescue is what I do. The plant shown is one of my better ones. The point for those newbees reading is not to give up. It's the potential growth bud which becomes important. It's a $30-$50 plant in a year or two. Just because it doesn't look good and may have had surgery doesn't mean it's not valuable. Of course that depends on what kind of room they may have to grow orchids. Some with windows just can't keep orchids that are a year or two away from flowering. but if they have room, it's a great way to learn how orchids grow. And he.....heck, if it dies, you've learned something. I would love to know how yours will turn out.

[Dan796]

It looks to me like a stagnant air fungus/bacterial infection. Do you have a fan running 24/7 near the plants? If not, do so! stagnant air is the perfect medium for growing bacteria, and fungus.
Spray the infected plants every week with 70% Neem oil and water according to the directions. Be sure to add a few drops of liquid dish soap as a wetting agent, and fixative. The spots will not disappear, but they will somewhat dry up, and the Neem oil will prevent the infection from spreading further, and prevent future infections.
Keep an eye on the blackened areas, if the infection spreads, and reaches the psuedobulbs the plant may die.