What is wrong?
 

Hi,
On my cattleya plant, there seems to be a new shoot coming up but on the very top, it seems like there is a leaf (?) that turned brown. Anyone know what this is or what is happening? Thanks

It looks to me that your new lead rotted. You probably got water inside. Hopefully the plant will start another one.
Joann

Your plant has an infection that is quite serious :(
It is either Pseudomonas or Pythium Black Rot.
The best pictures I have seen of disease are in Sue Bottom's presentation which can be found at this link:
http://www.houstonorchidsociety.org/...ySueBottom.pdf
Pseudomonas tends to infect from the top down for a cattleya and pythium comes from the bottom up.
You can look at the pictures and see which appears to be more likely...
I would start by removing the diseased part of the plant; cutting at least one inch into healthy tissue.
Remember not to re-use your razorblade to re-cut if you see diseased tissue in your initial cut; get a fresh blade and cut again.
Either infection is contagious and if it's Pythium, I personally would toss the plant. :twocents:

I agree, cut the infected lead off. I've had the same thing happen several times and never lost a plant yet. But it can happen. Good luck.

Oh no :(
 

Wow, I am so sad but even more shocked as I thought this was one of my healthier plants. I am adding more photos so you can see the rest of my plant because everything else seems so green and healthy. The roots when I checked a day ago looked good too. One of the pictures I am holding a white piece of plastic so you can see that brown, dead area on what I thought was a new stalk. Could you look at the new pictures (of the whole plant) and see what you think? If it is quite infected will all the "green" eventually just die off? Sorry for the quality of the photos. The plant looks like I sprayed salt on it. Doesn't look like that in person. Thanks for your help.

It looks like it can use a bit more light. It's a bit dark green in color.

So does the rest of this plant look sick?

I can't see the roots.

As far as I know, there's nothing wrong with the leaves or the pseudobulbs on the rest of the plant.

However, I can't say anything about the roots because I can't see them.

How often do you water?

Btw, if you haven't done it already, I suggest pulling the rotten leaf out of the shoot or removing the entire shoot with sterilized cutters.

These pictures are much clearer and the rest of your plant looks pretty heathy...but you really don't know the real deal until you look at the roots.
If the roots are in good shape, a little surgery will work.
Pythium and pseudomonas are tough infections to control if they involve most of the plant. But if the area is limited and can be removed, you will be okay.
These infections move pretty quick though and this is why sometimes :tombstone:
I literally saw some brown on the base of a pseudobulb in the morning before I left for work and made a mental note to operate when I got home....by the time I got home, it was half way up the bulb :shock:
Fortunately, it was the oldest bulb.
Basically, don't delay and dig in :biggrin:

I don't recommend unpotting the plant at this time of the year. This looks like a simple rotted leaf, happens to me all the time. You either got water in the leaf opening on the new growth while you were watering, or perhaps it got burned from heat from your heater. You can remove the dead leaf carefully and the new growth will probably continue to grow; mine do. No need to unpot the entire thing - that just causes the plant unnecessary stress and will set it back growing time because it will have to recooperate.