extreme discoloring, dropping leaves Den. laevifolium
 

This Den. Laevifolium has been loosing leaves one at a time for about a month, and what concernes me is the way the leaves develop black spots and then discolor very drastically before falling off the pbulbs. In the pictures (hopefully showing up) one shows the plant with the black spots starting on a couple leaves that are still green, and a close up of what the leave looks like right before its falls off.
-It lost at least 4 leaves, but all off old or formed pbulbs, and so far the two new growths that havent formed into bulbs yet have healthy looking green leaves with no issues so far... No mushiness or problems with the bulbs, and flowers all fine.
I'm going to email the small company I bought it from, its my first purchase from her.
I know many dens loose leaves from old bulbs, but are the black spots normal (and the vivid discoloring-but the spots are what concern me most) when it looses leaves?
Photos attached:1. Leaf at most discolored, 2. leaf with spots as it starts process of discoloring, 3. Newest growths which are fine so far
-Thanks for any help or insights,
-Meg

These guys do loose leaves and have a short dormancy. I don't think that is what is going on though as you still have blooms and you have some sort of infection either fungal or bacterial. These guys like to stay moist in the root area but not the leaves. I would trim off all the bad areas using a sterilized instrument and put cinnamon powder at the ends of the cuts. I would also repot in new/cleaned (sterilized) pot and fresh spagh moss. Put the moss loosely around the rubbery roots and keep it away from the leaves. When you water only mist the moss and keep all water off the leaves and bulbs. Also these guys really do not like fertilizer. In the first sign of any problem, I always repot my plant. They do not mind it and they like the fresh moss. They do not like compressed moss. You can increase the air flow by opening a window or using a fan.

Here is a thread that has some more information on this plant: http://www.orchidboard.com/community...um+laevifolium

It looks like a fungal infection to me. How is your air circulation, do you fan your plants after watering?

I had a cymbidium that was doing a similar thing last year, and I thought that I was going to loose the plant, so I gave it a wash with brown Listerine, by a wash I put Listerine in my sprayers, sprayed the whole plant, let it sit for around 15 min, then wash it with distilled water, I repeated this two more times(one per week), until the last infected leaf felt, Now I only do it once every two months and the plant has no longer shown any spots nor have I lost any leafs do to fungus. Now I don't know if that is what you are experiencing here. I just hope is something simple like that and nothing more.

Good luck

The listerine is a good idea but still cut the really bad leaves/ areas off and repot to a clean pot and moss.

Thanks for the advice! I always keep the feeling fan on high for the whole day after I water, which I do in the mornings, but I have been misting the general area and the leaves to get wet, but they are dry be the evening. I haven't used any fert. on it.
I will repot in fresh moss. Thankfully if it is something infectious I have not let it touch my other orchids. I don't have any other dens but none two phals that are nearby and have same light/moisture conditions are very healthy.
Thanks!

My plant did this when it arrived. The old leaves turned brown and died. I'm not sure it's an infection; I think the plant was just shocked by shipping and the new, lower-humidity environment. Your newer leaves look good. I was able to see healthy roots through the holes in the tall 2" / 5cm diameter pot with sphagnum moss, so I didn't repot. Taking Wintergirl's advice from earlier this summer, I have not been spraying the leaves, but have kept the moss moist. My plant retains just one set of leaves it came with, on a developing pseudobulb, and those leaves have been damaged since arrival. It is also making one new growth. It has been in bloom since I got it.

Even if the roots "look good" the plant may still need a repot into fresh media to get them out of toxins that have built up in the older media. If there is any hint that something is not right with my plant, I repot it with fresh spagh moss immediately.