Laelia Anceps sick -Identification

[Pabsorchid14]

Hi everyone, I just got this laelia anceps a few days ago, it was delivered by mail it took maybe 4-5days to get to me. I took pictures two days ago and then today I panicked and removed the parts I thought were infected

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¡Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Try never to panic. Orchids sense panic and willfully get sicker.

It is rare cutting up a sick orchid helps it to get better, especially if you don't know what's wrong. It is common for beginners to cut up and kill plants having not much wrong with them. YouTube is full of dramatic videos of people cutting up plants. Don't do it. Stop watching those channels.

The large dry brown spots are just older leaves dying naturally. It might have been old. It might not have been watered enough. It might have been too hot. I don't remove dry brown spots. I wait until the leaf dries up and falls off.

I can't see the base of the pseudobulb well. Many healthy older pseudobulbs are dark brown or black and healthy.

The parts you show don't look as though the plant was well grown. Do you have a photo of the whole plant?

What are your growing conditions? Day/night temperatures? Humidity? Light? How are you watering? What is it potted in?

[Pabsorchid14]

At night 15-19 C, around 60% humidity during day is 24-30C around 40% humidity, medium is a small piece of log, seems a bit old and perhaps mold or fungus growing, but have yet to research how to un mount and if it’s a good idea to pot it or mount it to something else or potting . Orchid is placed outside hangin from a ceiling shaded from direct sunlight but gets plenty of light and air. The thing that brought to cut the pseudobulb was that it started turning yellow as did the leaf but that perhaps was me panicking. Thank you very much for taking the time, I really am getting into orchid growing and want to learn as much as possibly can.

Also I am posting a picture of another laelia that I bought from the same vendor, am worried it could also be sick, but since you tell me some old healthy Pseudobulbs turn brownish dark, could you corroborate it is indeed healthy or perhaps something else. also some small white discoloration on leaf. Again thanks a lot ( same conditions as the other orchid, this just seems to be older. ) roots might be dry I have been hesitant as to water it these past 4 days risking spread of disease.

[Pabsorchid14]

Close up another angle of cutted pseudobulb - sorry it’s not more focused I discarded the bulb after taking picture earlier.

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Both plants have very healthy roots. I think both are mostly healthy. The older pseudobulbs look like normal older pseudobulbs that have dropped their leaves from age.

In which part of México do you live? Full sun at those temperatures is probably too much for a small Laelia. When it is bigger it might take full sun.

Laelia anceps grows on oak branches at higher elevations, around 2500msnm / 8,125 feet above sea level. They are shaded by the tree canopy and are seldom in full sun. It rains in the summer, and there is dew at night when there is not rain. Your problems may be related to too much sun for the heat, and not watering enough. A plant mounted on a branch can be watered every day. If these Laelias don't get enough water, the new growths will turn black and die. This is not fungus. It is not enough water.

I'm not sure what the white marks are on the leaf. They might be scratches, or spots left when an insect bit the leaf. They do not look like scale insect or mealy bug insect (a type of cochineal.) The leaf looks very healthy otherwise, so I would not worry about the white spots now.

I think if you shade the plants just a little and water them more, the will grow very nicely for you. Both can bloom this winter.

[Pabsorchid14]

Thank you very much for the help, i was extremly worried about it killing or spreading to other plants, still bummed out about cutting an otherwise very healthy pseudobulb but I guess every mistake is gained experienced.

I live in zamora Michoacan elevation is around 1500
I will start watering everyday from mow on since is very hot still. I dont think direct sun touches the plant at any hour of the day, but perhaps ill try to find an obscurer place to hang it from. Ill try and check where the plant feels more comfortable since i have two ill keep one where it already is and place the other in a darker corner .

Hopefully ill be able to post some pictures of it
Blooming in winter

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If you see orchids in the forest or field around your city, we would like to see photos! With or without flowers.

[SouthPark]

pab ------ I agree with ES there. The plant still looks fine. Just provide gentle (natural or otherwise) air-movement in the growing area, and adequate amount of sunlight, and adequate water. Your branch mount could be workable. But just consider the humidity - such as whether it can handle that humidity with a branch mount.

I grow two separate flowering size anceps (both have Chamberlainiana added to the tag) - both in scoria pots. I grow in tropical conditions, and I just spray water into the scoria (a lot of water) toward the rim (outskirts) of the pot. They're both growing under a balcony - but they actually get a lot of full morning sun ------- direct sunlight for most of the morning. Both are growing well. Very good roots development.