Cattleya with leaf rot: salvageable?

[poetiscariot]

New academic year means I'm getting loans (my last ever set; supposed to be finishing this degree this fall) so. . . new orchids! Most of them came in fine, but two had serious leaf rot:



I clipped off all the really rotted parts, and I think the smaller one will recover, slowly, but the larger one is left with one nub of a leaf and one other with a spot in the middle. From the front:



And the back:



I'm very reluctant to cut off half or so of that leaf, since it's all the plant has left, but if that spot spreads, it'll only be in worse trouble. What do you think, cut it or let it sit and see if it gets worse?

I'm about to Physan the whole order and will keep them isolated from the rest of my plants for a week or so, too.

The seller was great to work with as I was getting my order together, by the way, and I think they'll be fine with refunding my money for those plants. Plus look at the color on that C. harrisoniana! I'm really happy with that.

[opaline]

I say leave aslong as you possibly can but strictly assess it regulary, bearing with it aslong as poss so that whole catt system can use it for water , nourishment and photosynth and establish itself.

On a more established lush specimen I would have lopped it of str8 away. If that suspect mark starts making its way down leaf to the PB - cut cut. But it could easily be just cell damage from sun or oil and sunburn e.g that bacteria got in but the plant has sealed it off. Like our blood clots.

[Kmac]

I have been known to cut a circular spot out of an orchid leaf...cutting enough to have a "clear margin" (as the surgeons say). The orchid I did that to has been fine. I just did not want to chance the problem spreading.

[orcoholic]

Victoria, Did you just get those catts with the black leaves? If so, my advice is to send the vendor the original picture and get a refund.

[poetiscariot]

I hadn't even thought of sort of scalpeling out the bad part! I think I'll give that a try. Thank you for that idea, Kathi.

And, yeah, the plants just showed up yesterday, looking like that, and I am sending the vendor that picture. I had several questions beforehand, and asked them to hold the last two of their L. lucasianas for me, and they were great with all that, so I *think* they'll be amenable to a refund, too.

[kiwiorchids]

Did you purchase these? If you did, send them back to the vendor and complain, they should (if they have a sense of politeness and goodwill) send you back a better plant or your money. Otherwise, try Kathi's suggestion, it works

[poetiscariot]

The seller is sending me replacements and was completely nice. He said it looked like heat damage, and I had never thought about pure heat doing that to plants -- without sunburn -- but it makes sense. I let the spot on the one sit and it hasn't changed a bit, so I'm leaning toward that. In that case, I may not have had to have cut the leaves back, but they probably would have died back on their own. If that's what did happen, hope with me that the next set doesn't get roasted on the way to me!

[rosie]

I have been known to cut a circular spot out of an orchid leaf...cutting enough to have a "clear margin" (as the surgeons say). The orchid I did that to has been fine. I just did not want to chance the problem spreading.

And did that work Kathi, a photo would be good. Great work.

[rosie]

just bumping for Kathy's reply to the salvaging of her leaf. Did it work?

[poetiscariot]

She said she'd done it in the past and it had worked -- I don't know that you're going to get a picture.