Catasetum help, yellow spots and bumps on flower spike

[Nooby2orchids]

So all (7 catasetum al.) new to me from the same orchid grower. They are also the first time owning this type so unsure of what to expect. Most seem to have these tiny yellow spots on the leaves also with some being sticky. There is also a dark streak on 1 leaf of one of the plants. I also noticed on one of the spikes growing have little bumps on it and 3 of the flowers dried up before opening, not sure if it is just bc they are new to me that this spike isn’t viable. I moved them all outside this past week bc I was worried about them having something that could transfer to my other plants. Also it is more humid outside which I figured they would like. They get a little morning sun but are mostly shaded and the temps have been from low 80s to 90s, I’m in north Texas. I tried to attach photos but it would not let me.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board.

Some people must make 5 posts before they may post photos. There is a sticky thread on posting photos in the forum 'About this board.'

Changing environmental conditions may cause bud drop.

[Roberta]

Welcome! Give the photo posting another try... I have seen many cases where new members were successful from the beginning. Another approach is to put them in the cloud (like on Google Photos or OneDrive), set up a share link to them and put the link in your post

Because thin-leaved plants like Catasetinae ARE very susceptible to sucking insects (like spidermites but also scale and aphids) you may have that problem - and so want to keep these new plants away from the rest of your collection until you know what you're dealing with (and have treated if necessary) As ES mentioned, bud drop can just be due to a sudden change of environment But the chlortic spots abd sticky sap point to something biting and sucking. Hoping for photos... will make the diagnosis a lot easier.

An advantage of Catasetinae, if you do have a problem that affects leaves (and once treated the leaves will still be ugly) is that they are deciduous... in the fall they drop their leaves, and start fresh with a whole new growth cycle in the spring. Do read through the many notes on the Board on Catasetinae culture.

This time of year, when they are in rapid growth, they love water, humidity, and sun (filtered at midday to not burn leaves, increase light gradually) Also fertilizer - I use time-release along with my regular fertilziing to give them an extra boost. They're growing more like tomatoes than orchids right now, so fast that you can almost watch them get bigger. So you can't overwater them! Keep them wet! In the fall no more fertilizer, taper off the water, winter nothing at all. Totally different than other orchids.

[Nooby2orchids]

Thank you for the responses! When I tried to post the pictures it said I didn’t have enough tokens but I will try to UrL thing, unfortunately my husband is out of the country and he has the laptop that would make that easier. The board is a little difficult to navigate on the phone.

With the sticky(sap) it is only on a few but it is like the whole top of the leaf and noticed it attracted a stink bug earlier today 😩. So I did see how they are deciduous and lose thier leafs, does that make the possible bugs go away also ? It’s a little frustrating if they came with bugs to start with. Let me see if I can get the photos to work.

[Roberta]

Yes, if they came with the bugs, do contact the vendor. That should not be acceptible. Look at the back sides of the leaves. Spider mites are tiny so you really can't even see them, but if you see a silvery stippling, they are there. Or behind those yellow spots there could be scale. When you describe bumps on the inflorescence, it sure sounds like it could be - hard shells hide eggs underneath. And if the plants came with those, you should be entitled to a refund. That's not acceptable.

Take a look at the Pests and Diseases pages from the St. Autustine Orchid Society. That could help you make a diagnosis.

Catasetinae are deciduous, but not until around November. If you have an infestation now, you need to treat it. (Ugly leaves will be lost, for a fresh start, but you don't want pests around now, or ever... they also will get into your other plants)

[Nooby2orchids]

Shared album - Aubrey (CuteNCozy.Gamer) - Google Photos

Ok I think I figured out how to share the pictures, please let me know if it works

[Roberta]

That bump on the spike, defnitely scale. And the white powder on the back of the leaf, also scale. Since you received the plants this way, I think you need to ask the vendor for a refund. There is no excuse for sending someone infested plants. if you end up keeping the plants, there is a lot of discussion on Orchid Board about various treatments for scale. The big black spot likely sunburn, wouldn't worry about that unless it is soft and smelly (which would a sign of fungal or bacterial infection) Sunburn damage just dries up and looks ugly.

[Nooby2orchids]

Do you think scale also left the little yellowish spots also? I checked everywhere and don’t see any scale bugs, I had a plant with them once awhile back and got rid of the plant bc I could not kill them off.. It is on pretty much all of the plants and a few have that power white stuff that I didn’t even think was something. Do you think they are worth all treating?

[Roberta]

Yes, those yellow spots are due to the scale on the underside of the leaves... they suck the juices including the chlorophyll out of the leaf from the underside leaving those marks. You actually have 2 types of scale - the hard type that you see on the spike and the soft type (the white stuff) on the undersides of the leaves. If you try to remove the hard bumps, be very careful that they don't fall into the medium, since they conceal eggs (which you don't want to perpetuate!). Before you treat, complain to the vendor. (They should replace the plants, or give a refund) They should not be sending you infested plants. (Sometimes a plant will have evidence of a prior infestation that has been treated, the marks dont go away. But these little beasties appear to be alive and active) But if you end up keeping the plants, absolutely treat. (And keep these away from your other orchids until you have it under control) Whatever treatment you use, one is NOT done. It must be repeated at 5-7 day intervals for 3- 4 weeks at least since most treatments only kill the adults so you need to nail the subsequent generations. There are lots of good suggestions in various posts.