Cattleya is unhappy
 

Hello all,
I won this cattleya in a raffle at my OS. When I first got it, the leaves were all green, and slightly limp. I have not repotted it or moved it at all in its original container. Since then, a couple of the leaves have turned yellow, one has fallen off today. Now I am really concerned about these spots forming on one of the leaves.

Please see pictures here: Anxious cattleya - Album on Imgur

Care:
Outdoors, under 95% shade cloth
Temperatures vary 85-95F, fans blowing on leaves
60% humidity
I water every other day, and it has been raining once a week since I got it. I haven't fertilized it yet, because I fertilize all my cattleyas on the first of each month.

Any help is appreciated, thank you.

I see a dehydrated plant. The leaf drop might be a consequence but, at the same time, it's an older leaf.

Thank you so much. I will up the watering.

Could it be that the roots are no longer viable? Did you get it bareroot?

Do your other Cats bloom? 95% is a lot of shade...

I am not sure. I thought it was peculiar that the rhizome on the other half isn't showing at all, but nobody at my OS seemed to be bothered. I can try repotting it once I see new growth just to further troubleshoot. I will have to see how it looks after watering more for a month or so.

---------- Post added at 06:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:38 AM ----------

I have never had my cattleyas bloom before, from my care. I just started taking care of cattleyas this year. These are transitioning from being inside for more than half the year, so i just wanted to be extra careful..Texas sun is really harsh. Some are sunburned already from the evening sun. However I am not sure if 95% shade is the right term..I think the clothe blocks certain rays. There is a VERY faint shadow over them if I place my hand over.

Here is a photo of how they are positioned: Outdoor cattleyas - Album on Imgur

You can see a little shadow on some just to give you an idea..is this still not enough light? I will have to push them for more sun, a bit after a month or so. If you have any advice on how to get them used to more sun I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

Question for cattleya experts here:

Is leca a good media for catts in a relatively hot climate??

It is my limited understanding that leca may not be the best choice for outdoor orchids in hot climates.

LECA is fine, with an every other day watering schedule, provided that the plant had good roots going in.
What I see in the photos, is a plant with few (any?) live roots, so it is unable to uptake the water you provide.

I suggest taking it out of the pot (you can save the LECA, in case I am wrong), and look at the roots.
If roots are OK, you can pour the LECA back in.
If it needs the root recovery treatment: spaghnum, inside a plastic bag and placed in low light indoors.

Great advice! Would a root stimulant like kelp also be helpful for more roots?

Always.