The next day

This is a few days after I cut off the black tip. Am I just going to lose this leaf / plant?

This post was edited by fantomstranger on Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 10:04

Can you tell us the name of the orchid, how long you have had it, and how/where you grow it?

Brown leaf tips on any plant is usually a sign of salt / fertilizer build up in the potting mix. I can see white spotting on the leaves as well which is another sign of some sort of build up. How are you watering? Are you using fertilizer or do you have hard water issues?

Psst, lumpy, salt damage doesn't spread this quickly and on only a single leaf. Unless the OP sprays with a bottle I'd bet this is a newer acquisition (last couple months). You often get that patterning and quantity of white build up with hose use or pesticide residue coming from a grower.

The tag says: 21998 BL. yellow bird (Richard Mueller X B. Nodosa). I have had it for about a month and I water it with purified spring water and once in a while (no more than once a week) I must it with Miracle Gro orchid plant food mist. The orchid is from Better-Gro. Thank you all for your response.

Should I be worried about losing the whole plant?

You need to tell the readers here where you are growing the plant.
I suspect that you are giving it too much tender love and care and not enough sunlight.
The ancestors of this orchid are not cloud forest type orchids, so the misting bit and the purified spring water are not necessary. It needs to be watered heavily and then allowed to dry out a bit,
The thick leaves are a clue to culture requirements.

Is the spring water like bottled water, or is it reverse osmosis kind? Not saying that it is mineral build up, but the individual bottles of water that you buy usually contain high amounts of minerals that can build up and be damaging to some orchids.

I am growing it indoors under a light. The water is just filtered spring water. I will look for RO or distilled. As far as the light requirements, the problem is only on this one leaf so my thoughts were that if the issue was light I would see it on more leaves. I will send an updated photo later today.

I'm incline to agree with Arthur here. This isn't salt damage.

This plant want higher light than what you are providing. This damage is consistent with what I've seen in other plants: little too much water in too little light. It's not a rot, but rather the plant saying "ouch".

Side note: this plant is a tough one. You can feel free to use tap water with it. Spring water really is unnecessary.

Today's photo

Ok, thanks I will move it to a higher light area and switch to tap water. Should I remove the leaf or just let it fall off on its own?

Cut it off.

That's common for my Brassavola ones...It happens when I buy them or receive them by mail...Sort of an adjustment period while one or two leaves just fall off.

I would not be concerned...A few died back on mine but the remaining have adjusted and are growing just beautifully.

Mike