Question
We have had our orchid for a little over a year.  It was a gift.  It had several large, beautiful fuschia flowers that lasted a long time.  Then it continued to grow larger healthy green leaves, including one new leaf.  A month or two ago, one of the bottom leaves turned brown on the tip, the brown spread throughout the leaf, now two more leaves have done the same.  We water every week or two, when it is dry, and put orchid fertilizer in the water following instructions.

Answer
Hello Kay,

Without knowing what type of orchid you have makes it a little difficult to tell you what to do.  

With that said, here is some general information that could apply to most orchids.  

If it were just the bottom leaf that turned brown, it could be attributed to old age and it was time for it to go.  But, since you said it is happening to two more leaves, it looks like something is wrong.  Exactly what will take some investigation upon your part.  

First, check all of the leaves including the still healthy looking ones for a possible insect infestation.  Look especially on the underside of the leaves as that is where many insects love to hide.  If there are white fuzzy looking spots, that would indicate mealybugs.  If there are white or brown bumps, that would indicate scale.  If one or both of these are present, try dipping a soft paper towel in isopropyl alcohol and wiping the leaves to see if you can remove them.  Then with a Q-tip dipped in alcohol, try getting those in the base of the leaves.  You will have to be vigilant from now by checking every few weeks to see if there may be some insects still hiding down within the pot waiting to come up.  

Another possibility is that some water collected at the base of the leaves when you watered the orchid and a fungus grew within the water and slowly killed the leaf.  This can happen if you water from above the pot and especially if it is done in the late afternoon or evening.  The best time to water an orchid is in the morning to allow enough time for any water droplets to evaporate by nightfall.  

Lastly, can you see darkened areas where the leaves had been attached?  If so, is this dark area slowly enlarging?  If there is and it is growing, you may have a bacterial infection and unfortunately there is not much that can be done to save it.  

Hope this has helped.  Good luck.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.