Question
I have a Lycaste Koolena x Sunrise x cruenta, which I have had for several years.  It flowered for the first time last January (I live near Sydney Australia).  I has always been very healthy, with dark green bulbs.  Just this week, all the bulbs have gone very yellow, and I am very concerned about this.  The plant has 9 new shoots on it, three of which are definitely leaves, the others could be flower spikes, but are too small to tell yet.  Even these new growths look yellowish to me.  Any ideas?  Please help!

Answer
Jan, three events or conditions could be responsible. You may be able to narrow down the three to one or more of them based upon your knowledge.  The first is a root problem.  If you repot annually, this is likely not a problem.  However, root rot can exist if the plant has not been repotted for over a year. Potting mix can degrade leading to root rot and the root rot can then affect other parts of the plant.  This is best determined at the time of repotting when the roots can be rinsed off and examined for rot or deterioration.

The second potential cause is too much sun exposure which leads to a yellowing of plant tissue. If the plant has been exposed to more light this year than in past years, for any number of reasons, that could result in the lighter color of bulbs and shoots.

Lycastes prefer cooler temperatures (eg 50-60 degrees F) year around.  If you grow your plant outdoors or a place that could be directly influenced by a warmer climate than usual this year, that too, could have set back the plant.

Once you determine whether the new growths are flowering or vegetative growths, this can set the stage for a decision on what to do.  If flower spikes, I would let this flowering period play out.  If vegetative growth, I would carry out the repotting (if you have not repotted during the past year or two).  In either event, I would ensure that the plant is in a lower light location where it is cool.