forcing roots on old canes or pseudobulbs

[daddydoall]

Any suggestions on sparking fresh roots on old relatively spent growths? I have gotten some very cheap divisions from SBOE but have had many refuse to produce new roots even off the single "new-good" cane that is forming in spite bottom heat and even moisture. It is amazing how they look alive for so long with out roots!

Of course I can buy bigger healthier specimens but still one must try!

I recently tried rooting hormone but it did not seem to do the trick.

[KonaLady]

Back in March I posted on starting new growths on backbulbs in water. You might want to take a look at it. There should be dormant eyes on the pbs that will develop. So far I have had success on three different types of catts. One of them, Bc Korch Wallis, was a clump of backbulbs that developed 4 new growths, which have in turn sent up four more. The new ones are developing sheaths. This has all occurred since December 2015. I'll try to post a picture of it tomorrow. (This of course is not simply growing roots on the old pbs, but encouraging a whole new growth from an eye, so it may not be what you are looking for.)

[bil]

I have done it with den phals and den nobile. You take the old cane,, wrap it in sphagnum half fill a pot with fine bark, lay the wrapped cane on that and cover with fine bark.
It can take a while.

[Whimgrinder]

Ive had back bulbs start new growth/roots in as little as two months. I've also had some take up to two years. Be patient :-)

[daddydoall]

KonaLady, I could not find your old post searching by name or date in this forum. Do you submerge them in rooting solution?

My problem is with Cat types.

Also Den Speciosum which I have probably not kept moist enough as I was afraid they would rot.

[Leafmite]

Some Cattleyas will grow the entire pseudobulb and even bloom before the new pseudobulb starts growing roots. I have seen this on a few of my Cattleyas. Others begin the roots while growing the pseudobulbs. It depends on what you are growing whether you should be worried. How long has it been since the pseudobulb finished growing?

[KonaLady]

Here are pics of the plants rooted in water. The first is the Bc. Korch Wallis. If you look carefully you can see the little sheath peeking up. I checked the tag - this one was started in water in Feb. of this year! The smaller leaves were the first to come up and the ones in sheath are the next generation. The next two are the original plant in my March 18 post. (I did advance search on my name, konalady, and found it by date. There may be an easier way.) I just used tap water, no additives. As someone has pointed out, damp/wet moss would probably do about the same thing. I just thought it was an interesting experiment. These may have done well because they were removed from plants when I repotted and immediately put into water. Backbulbs that have been lying around and drying out for a while may not respond like this.

20160725_095059 by Jo Beth E, on Flickr

20160725_094910 by Jo Beth E, on Flickr

20160725_094921 by Jo Beth E, on Flickr

[stonedragonfarms]

Speciosum should be throwing new roots right about now; many push new roots just before pushing new leads; the new leads will root and typically push another set of leads. They key to rooting back bulbs is to trim all the damaged/dead roots to the quick (i.e. back to the pseudobulb); let the trimmed ends harden a bit (i.e. set the non potted pseudobulbs somewhere shaded and dry a few days). The next step is to report them in small pots; if we're talking a single pseudobulb, a 2.5"-3" deep pot; you're planting for the size of the root mass, not the size of the existing bulbs. I usually use a mix of small orchid bark, medium orchid bark & pumice (1:1:1). Treat them as you would actively growing plants, with a couple exceptions: 1. no fertilizer; I would hit them with an application of kelpmax or similar in the first few waterings. 2. Keep them more shades than rooted speciosum; in the greenhouse, cattleya level light would be about right. 3. If you are able to increase the humidity, and airflow around them, do so.
They should root by the end of the summer and push at least one new lead. They should also be ready for potting on next spring--just don't over pot them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[daddydoall]

Thanks, I moved the stubborn specimen to a small orchid pot with the base buried in LECA, I put willow branches coiled up in the bottom of a deli container and placed the orchid pot on top then filled with water so several 2-3" is submerged. I moved it out of hot sun to a window sill. It will either root or rot. More to follow.

[daddydoall]

Den speciosum which sat rootless for 6 mo, rooted in 2 weeks with above technique! When I saw willow roots I pulled it out and voila new roots on bulb! Can't prove it, but I think it is the willow as otherwise it is just standard SH culture which had failed for me often even with use of Rootone when applied to those stale old divisions. Using willow branches from now on.