Transplanted cattleya does not activate

[Merita]

A month and a half ago, I transplanted four cattleyas, one reacted well, two yellowed leaves but they are growing roots, and the last one seems to be yellowing leaves, it has not developed roots, it remains as if it had stopped in time. The new roots stayed that way. What to do? Should I continue watering it?

[SouthPark]

If the roots still look good, and the temperature is nice and comfortable for the orchid, then it should be ok to keep watering. Maintain a medium lighting level.

If you're using a media that doesn't become water-logged and saturated, and if air-flow through the pot and media is pretty good (and with good growing temperatures and light level), then don't be concerned if the catt remains inactive.

To try get some activity going with roots, some people use a product called 'ezi-root gel', which is effective (despite a corny name, but they had to name it something hahaha).

Yellowing of all leaves is an issue. Are the catts all the same kind? Same cultivar? Similar sizes?

Maybe uploading pics and mentioning growing details may help with the assessment. Is it still relatively cold over there?

[Leafmite]

Were the orchids all at the same point in the growth cycle (new growth just starting to send out roots?)?

[Merita]

The temperature has been cold at night, the roots have not shown any activity, the plant is like the day it was transplanted but wanting to yellow the leaves. I think I'm going to pass it to the house at night and outside for the day, to see if it reacts.

---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:20 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Were the orchids all at the same point in the growth cycle (new growth just starting to send out roots?)?

Yes, maybe I hurried to do the transplant and the plant didn't have enough new roots still growing.

[Ray]

You are seeing what I call the cattleya “sulking period” if they are not repotted at the correct time.

Roots must tailor themselves to the new pot environment, and as existing roots cannot change, that means that new roots must be growing to do that. That’s why it’s best to repot any plant just as new roots are emerging from the base of the plant.

My recommendation is to work to stimulate root growth, and the two best things you can do now are to treat it with KelpMax and place the plants on a heat mat to warm the root zone.

[Fairorchids]

Certain Cattleyas (in particular the bifoliate types) are very particular about repotting. For those types, it should only be done when the new growth is just breaking new roots (max. 3/4" long).

[Merita]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

Certain Cattleyas (in particular the bifoliate types) are very particular about repotting. For those types, it should only be done when the new growth is just breaking new roots (max. 3/4" long).

No, it is not a cattleya bifoliada, it is the Blc. Arom Gold Volcano Queen.

[SouthPark]

Merita - apart from that gel, there's also other stimulant products, such as Auxinone - they also contain auxins. While ezi-root gel is a gel applied with a brush or cotton bud to the stem base region of the orchid, the Auxinone product is mixed with water, and then watered onto existing roots and media.

[Merita]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Merita - apart from that gel, there's also other stimulant products, such as Auxinone - they also contain auxins.

Yes, I always have KelpMax but it was over, I plan to buy it today or tomorrow from First Rays. Most of my seedlings I buy them twice, but of this I only have one, it hurts me the most.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Merita

No, it is not a cattleya bifoliada, it is the Blc. Arom Gold Volcano Queen.

That hybrid is more than 50% C. dowiana, which is notorious for being unhappy if repotted at the wrong time. (Many of those yellow-with-red-lip hybrids are in that category too, being high in C. dowiana) The hybrid also has significant C. warscewiczii, which I think is also rather fussy. When to repot? When new roots are just starting, whenever that is. You will need the plant to tell you what the correct time is.

Also both C. dowiana and C. warcewiczii are definitely warm-growers, so if it is cold outside the plant needs to be inside.