Roots growing from partial cattleya pseudobulbs

[dianecty]

Hello! I was wondering if I cut off a partial pseudobulb from its rotten lower part and roots if it will grow roots. The roots are dead and the base of the pseudobulb has black rot.

Can a partial 2/3 pseudobulb with leaves, grow roots?

Thanks!

[Ray]

No.

The meristematic tissue that grows roots is at the base of the pseudobulb.

[SouthPark]

Sort of like the leaves of Graptopetalum paraguayense and Echeveria ----------- once the base of a leaf of those plants is gone ----- eg. snapped off or rotten, then that leaf will have no chance of growing roots from it for starting up a new plant.

Same with cattleya bulbs. The loss of the lower portion drives the chance of new roots and new eyes (for new bulbs) to zero ------- for that particular bulb without the base that is.

[dianecty]

ok, so I guess the plant is hopeless and should be thrown away.

[estación seca]

I'm going to disagree with the others. There is a meristem at the base of every leaf and bract, including the apices of psudobulbs. In Cattleyas this meristem normally forms the flowers and is spent. It is rare, but new growth may occur from any of these meristems. Last summer I posted photos of an Oncidium hybrid making new growth from the apex of a pseudobulb.

Don't get your hopes up, but if you want to try, treat the area with a strong concentration of rooting hormone. Put somewhere warm, very humid and in bright shade.

[SouthPark]

After doing some checking --------

I just included a diagram showing my previous understanding of the situation - about whether there is any chance (or not) of roots and/or new growth to sprout out from a bulb ...... was no chance.

However, based on this link here .......... there is at least one case of a rare event. But that event doesn't appear to involve attempts to recover a catt orchid. But it was just a natural ---- probably rare ---- occurrence.

[dianecty]

It's no chance then. Feel so bad!

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by dianecty

It's no chance then. Feel so bad!

Take a look at the link in the previous post too.

However, when an orchid grows a keiki ------ leaf shoots generally need to sprout out first, and supported by the orchid for some fair amount of time ------ and then roots eventually grow. All taking time.

So maybe can just do the usual - and put the orchid is a humidity tub ------ to give it better chances than with no humidity tub.

Although - the main barrier here will be ----- whether or not the catt with no roots can support a keiki for a long enough time for the keiki to grow ------ and then grow enough roots to become independent. Taking into consideration that catts are relatively slow growing plants. Hence the very very slim chance only of survival.

But could always give it a try!

[dianecty]

Do I put the whole cattleya in the humidity tub or just the partial pseudobulb?

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by dianecty

Do I put the whole cattleya in the humidity tub or just the partial pseudobulb?

The entire plant can go into the humity tub ..... sort of like shown here .....

Link