Got my Catasetum today, now what?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dave 4u

I'm hoping with the dormant cycle the catasetum might just be better suited to my limited conditions and I'm certainly willing to try it!

One of the nice things about the Catasetinae is that in winter, when they are dormant, they don't take up much space, and basically don't need anything. (Fred Clarke tells the story of a customer in New York who thought the bare pseudobulb was dead, tossed it over her shoulder where it rolled under the couch. She found it when she was "Spring cleaning" - to find that it was happily sprouting) Once night temperatures are over about 55 deg F (13 deg C) they do fine outside (benefitting from the extra light that they can get) and there's room for those big leaves. And if leaves get damaged (bugs, sunburn, other insults) you only have to look at them for a few months, unlike other types like Catts and Phals that, once damaged, stay ugly for a long time. The Catasetinae reinvent themselves every year.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Roberta

One of the nice things about the Catasetinae is that in winter, when they are dormant, they don't take up much space, and basically don't need anything. (Fred Clarke tells the story of a customer in New York who thought the bare pseudobulb was dead, tossed it over her shoulder where it rolled under the couch. She found it when she was "Spring cleaning" - to find that it was happily sprouting) Once night temperatures are over about 55 deg F (13 deg C) they do fine outside (benefitting from the extra light that they can get) and there's room for those big leaves. And if leaves get damaged (bugs, sunburn, other insults) you only have to look at them for a few months, unlike other types like Catts and Phals that, once damaged, stay ugly for a long time. The Catasetinae reinvent themselves every year.

Having not grown them before, and having no idea why, I'm really looking forward to this year. I repotted them a couple of days ago, and they just sit around like slugs as they have all winter long. So easy to repot it was stupid simple. If these guys do well this year, I think I'm gonna LOVE growing them and get rid of some other stuff to make room for more.