Got my Catasetum today, now what?

[Dr. Dave 4u]

I seem to be lucky to have received a healthy looking? I think?
Catasetum from Sunset Valley Orchids today in the mail.

What do I do with this BAD BOY now?!!

Never had one before so what are my options with it while its in dormancy? Can I still pot it up without watering it?
Store it for now? Do i remove all those dead roots or do you leave them so when you pot it up the hold it in place?

Keep it out of eastern window sun? Is indirect light good or bad when dormant?

When do they come out and do you tell by beginnings of leaf growth?

Thanks for the help

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Try reading this.
Catasetum Culture

[Roberta]

I'd just drop it into a bigger put, and stuff sphagnum around it. (The sphag will need to be moist... don't ever try to work with the stuff dry, you don't want to breathe the dust) That bit of moisture will do no harm, leave it alone after repotting and it'll dry out in a few days. The moss in the middle is in good shape, so just leave it and the roots. Then just ignore it until it wakes up and has roots that are 3-4 inches long - Here is some more good information, from SVO - Sunset Valley Orchids - Catasetinae Culture ... Just to emphasize what those notes from SVO will tell you... don't be tempted to water too soon. You'll see green leaves start soon, put your hands in your pockets when you are near the plant so that you can't reach for the watering can. Until the leaves start to develop, it totally doesn't care where you put it. Once it starts to grow, it will benefit from bright light. Also, once it gets to the point where you can start watering (3-4 inch new roots, leaves about the same size and starting to spread out) it will benefit from a generous pinch of time-release fertilizer in addition to your regular fertilizer regimen... once it starts to grow, it'll grow so fast you can almost watch it so it will be hungry and thirsty. But that stage is still 6 -8 weeks away.

Next year when it goes dormant you can repot it again and at that point clean up what will be two-year-old roots and sphag. But still no need to be aggressive. These basically reinvent themselves every year.

[DeaC]

If you are a waterer, as I am(was), resist the urge to do so with these. Do as Roberta suggests and follow SVO directions. Fred Clarke returns inquiries you may send to him. These plants and their care were a big learning curve for me but I'm seeing results.

[Dr. Dave 4u]

Thanks Everyone!

I have found a cute pot to rest it in and have put it aside away from all my water needing orchids!
I'm going to follow "Stephen's Catasetinae Culture" sheet and just wait patiently, then when the leaf and roots are big enough repot like he suggests.
Cannot wait for spring and leaf growth!!

[Roberta]

Read that culture sheet again... repot just as growth starts. (I do it before) You should pot it now, just get it into a big enough pot for a year's growth, don't do anything to the roots. (you likely will do it again next year, when you can clean out the part with the styrofoam peanuts). Once the leaves and roots develop you should not disturb them. When the leaves and roots have reached the necessary size (around 3-4 inches) you can start watering - at that point, the roots have established into the medium. And once you start watering, water the heck out of it... you can't overwater Catasetinae when they are in the growing period. Fred Clarke puts it this way... "water like a monsoon..."

Take a look at the SVO culture sheet and you can compare the two... Fred's is very step-by-step.

[DeaC]

Dave, check out our member isurus79. Very good grower in Texas and has YouTube channel plus other places. Has this "PET" method of growing his Catasetums that I want to try.

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by DeaC

Dave, check out our member isurus79. Very good grower in Texas and has YouTube channel plus other places. Has this "PET" method of growing his Catasetums that I want to try.

Speaking of Isurus79, where is that young man? I know he had a lot on his hands after the freeze, but I haven't seen him post since.

[DeaC]

Originally Posted by Dusty Ol' Man

Speaking of Isurus79, where is that young man? I know he had a lot on his hands after the freeze, but I haven't seen him post since.

On YouTube he says all is well with him but others didn't fare as well. Stephen Van Kampen- Lewis is his name. And he has very recently posted here.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dave 4u

What do I do with this BAD BOY now?!!

I generally recommend reading up adequately on what we're going to get/acquire in advance of getting it.

The recommended approach - and I support it - is Fred Clarke's method, which DeaC and Roberta mentioned already.

And - also - if it helps to answer some questions about water and temperature ----- then the catasetum area of OrchidBoard can be helpful.

For example, there was one time when I was wondering whether comments about water merely touching new baby roots of catasetum type orchids would stop the the new roots from growing, and stunt the growth of the orchid - was true or not. So I was compelled to see for myself for a few seasons of growing - to see what happens if I not just lightly water the newly emerging roots each day - but also lightly water the media during the orchid's dormancy period. Not just for one plant ----- but for my entire catasetum type orchid collection ---- in the tropics that is.

Nothing bad happened to any of them after all this time. And the plant that is seen at this link here in the second page currently has a really big bulb on it ----- and it has been growing in 100% scoria (volcanic rock) - Link : relatively light watering of roots

The testing described in the above link was - and still is ongoing - done in the tropics. Nice warm growing conditions most of the time. The testing isn't for encouraging anybody to water their dormant plants etc. It's only to go toward finding out whether those statements floating around out there - about water merely touching new roots of catasetum (eg. roots less than 4 inches or something) will stunt the roots and the plant. My findings - at least in the tropics here - are ----- it doesn't negatively impact my orchids. There must be some other mechanism behind it - such as too cold (temperature) and too wet ----- maybe.