should i buy catasetum seedling?

[H.D]

hello!!!!
i have always wanted the Catasetum Fredeklarkera After Dark Black pearl, but the plants are super expensive here.
however i have found a seller with seedlings of the same. i am enclosing a pic which they have posted.


should i buy this? how long does a seedling take to bloom?

[tmoney]

yes! and i don't know

[Roberta]

I would guess 2 or 3 years... some Catasetinae can bloom on quite small plants, Fredclarkearas tend to need to get a bit bigger. But they do grow pretty fast and can surprise you. Buy it!

[H.D]

I HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT!!!!!!LOL

[estación seca]

Go to the Sunset Valley Orchids Web site to read about their care. It is not difficult but is very different from many other orchids.

Your summers are too hot and dry for them outdoors. Inside the problem is giving enough light.

Spider mites are always a threat to Catasetums during times of warmth with low humidity. To prevent spider mite activity I completely wet all surfaces of all my plants at least once a week. Spider mite eggs are killed by water.

[Roberta]

I might be willing to debate about whether the heat is too much, if protected from direct sun. But the "dry" part is an issue for certain... these need to be WET during the active growing season. It might even benefit from having a small pan of water under the pot.

So in winter these need to be completely dry while they are dormant and leafless. Once the spring growth becomes substantial (roots 10 cm or so) then they need lots of water and lots of fertilizer, since they're growing very rapidly. In fact, that's one of the nice things about these plants... they basically "reinvent" themselves every year. If you get leaf damage on a Cattleya, it will stay there, ugly, for several years. Leaf issues on a Catasetum-type, gone in the fall and a new chance at perfection the next spring.

[estación seca]

When it's 40C plus every day and humidity is low they die quickly. It isn't possible to water enough and the leaves dry to paper even if the medium is wet. I can't keep them outside in summer. I think they could tolerate HD's 42-48C summers if humidity were routinely over 60%.