Taiwan Face

[Joansorchid]

Hi Everyone
Its my first day here. A couple of months ago I brought a Cattelaya I think? Called Taiwan Face, it came in a small terracotta pot with spagnum moss. Well I kept it in that pot for a while but it looked like it was dying so I repotted it into a plastic pot with a bark and coarse orchid compost. Although it now looks slightly healthier it still has not grown very much and each time the centre grows the outer leaves wither and die. Any ideas what is wrong?
Joan

[hksin]

Hi Joan,

I don't know where are the people.......So I try to answer your questions. If your plant is Cattleya, you shouldn't water it too much, usaully water before it dries out. Here is the culture sheet for cattleya. Most orchid plants grow very slowly even rest in winter, so please be patient. If the temp is cold, the leaves will turn yellow and drop.
If you have a picture of your plant, other people can tell you more.

[Joansorchid]

Hi
Thank you for your reply. I brought the seedling as a Cattleya but I really dont know now as there are no pseudo bulbs visible. When I took it out of the pot it had tiny shrivelled roots that have never filled out although it has green leaves. I have left it a little dry. I have now given it a soaking and placed a plastic bag over the top of the pot to see if this will help it. Thank you for the care leaflet.
Joan

[Chubidubi]

Joan to the OB

Can you possibly post a pic of your catt?

[hksin]

Joan,

If you have a picture, it will be helpful to see what is going on. I am not sure that your plant is a catt, usually you should see the big fat pseudobulbs on catts even a seeding.

Sorry that I gave you the wrong information that watering a catt before it dried out. (I thought I typed too quick...) Should water AFTER it dried out.

Hau

[Joansorchid]

Hi Everyone
I have managed to take some piccys after recharging the batteries of the camera. I am convinced now that this is in fact a Vanda! What do you all think? This was brought from Ebay with two others as plants. As you can see it is a seedling. The only one remaining of the three! It has a very poor shrivelled looking root system. Any help will be gratefully received, as I do not even know if it is potted in the correct compost. Large bark chips in the bottom and coarse orchid compost on top.
Hugs Joan

[hksin]

Joan,

First the potting medium looks like soil to me. Vandas need lot of air movement and their roots don't like a wet foot. People plant them usually in the coarse potting media or just hanging them.

If I were you, I would clean the plant up first, then either repot it in the coarse bark (and perlite) or hang it alone in a vanda basket (or even a wire). Place it in a shade and good air movement area, prevent the strong sun light. You can mist the roots occasionally, don't let the water stay in the crown, otherwise it will be rotted and die.

Or you can do the sphagnum and bag, but I doubt that is good for a vanda.

Anybody has a better idea?

Here is a vanda culture sheet

Good luck.

Hau

[Joansorchid]

Hi Hau
Thank you for the advice. I will have a go with this. But l live in a very small town and the soil came in a printed bag marked coarse orchid compost. I had to hunt for this. Sold at the local florists and not the nursery. Perlite I would not have a clue where to buy that from, but I will have to go out next week and try to get some. If not, anyone want a Vanda?
Joan

[hksin]

Hello Joan,

I suggest perlite (sponge rock) is for the better aeration to the roots, it is not absolutely needed. I saw someone just used a wire hanger to hang a vanda plant in front of window and it looked very healthy. Someone used the wine corks for the vanda too. I believe what potting media to use that is depended on the personal experience and the environment.

Don't give up your plant. Give yourself a try. When you get more problems for your plants, you will learn more and of course will do better next time.

Happy growing!

Hau

[Joansorchid]

Thanks Hau
You answered another question that I had asked on a previous post! What was sponge rock? Now I know its perlite! You really are great, thank you for all of your help.
Joan