Catts and water...why is this so tough?

[Gregnreg]

Lurker alert--first post!! I'm new to cattleyas, though I've successfully grown other genera for years. Here are the growing conditions first: temp is usually 70 during the day and dips to 60 at night, humidity maintained at 50-70 by cool must humidifier, all 'chids are in a sunroom facing NE/SE/E, airflow by ceiling fan on high, light supplemented by 48" T8 6500K bank of 4 right at leaf level, water is city and decent, use Feed Me orchid fertilizer weakly weekly, spike water with a dash of SuperThrive. I use the wood skewer method for watering on the catts, but eyeball it on all the other genera with no problems. No bugs, no diseases...that I'm aware of. The brats in question are Lc Blue Boy Gainsborough and C Priscilla Presley Beverly Hills (the former bought out of bloom, the latter bought in bloom from Chadwick's now finished blooming). Gainsborough was promptly repotted in a clear plasric pot witg medium coconut husk catt mix from Repotme.com and appears somewhat happy with nice new roots. Priscilla came in NZ sphagnum (!!!) in clay (which the kind folks at Chadwick's have luck with). Priscilla just isn't looking great: pseudobulbs have ridges, leaf edges curl slightly, and I can't appreciate new root growth. Gainsborough also has ridged pseudobulbs but the leaves and new roots look great. Against Chadwick's advice, should I take Priscilla out and repot in the coconut husk mix? The pot size appears fine so I will use a clear plastic pot like with Gainsborough. I am using the wooden skewer method and waiting them to dry. After 10 days, both orchids' skewers are 95% dry before I rewater. My gut says I am under watering. For fear of losing the $250 I spent total for each, I'm nearly at the point of dropping them off at Chadwick's to board until they bloom again. I don't want to kill the brats. Take a look at the pics and see what you think.

[ALToronto]

I have the same indoor conditions as you do, and I cannot grow anything in sphagnum, even in a clay pot. The sphagnum NEVER dries out in the middle of the pot, even if it gets crispy on the outside. I have completely rotted the roots of two mature catts which I bought potted in sphagnum (neither of which is nearly as expensive as yours are) because I didn't want to repot while they were in bloom. Actually, it's entirely possible that the nurseries I bought from had rotted the roots.

Regardless, both of mine are in a chc/perlite/charcoal mix, and I'm not watering the plants at all - just mist the rhizome using water with seaweed extract and very little fertilizer. Both catts have started growing new roots and new growths, so they're very much alive. Once the roots go into the medium, I will start watering again. I kept the old rotten roots (after I thoroughly dried them out) just to anchor the plants in the pots. Yours isn't nearly as far gone as mine, so I'd repot asap.

[Leafmite]

I have no idea but I grow all my cattleyas either mounted (if they are small and like to dry really fast) or in lava rock and basket pots (or vanda baskets--if they are big and like to dry out really fast). For the potted ones, I stake the rhizome on top of the medium and let the roots grow down into the rocks.

[WhiteRabbit]

I like putting either an over-turned net pot (or other pot with drain holes, but ideally net pots) in the center of the pot I am potting into (arrange roots around the overturned pot) - or styrofoam in the center of the root mass - I do this for almost ALL my orchids, regardless of media, pot type. It really helps the media to dry more evenly (no soggy center when the outer media is dry). It is especially helpful in larger pots, and when using sphag. Orchids that like to dry-out completely seem to be very happy with it. You can also add pieces of styro, charcoal, lava rock to your potting mix.

I don't know if this is something that may help yours, but just throwing it out there as something that has been helpful for me.

[bballr4567]

My cats and pots are in a bark mix. I can't do spag in a large pot but with bark it dries pretty good and in summer I literally almost drown them.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The Lc Blue Boy 'Gainsborough' looks great! I wouldn't worry about it much.

The C. Priscilla Presley 'Beverly Hills' doesn't look bad either, quite honestly. However, I'd try repotting it into the CHC just in case you may run into problems later down the line with root rot in the middle portion of the root mass due to the possibility that the sphagnum may not be drying out evenly.

With Catts, the older pseudobulbs do tend to shrivel up over time. I'd be more concerned if the newer growths show signs of distress.

Beautiful plants.

[Gregnreg]

Very helpful info. I get so hung up on these damn pseudobulbs, I often can't see the forest for the trees. Priscilla will be repotted Friday in coconut husk... We will see how she does!