Divide a cattleya? - Orchid Board

blackvine · #1 08-13-2013, 12:10 AM

I received this BLC Greenwich Elmhurst in mid-June. It had a sheath, which promptly blasted - I don't think it enjoyed the shipping trip from Mississippi to Chicago! Anyway, the bulb that blasted now has a new growth on it - see the little purpley thing on the base of the fattest bulb. That's nice, but the whole Catt was - for whatever reason - planted on its side. I feel like I need to repot it, either whole or in parts, so that it is upright. Should I slice it down the middle and repot both parts? Leave it whole??? Please help! Thanks, friends!

NYCorchidman · #2 08-13-2013, 01:28 AM

Maybe your cattleya was grown by the window with light coming in from one direction.

Cattleyas grown in the greenhouse or sunroom have pbs straight up.

Anyway, I would just repot the whole thing upright and place a strong stake to help the plant stay that way until it reestablishes itself.

You can cut the plant in half now or later, but you can just leave the whole thing as is and after you repot, you can make a incision. That way, the plant will wake up some more dormant eyes here and there. and next time you repot the plant, you will be easily able to divide.

Good luck!

euplusia · #3 08-13-2013, 02:25 AM

Repot it, but don't divide it.

james mickelso · #4 08-13-2013, 02:59 AM

Looks to me like it was potted ok but fell over in shipping then the media settled. If you right it the new growth will have to make an abrupt change of direction. The pbulb which it is coming off of is fairly upright so maybe just leave it and let it grow as is. But I would tie the plant into the pot to keep it from falling out. I wouldn't repot it until the new growth has either flowered or grown a new bud from itself.

Brooke · #5 08-13-2013, 04:40 PM

I would repot it to straighten it up and to also get it into a better container. It is in a vanda basket and will be very hard for someone who grows inside to deal with it.

You can use supports to raise the pbulbs laying down and don't worry about the new growth, it will correct itself as it continues to grow. Make sure the rhizome skims across the media, not under it.

Give it lots of sun to make sure all future growth goes up, not sideway.

IMO it isn't big enough to divide yet. You won't get blooms for 2/3 years if you do.

Brooke

blackvine · #6 08-13-2013, 11:21 PM

OK - 3 votes to repot. I will do that! Thanks, Brooke, for the frame of reference regarding size. Honestly, since I've been growing - about a year - I've only purchased/paid attention to baby Catts, except this and one other one. To me, this looked HUGE. Guess not, though. Thanks to all!

james mickelso · #7 08-14-2013, 01:49 AM

Well I'll suffer the slings and arrows but I feel if you repot it, you'll lose it. The direction the pbulbs are growing makes it difficult to plant upright no matter how it's planted and there is no reason this has to be repotted other than aesthetics. What is valuable here is the new growth. One, maybe two pbulbs and the new growth. The other pbulbs already have issues. I doubt you'll get anymore buds out of the older back bulbs anyway. If you plant the back bulbs upright that throws the newer of the pbulbs off the other side and that new growth isn't going to right itself if you do plant the others upright without stressing it. These aren't like terrestrial plants. I say just leave it be, tie it into the pot to stabilize it, and next year after this new growth has matured, formed two or three new growth buds, repot it in a smaller pot. Repot this now and you'll lose it. Look at the calendar. How much more growing time do you have in Ill? Up to you.

NYCorchidman · #8 08-14-2013, 09:02 AM

I don't understand why you are telling her she would lose the plant if she repotted now.
Repotting can be done anytime of the year and will not kill plants.

Brooke · #9 08-14-2013, 04:38 PM

Mr. Mickelson I'm not going to give you my sling nor share any of my arrows with you but I do question why you think it would die if repotted now. It has green growing root tips which is the optimum time to repot.

I don't expect Blackvine to get the old pbulbs to stand straight up but they can be moved up and still keep the newest growths in an upright position. I use skewers to anchor my repots in position. You place one on one side of the pbulb and another on the opposite side and twist tie them in place.

You remove the plant from the pot, shake off the bark and place it in the new container. As it is right now, it is a Catt on a mount of shallow bark. It would need watering multiple times a week.

The old pbulbs will never produce blooms. They will only supply nutrients as they dry up.

Most Catts grow roots year round if they have enough light and temperatures they prefer. I try my best to repot when the newest roots are just starting but if I can't do them, I don't hesitate to repot when I have the time. Yes, even when they are in sheath. I've never lost a sheath or the blooms from repotting. If they have green growing root tips, repot away.

Two Catt species, mossiae and dowiana are the exception.

Brooke

james mickelso · #10 08-14-2013, 10:44 PM

Blackvine, how long have you been growing cattleyas (orchids)? Where do you grow them? GH or under lights? Chicago (Des Plains) gets cold. In fact starting in about a month and a half you will start getting frost. Brooke, I see no green root tips here. I see some poor quality pbulbs that probably came off the back of a division with one new bud growing. Greenwich Elmhurst don't normally produce roots on the new growth until it has matured. Mine normally produce new roots as it starts to flower. The new bud is already growing in a vertical orientation with all the other pbulbs growing horizontally except for the pbulb with the new bud. Having seen many, many cattleyas in this condition repotted at this late time of year, die from many different causes, I feel that repotting it now would just further weaken an already weakened plant where as leaving it alone for the rest of the season would do it more good than repotting would. The roots I see in the picture don't look to be in good shape. Unless Blackvine is really good at getting old dried up roots on old pbulbs to grow new root tips, I stick to me opinion. Leaving it as is and giving it good cattleya culture will get this a good start on next season. Repotting it may slowly kill it. I've seen it sooooo many times. Brooke and Orchid Man, you are accomplished growers. For Blackvine to bring this here leads me to believe she isn't as accomplished. That is why I hold my opinion. But....it's her cattleya and she will do what she thinks is the right avenue to travel. It's just my opinion. I'd be delighted to visit this again in say May next year. I wish her the best.