Help with Cattleya Seedling

[leslieann79]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Good advice all around here. But.... no need to soak bark for more than a minute at most. Wet bark is not going to do much for your orchid except provide a good place for rot to develop. You are watering the roots, not the bark. Better a coarse media where you can water more often than a fine media where the center stays wet. Once every two weeks is too little. If you can't water more often then your media is too fine or pot too large. I'd like a couple more pics so I can see thew age and condition of the entire orchid. I can't tell if that is a new growing lead or one that has died but is still throwing out roots from the base. It looks like you have large bark. Is it large all the way through or just on the top? If the roots on the pbulb that is becoming desiccated have rotted then that is why it is shriveling. It won't grow new roots. Once pbulbs have matured, they very very seldom grow anymore roots because their task is now changed to storing nutrients for the succeeding growth. The new growth is what's important. More pics please.

Hi James thanks for the reply. I am attaching more pictures. Maybe all the old roots are rotted which could be why Im having this problem? They dont feel mush or hollow to me but they could be. I can water more than every two weeks but Im just afraid of being to heavy handed with the watering. Since the skewer method isn't working for me I might start sticking my finger in the middle of my bigger plants to try and check them. This is my only cattleya. I have no more of that type of orchid.

[silken]

Originally Posted by leslieann79

Thats the frustration for me Silken. I put it on my cheek and its still hard for me to tell. I guess Im over thinking it probably. When I saw that you replied I thought wow the famous Silken replied to my thread. I guess lately as I'm reading through old threads Im seeing you a lot.

Yikes! I've never been called famous before!! Did I used to reply to too many threads? Oh well, I am no expert, I just hate to see someone struggling because I used to have a lot of root rot problems. I still have problems of other sorts occasionally but usually not root rot. I learned that too large of pot, too damp and too cool often ends in root rot and I killed many orchids that way. I was going to ask you about the pot size of this seedling. It should be fairly small-just what the roots need for space. Otherwise it will dry out too slowly. 2 weeks sounds too long for most people but every one's situations and growing spaces are different. These orchids grow on trees and places where their roots are exposed in nature. The roots need to get nice and wet, but then dry very quickly. So however you can imitate that is what you should use for potting supplies. The skewer will feel cool if it is wet or damp. If your cheek can't feel it, try above your lip or the inside crook of your elbow or even just looking at it will tell you if it is wet. I try to put it quite far down into the near centre as that is the area that will dry the slowest. Then leave it there and put it back in the same place after you check so you aren't always stabbing roots with it. In the meantime you could lightly mist the tiny new roots that are at the top. Some seaweed or rooting hormone might help speed up the new ones (but you likely know that if you were reading my old posts )

[leslieann79]

Originally Posted by silken

Yikes! I've never been called famous before!! Did I used to reply to too many threads? Oh well, I am no expert, I just hate to see someone struggling because I used to have a lot of root rot problems. I still have problems of other sorts occasionally but usually not root rot. I learned that too large of pot, too damp and too cool often ends in root rot and I killed many orchids that way. I was going to ask you about the pot size of this seedling. It should be fairly small-just what the roots need for space. Otherwise it will dry out too slowly. 2 weeks sounds too long for most people but every one's situations and growing spaces are different. These orchids grow on trees and places where their roots are exposed in nature. The roots need to get nice and wet, but then dry very quickly. So however you can imitate that is what you should use for potting supplies. The skewer will feel cool if it is wet or damp. If your cheek can't feel it, try above your lip or the inside crook of your elbow or even just looking at it will tell you if it is wet. I try to put it quite far down into the near centre as that is the area that will dry the slowest. Then leave it there and put it back in the same place after you check so you aren't always stabbing roots with it. In the meantime you could lightly mist the tiny new roots that are at the top. Some seaweed or rooting hormone might help speed up the new ones (but you likely know that if you were reading my old posts )

I meant it as a compliment Silken Don't ever think you are posting to much! As Im on here reading everyday some names I've come to know. Like you and James and OrchidWhisperer. I guess y'all are all kind of orchid celebs to me when it comes to this board. I love any replies, but I thought to myself wow I've got some really knowledgeable people replying to this thread! You guys seem to know your stuff and I appreciate it! I will definitely try the skewer again.

[james mickelso]

She's good. I prefer the lift em up method for checking moisture content. But you can also get yourself a "hygrometer" to check moisture content in the media. I think that's what they're called. To use a good method, let the pot get dry. Bone dry is best. It won't hurt the plant. Pick it up and notice how light it is. Now water it under the faucet for a good minute. Let it sit in the sink and drain for a couple minutes. Lift the pot and notice how the weight has changed. Unless you have brand new bark, you should feel the difference. It is noticeable.