This thing has been a PITA since i bought it. Almost ready to throw in the towel.

[Bulbofett]

This is the only plant that hasn't performed well in my care . I've tried everything that I can think of to help this plant along. No dice.

When I first got the plant the medium was really broken down so I unpotted the plant while in flower. What I found below the medium was a mass of rotted roots. the blooms died shortly thereafter. Since then it has grown a few new roots but they end up turning brown on the ends.

Currently I have the plant suspended in a container with a little bit of moist spagnum moss at the bottom.

I had it in a bark mixture and only misted the roots. It received morning sun and dappled the rest of the day.

Now it gets misted every other day and is suspended in a plastic container. I use seaweed and superthrive once every week. Alternating between the 2 each month. Plant sits on a heat mat and gets some t5 light. Maybe 2 or 3 hrs a day.

It is slc. Little hazel 'red jewel'

[PaphMadMan]

Any Catt has to be at the right stage of growth to grow abundant new roots. If it isn't you just have to keep it alive until it is ready. If it happens to be one of those coccinea-influenced hybrids that is a little fussy it compounds the problem.

If it were my plant I would...

Trim off every root that isn't alive as close to the plant as practical.

Stop the seaweed and superthrive - pushing it is just more stress.

Get rid of the heat mat, or at least put it on a timer so there is no heat if the lights are off - let it rest at night.

Put the plant in contact with the moss but make sure it is absolutely immobilized - tie it to a stake. Every little wiggle can damage a tender root tip.

Have patience. You haven't said how long this has been going on, but if it isn't given consistent conditions for at least 6-12 months you aren't even giving it a chance to recover - it has to constantly adapt instead of settle down and grow.

[Bulbofett]

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

Any Catt has to be at the right stage of growth to grow abundant new roots. If it isn't you just have to keep it alive until it is ready. If it happens to be one of those coccinea-influenced hybrids that is a little fussy it compounds the problem.

If it were my plant I would...

Trim off every root that isn't alive as close to the plant as practical.

Stop the seaweed and superthrive - pushing it is just more stress.

Get rid of the heat mat, or at least put it on a timer so there is no heat if the lights are off - let it rest at night.

Put the plant in contact with the moss but make sure it is absolutely immobilized - tie it to a stake. Every little wiggle can damage a tender root tip.

Have patience. You haven't said how long this has been going on, but if it isn't given consistent conditions for at least 6-12 months you aren't even giving it a chance to recover - it has to constantly adapt instead of settle down and grow.

I bought the plant last year. Unpotted it a week later. Then 2 months ago after no noticeable improvements in condition of the roots i gave it this setup. Ive given it the same setup i give all my rootless catts. This one being a mini is the only difference i can think of as to why it worked for the others but not this one.

Heres the updated setup. Bright but shady location that gets lots of airflow. No more heat mat.



Plant sitting on top of sphagnum clipped to a skewer. Tray underneath to keep water in for a little extra humidity. I wont touch it for a few months and see what it gets me. With winter approaching im not expecting much.

I didnt clip many of the roots because they felt firm. They just look dead i guess. The black ones obviously got clipped.

Thanks for your help! Time will tell

[gnathaniel]

Another strategy to consider is mounting it with a little moss under and a bit larger coir pad over the remaining roots. I always have much better success rooting distressed Laeliinae on mounts than in pots. If you think you'll want it back in a potted or basketed situation in the future, use a mount small enough to sit in said pot or basket, even if it sticks up above the rim a little. Cork, red 'cedar,' and crape myrtle are my preferred woods for mounting Laeliinae like this; I'd wager you can find some of those for free around where you are.

[Paul]

"Sphag and bag" that puppy

[Bulbofett]

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Another strategy to consider is mounting it with a little moss under and a bit larger coir pad over the remaining roots. I always have much better success rooting distressed Laeliinae on mounts than in pots. If you think you'll want it back in a potted or basketed situation in the future, use a mount small enough to sit in said pot or basket, even if it sticks up above the rim a little. Cork, red 'cedar,' and crape myrtle are my preferred woods for mounting Laeliinae like this; I'd wager you can find some of those for free around where you are.

I actually plan to mount a lot of my orchids next year. I was wanting to do it in a mass movement kind of thing where I did the ones I wanted all at once. I'm not sure about mounting this little one though with such a sad condition of roots. I will definitely keep in mind if it recovers well though. Thanks for the suggestion!

Originally Posted by Paul

"Sphag and bag" that puppy

I've only grown mold that way. I tried putting tons of holes in the bag. I tried increasing air flow. All I got was healthy mold

What I do now is put packing peanuts at the bottom of a plastic pot. I then stick the orchid on top of the packing peanuts. Then get a larger, much deeper pot, and put some moist sphagnum at the bottom. Stick the small pot with the orchids into the larger pot with sphagnum and voila! Same concept as the sphag and bag without the mold issue. Humidity stays above 70% for the plant, and I can mist with seaweed without worrying if the plant will start to rot. I have 2 divisions using this method currently, and all of my rescue Cattleyas started off this way. One is actually getting ready to bloom

[Orchid Whisperer]

The new growth (in first pic, in front of your thumbnail) will likely make roots. But, in my experience, if the humidity is high and there is water at or near the roots, you are likely to only get short stubby roots.

To get longer and better roots, I would get rid of the sphagnum and pot it in coarse medium (coarse bark, cork chunks, lava rock, etc.). Water once a week only, don't mist the roots. You want the plant to send out long roots in search of water. My experience is that any Catt alliance plant that I have ever had prefers to dry completely before you water it again. I would suggest a change to a clay pot too.

I would also agree with skipping the superthrive etc. This will not force a plant to make roots that is not ready to do so.

[Fairorchids]

With a plant like that, I do:

Not trim roots. Dead roots help keep plant stable in the pot.

Plant in all spaghnum in relatively small clay pot. Push backbulbs against the pot wall, and leave only 1" in front. Pack spaghnum moderately firm with fingertips.

In greenhouse that plant goes on a bench section that gets water every day, untill a new growth starts. Then I move it to a section getting water twice a week. In house I would bag it, and water as needed.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

The new growth (in first pic, in front of your thumbnail) will likely make roots. But, in my experience, if the humidity is high and there is water at or near the roots, you are likely to only get short stubby roots.

To get longer and better roots, I would get rid of the sphagnum and pot it in coarse medium (coarse bark, cork chunks, lava rock, etc.). Water once a week only, don't mist the roots. You want the plant to send out long roots in search of water. My experience is that any Catt alliance plant that I have ever had prefers to dry completely before you water it again. I would suggest a change to a clay pot too.

I would also agree with skipping the superthrive etc. This will not force a plant to make roots that is not ready to do so.

That's more or less what I did. Some of mine had useless roots. I potted with a layer of bark lumps, then a thin layer of moss and then another bark. The plant was put on a small lump of moss, and then the pot filled with bark, with a small twist of moss around the base of the plant over the roots.

I watered only when they dried out, and they all did very well.