HELP, HELP MY CATT.AND NEED I'D

[MisterOrchidGuy]

Thanks and oh there are gonna be some thunderstorm maybe in the evening cause nothing is here yet ok I have a few quetions which are what is a lava rock and I tried mounting it at the coconut fruit and I took the one which the orchid come in and thanks for helping.dint knew it would be a thunder storm here anyway thamks thanks sso much

[AnonYMouse]

Thunderstorm was a forecast not a certainty. Also, I'm just collecting general Kota Bharu internet weather data so it may not be valid to your exact location. (I've never been in your region and I've never been to regions where Catts grow naturally. This is the type of research anyone can do to get started.)

I suspect you are young. Are you still in school? If your parents aren't available or willing to help you learn, is there a teacher or a science tutor who might be interested in orchids? We will continue to help but having someone there with you (family, friends, teachers) might be easier for you. Also, it's more fun with other people. Are there other orchid growers in your area to learn from?

The lava rock we talk about is volcanic rock full of holes. It is also called scoria in English. Because it is full of holes, it retains water. This may not be important since the average humidity is over 80% year round.

You will have to make watering adjustments but I think you can grow this Catt in just chunky charcoal (no smaller than 1cubic cm, bigger is better). The bigger the chunks, the more frequently you will have to water if there is no rain. Use a thin bamboo skewer/stick to measure the dryness (push the stick into the media, wait a few minutes and check for wetness).

Do you have pumice rock (another form of volcanic rock)? That would be another media you can use.

---------- Post added at 01:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:11 AM ----------

Oh, I'm not a Cattleya expert so everybody else, feel free to jump in!

[MisterOrchidGuy]

Oh.ya I am still in school and primary six.all my parents have no expirience in orchid and I have an uncle which is the president of orchid but I take no notes cause he uses traditional malay way of orchid by putting some stuff which are bad for orchids .once I got a very rare orchid frm him and it died cause I killed it because at that time I hate orchids.where can I get all the special rocks and what is pumice

[silken]

If your uncle has orchid growing experience I would definitely ask him. If he has grown orchids in your climate, he will have some good ideas. What do you mean by he uses the traditional Malay way? Maybe he is just using something to feed the plant??

[camille1585]

I would agree with Silken in asking your uncle for some tips. The typical way of growing orchids is not the only way of doing things, and there are likely plenty of traditional ways that are adapted to the climate that you live in. The japanese has a perculiar way of growing Neofinetia orchids in carefully build mounds of sphagnum, yet that technique works great despite being different from what we are used to seeing.

Originally Posted by silken

If your uncle has orchid growing experience I would definitely ask him. If he has grown orchids in your climate, he will have some good ideas. What do you mean by he uses the traditional Malay way? Maybe he is just using something to feed the plant??

I think the traditional way has to do with how they are grown. Not long ago I was watching a short thing on TV about how Dens for cut flowers are grown in Asia (I don't remember the country- but I think it was malasia). Young plants were simply placed in the middle of a whole half of a coconut husk, and happily grew their roots into it.

[AnonYMouse]

I don't know where you can buy these rocks. I have to order them from far away. This is why you need to talk to your uncle. Perhaps he grows them his way because it is best for your region.

[MisterOrchidGuy]

Oh ok.thanks for helping me you helped me alot thanks a thousand times

[MisterOrchidGuy]

Ya thats true they put it in coconut husk.i mean traditional malay because from what I learned from all of you guys the traditional way is the opposite of it somim notnsure

[AnonYMouse]

There are many ways to grow orchids and you can experiment with inexpensive plants. Go on a hike and take a look at how orchids naturally grow in your forests. Learn from that then try to grow a native species or hybrid (don't take plants from nature!)

A couple of things to keep in mind, you have to be adaptable and you have to be patient.

Good luck!

[MisterOrchidGuy]

Ok thanks.i saw many wild ones and they grow on tree trunks which is a bit covered in moist algae or moss.i cant experiment new plants cause one here is crazy expensive