Cattleya with blackened new growths, strange pest - follow up thread

[bethmarie]

I started two threads about this plant - one titled 'Yellow mottled leaves and losing new growths on Catt' and the other -- 'Help identifying an orchid pest, please'.

This is a follow up, for 3 reasons.

One, I want to give a shiny red apple to Nikkik, who correctly identified the uncommon pest in my orchid. I took pictures to an entomologist and she agreed: it was Garden Symphylans. They are not simply gross, they are also detrimental to roots. How this soil dwelling creature ended up in my lava rock, I do not know, but I hope never to see one again, even if Estacion does think they're cute.

Two, I wanted to show you what happened to the entirely blackened, early new growths on this Cattleya once I started giving it calcium as suggested. Pictures below.

Three, while there are 3 now thriving new growths coming on, the main plant looks worse than it did before I unpotted and got rid of the dang symphylans. It's more dehydrated, mainly.

Would you leave it, and let the new growths do their thing? I'm tempted to re-unpot and check the roots, but I already know they didn't look at all good when I pulled it out of lava. Not sure if there's anything to be accomplished by checking them again. I just hope the new growths get some roots going before I lose the plant.

The pictures show the previously black (all black) new growths as they are today. You can still see a bit of black at the base of the growths. Also pictures of whole plant in decline. And a picture of the garden symphylan.

Thanks again, everyone!

[bil]

I see what looks like new roots growing and new growths, and not much bad.

I'd keep it as is, and my fingers crossed.

[Leafmite]

I am so glad that it is recovering. It might not look the greatest for a time but, eventually, in a few years, you will be able to remove the old pseudobulbs and forget the entire thing ever happened.

[estación seca]

It needs more roots to take up more water, and that is what it's making right now.

Poor little creature! It reminds me of a Disney princess crossed with Jiminy Cricket.

[PaphLover]

oh my goodness! estación seca, you make me giggle with your posts.

[tucker85]

Always judge a cattleya's hydration by the newest pseudo-bulb. Old pseudo-bulbs on cattleyas usually will not plump up no matter how much water you give it. If the newest pseudo-bulbs are plump, the plant is getting enough water. I would leave it alone and let it grow. In the future, use a smaller pot when potting a cattleya. They like to dry out quickly between waterings and that pot is a little too big so the mix will stay wet longer. Just be careful not to overwater. But don't repot now. The plant looks healthy and it's putting out new growth. Repotting would stress it and set it back. I'm a big believer in calcium so continue to use it, especially when the plant is actively growing. Good luck.

[bil]

Originally Posted by tucker85

In the future, use a smaller pot when potting a cattleya. They like to dry out quickly between waterings and that pot is a little too big so the mix will stay wet longer. Just be careful not to overwater. But don't repot now.

With big root epiphytes like phals and Catts, I don't think the size of the container is the determining factor. Good, open 2" bark, and you would be very hard put to find a pot big enough to induce rot. I get round it by using shallower pots if I want a large diam pot.

If I need a wider diam pot for an orchid with fine roots like an oncidium, then I make the container much shallower. If the container is 3 inches deep, then no part of the media is more than 3 inches from the air, so there is little danger of it going anoxic.

If the medium is close packed or mossy, then there is a real danger of anoxia, even in smaller pots.