Help with back bulb propogation

[redcoats36]

Hi catasetum lovers,

I got a SVO black pearl dormant bulb on ebay for cheap. It's pretty large (at least 6 inches) and green and hard like a carrot. It isn't wrinkled and looks to be in good health. I put it in a terra cotta pot, propped it up with 2 sticks, and gave it no water. It's in a medium sun location on top of a seedling mat for some extra heat with about 35-50% humidity. It's been 2 months now, and it's done nothing. It hasn't shriveled, and it hasn't grown. I hear about everyone else's catasetum (catasetae?) coming out of dormancy and I'm green-eyed with envy at their cute new growths. I can see the eyes where growths would emerge, but they have not swelled or changed in any way. It's sitting there, like a green carrot, doing nothing. Am I suppose to do something to make it come out of dormancy? Will it come out of dormancy or will it just eventually shrivel/rot/die. Thanks for any tips!

[orchidsarefun]

Patience. I've grown at least 10 catasetum backbulbs bare root. In other words the base/eye was exposed to bright light.
In your case I would give it roughly a teaspoon of water the furthest from the bulb 1x per week. That may kickstart the process.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

Patience. I've grown at least 10 catasetum backbulbs bare root. In other words the base/eye was exposed to bright light.
In your case I would give it roughly a teaspoon of water the furthest from the bulb 1x per week. That may kickstart the process.

Start to worry in July.

[redcoats36]

Thank you all - I feel much better now

[rbarata]

You should grow Bletillas...helps you in the learning process of growing from backbulbs.



or, even better (a little bit harder but easy), Pleiones.



The pic are just meant to tease you.

[Ray]

My only intentional experience with sprouting back-bulbs is with cymbidiums, and I nestled the base of those in moistened perlite (which is where I got the idea for semi-hydroponics).