Struggling monnierara dilemma - to water or not to water?

[nurkacyi]

Hi! So I got this monnierara witchcraft last summer. Unfortunately it came with some dead black spots on the leaves - it dropped them very early in the season and went dormant without even reaching half the size of the old pseudobulb. It woke up sometime around early february and produced new growth from the oldest bulb. Other hybrids woke up around the same time and they are now fully leafed out and rooted to the bottom of the pot. All of them also got spidermites early on but i dispatched them all with minimal damage. This one is struggling though - it grew about 2cm of bulb and 2cm of roots then completely stopped. It hasn't done anything for around a month now. Both back bulbs are getting shriveled up but they're still hard. I haven't been watering but I misted the roots and they went from white to light green as if they were already absorbant.


So: how do i help this little guy survive? Should I water? Wait? Something else?

[SouthPark]

Make sure to maintain the recommended growing temperature range for this orchid, which you are probably doing already. Provide adequate air-movement too, which helps to cut down or prevent fungal/bacteria issues. Also - the light misting of the orchid's existing roots - as you are doing now - is just fine (completely avoiding making the media overly wet ------ just very lightly damp media is fine ...... very lightly damp), provided you maintain those important requirements -- temperature etc.

Describe the lighting conditions that was provided ---- did it receive adequate light?

As for spidermites, I generally spray my "yates mancozeb + miticide" spray onto the leaves and stem ...... even into the nooks and crannies (in and around the leaves, top/bottom --- everywhere --- and after a while, I blow out any excess water build up in the crown of the plant for good safe measure). Usually, the water droplets drowns these mites already. It's not a nice thing to need to destroy these mites I know that, as they're just doing their thing in the world to survive - just like us (we) do. But we have to do something I guess to help protect our orchids.

[nurkacyi]

Thanks for the reply. It's currently indoors in 20-23C (68-73F) on a south-east windowsill, unobstructed. It had additional lighting during the winter but now that we get so much more sun I stopped turning it on. Other catasetums in the same spot are doing great.

I have a greenhouse and considered moving it there for a boost in light, temperatures (27-35C during the day) and humidity, but it's unheated and nights are still very cold (~0-5C) I would have to carry it inside every night until late may. I don't mind but i'm not sure if it would help or just shock it further with a sudden change in conditions. Opinions?

[SouthPark]

Most welcome nurkacyi. For all orchids and plants, just make sure to grow them within the recommended ranges for their growth parameters (quantities) ----- such as temperature etc.

If any quantity gets out of recommended range, then it could invite health issues for the plant.

If your other catasetums are doing great in that same spot, then your monn could certainly stay there too.

[fishmom]

Another thing you might consider is lowering the plant in the medium. Those roots have a long way to get to the medium, there isn't going to be much left of the parent pseudobulb so rot won't be much worry, and the roots might do better if they are in the moss.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by fishmom

Another thing you might consider is lowering the plant in the medium. Those roots have a long way to get to the medium, there isn't going to be much left of the parent pseudobulb so rot won't be much worry, and the roots might do better if they are in the moss.

Yep, I agree! Maybe give this one a drink of water on the back bulb roots.

[Dorchid]

Just gonna piggyback here. Received two new Catasetinae today. One appears definitely to be ready for water and the other is hard to tell. The roots are super white but no green tips and hard to say where they’re coming from on the surface. The sub is desiccated to the point of almost crumbling and last season’s back bulb is super wrinkled. Thoughts?

Definitely ready:



Not sure:

[Clawhammer]

Originally Posted by Dorchid

Just gonna piggyback here. Received two new Catasetinae today. One appears definitely to be ready for water and the other is hard to tell. The roots are super white but no green tips and hard to say where they’re coming from on the surface. The sub is desiccated to the point of almost crumbling and last season’s back bulb is super wrinkled. Thoughts?

Definitely ready:
Attachment 143961
Attachment 143962

Not sure:
Attachment 143963
Attachment 143964

The whole plant pic would be more helpful but if the leaves are full and the backbulbs are not shrived it has already starting getting water IMO. I'd wait for a confirming opinion before watering

[Dorchid]

Fosho. The left is the one that is ready. The questionable on the right with a pretty wrinkled bulb.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Dorchid

Just gonna piggyback here. Received two new Catasetinae today. One appears definitely to be ready for water and the other is hard to tell. The roots are super white but no green tips and hard to say where they’re coming from on the surface. The sub is desiccated to the point of almost crumbling and last season’s back bulb is super wrinkled. Thoughts?

Definitely ready:
Attachment 143961
Attachment 143962

Not sure:
Attachment 143963
Attachment 143964

I think one is ready to water and one is not. Can you post photo of the shriveled bulb?