Shriveled Backbulbs

[Xanadu410]

All of the other Catasetinae group plants I have still have pretty plump bulbs. These two are fairly shriveled though. The plant with spike is denticulatum x tigrinum and the two growth is schmiditianum. Can't really see root length for denticulatum cross and the schmiditianum has a few roots that I can see that are a 2-4" long. This is my first year with this group. Opinions?

[Clawhammer]

They all look great and just about ready for their first drinks of the year. Nice work!

[DirtyCoconuts]

with sphag i think you really want to wait as long as possible until you water because you cant go bock lol.

those do look pretty dry but i think they can go another week and then you can begin watering probably.

I read, secondhand, that Fred recommended suspending this type of a plant in a vase OVER some standing water to bump up the humidity around the roots.

I grow these very differently from most so my advice about your environment is generally from word of mouth and reading others

[Roberta]

If it were mine, I'd go with a very light drink around the edge of the pot. I like the idea of putting them OVER a container of water... I hadn't heard that from Fred, but it makes a lot of sense.

[mook1178]

Fred sent that idea to me over an email. I have linked the thread and page that I posted about it.

Should I water or not?

---------- Post added at 08:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:58 PM ----------

Also I don't love to far away in Delaware. I have some that are about that shrivelled in sphagnum. I'm waiting another week or so to start watering.

[isurus79]

Those bulbs are getting pretty thin, but I wouldn't want to start watering for another month or more. Maybe give a small drink on the backside of the plant, as suggested by Roberta.

[Roberta]

I like the idea a lot. And I don't think it would lead to rot (someone thought it might) - it's a short-term measure just to get the humidity up in the root zone while the plant is still dormant or waking up slowly, and likely in a low-humidity environment such as a heated house in a cool or cold climate. Very different from what one might expect in the tropics where both temperature and humidity are high. Once the plant is in active growth, you water the heck out of it.

[hypostatic]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

I read, secondhand, that Fred recommended suspending this type of a plant in a vase OVER some standing water to bump up the humidity around the roots.

Yeah, I think I've seen a youtube video (from user isurus79?) where there was a Ctsm in a coke bottle, suspended above the water, bare root. Very similar to SVO's method from your other forum post:



The idea is that a high humidity in one direction will attract the roots in the direction of the humidity

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by hypostatic

Yeah, I think I've seen a youtube video (from user isurus79?) where there was a Ctsm in a coke bottle, suspended above the water, bare root. Very similar to SVO's method from your other forum post:

y

Shoot, I don’t think it was one of my videos!

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Roberta

If it were mine, I'd go with a very light drink around the edge of the pot. I like the idea of putting them OVER a container of water... I hadn't heard that from Fred, but it makes a lot of sense.

Totally backing the above. In my tropical environment here, I've got about 5 or 6 catasetum in true dormancy right now, and every couple of days - I'm doing exactly what Roberta mentioned above.

I spray water around the media around the outer edge .... the rim region, just to keep some moisture around. Not that I have to ....... but because I'm testing something. And - just to add - importantly - nothing bad is happening to my catasetum type orchids while I'm doing all this.

What Roberta mentioned - is no problem. No need to do what I'm doing - as it's for something else (testing). But if bulbs are shrivelling, the occasional light wetting of the media ----- avoiding too wet or soggy media ---- should help the situation, to turn it around in the positive way.