Monnierara millenium magic witchcraft -- growth cycle?

[MJG]

I will spray for spider mites.

I ordered this from Orchids Limited. Their website did say that they can grow these year-round in their conditions, without a dormancy period. That's why I am so confused about where it is in its growth cycle.

I did repot it when I got it. I wanted to look at the roots. It had a lot of long healthy-looking roots. I tried not to disturb them.

I have it potted in a mixture of bark mix and sphagnum. I water and fertilize it every 3-4 days. Any more frequently and it would stay wet.

[hypostatic]

The bulb is nice and beefy, so it was definitely being well cared for at the nursery. Right now is when you should be heavily watering and fertilizing. If you're drying it out, you could be forcing it to go dormant.

Around now would also be when this plant would start to throw out spikes in my experience -- at the end of the growth cycle, right before entering dormancy.

As opposed to other orchids, you typically don't want to disturb catasetum roots in the middle of the growth cycle. The best time to do this would be in the middle of dormancy when the media is bone dry, or right as new growth buds/roots are appearing. Disturbing the plant at the wrong time can disrupt flowering.

[isurus79]

I agree with everything said above.

Originally Posted by MJG

I have it potted in a mixture of bark mix and sphagnum. I water and fertilize it every 3-4 days. Any more frequently and it would stay wet.

FYI- My plant's roots don't dry out from the day I start watering to the day I start backing off to initiate dormancy. When actively growing, they want lots of moisture. Otherwise, they go to sleep!

[MJG]

Update on this orchid. I have been growing it in an air-conditioned house under lights since I got it. I had been watering and fertilizing as frequently as I could without the roots being sodden (about every 3-4 days). I was slowly losing one leaf after another.

A week and a half ago I decided it might be better off growing outside. Our temperatures are in the mid-80s during the days and 60s overnight. I figured it would like the higher heat and airflow. Also the outdoor conditions would let me water more often. It sits on a table in a portico that it shaded. It gets some direct sun starting at about 6pm as the sun begins getting lower.

I have never let this orchid dry out from the day I got it (late April/early May), fully leafed out. Since I've had this orchid, there hasn't been any new growth at all. No new leaves, and no signs on any flower spikes.

You can see now that the leaves are dropping en masse. I have only 2 leaves left that haven't started yellowing. I'm convinced that they too will be gone by next week.

So, this is my first catasetum, and this has turned out to be an experiment. What works and what doesn't. (Or maybe what doesn't work and what doesn't).

I'm wondering what I do with it now. Should i treat it as heading for dormancy when it's lost its last leaf? Why did the leaf drop accelerate so much when i moved it outside?

[hypostatic]

I think once it's started to go into dormancy, there's nothing really that you can do to reverse the course.

The good news is that the current bulb looks very healthy and plump. I would plan for dormancy starting soon, and you can gradually stop watering. Once all the leaves fall off, you won't need to start watering again until the new root growth is about 4 inches long. You should only water during dormancy if the bulb gets shriveled.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by hypostatic

I think once it's started to go into dormancy, there's nothing really that you can do to reverse the course.

The good news is that the current bulb looks very healthy and plump. I would plan for dormancy starting soon, and you can gradually stop watering. Once all the leaves fall off, you won't need to start watering again until the new root growth is about 4 inches long. You should only water during dormancy if the bulb gets shriveled.

I agree.

I'd leave it outside and only let it get watered by nature. You might get a new growth in a few weeks.

[MJG]

Originally Posted by hypostatic

I think once it's started to go into dormancy, there's nothing really that you can do to reverse the course.

Interesting. That would mean that this process started some time ago.

---------- Post added at 01:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Most people's houses are a lot cooler than these like, especially at night. That might have initiated leaf drop that showed up later.

My house temperature only drops by a couple of degrees at night, but the high during the day is a pretty steady 72-73.

You all have me thinking....it came from the grower fully leafed out, presumably from a hot greenhouse. I brought it into my chilled home. Maybe this is due to a combination of how far along it was in its cycle already, plus the transition to a cooler environment, that was a perfect setup for dormancy.

---------- Post added at 01:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

And, very important... whenever Catasetinae have unexpected yellow leaves, you need to check for spider mites. Run a tissue you press under the leaves from stem to tip. If you see brown or red streaks it has spider mites. Treat by spraying the whole plant, all surfaces, with 1 tsp / 5ml of liquid dish detergent in 1 quart / liter of water.

I've been checking while it was indoors and saw no signs of spider mites. I did treat a few weeks ago just in case.

Today when I checked it, I found a little web and suspicious silvering on the back of one of the leaves. I just treated it again. Evidently the spider mites wasted no time jumping on board when I moved it outside.

[MJG]

So, do you have to treat these for spider mites all through their dormancy period? Or do the spider mites just go after the leaves?

Thanks for all of your knowledge and help!

[hypostatic]

It sounds like dormancy was probably triggered during the change when the plant came from the hot/wet greenhouse, and into the colder/drier house.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by MJG

You can see now that the leaves are dropping en masse. I have only 2 leaves left that haven't started yellowing. I'm convinced that they too will be gone by next week.

Most people's houses are a lot cooler than these like, especially at night. That might have initiated leaf drop that showed up later.

And, very important... whenever Catasetinae have unexpected yellow leaves, you need to check for spider mites. Run a tissue you press under the leaves from stem to tip. If you see brown or red streaks it has spider mites. Treat by spraying the whole plant, all surfaces, with 1 tsp / 5ml of liquid dish detergent in 1 quart / liter of water.