Is the watering new growth on Catasetum rule an urban legend?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Keysguy

SP---- my "gut" tells me it's a temperature issue. If I water my plants in Key West when they start developing in early April, it's 80 degrees with a min of 70. No problem.

If someone else lives in say Michigan and can't have a very tight temp control and they have nighttime temps dip into 50's several nights in a row after they've started watering, I bet they have issues. UNLESS- the new growth is old enough to have been sufficiently "hardened" to the climate. Hence , the longer the roots, the more likely the plant is hardened.

I'm probably blowing smoke..........but I'm happy to let you tee up that experiment.

I think you're right! I've mentioned several times that Jean Monnier (the OG Fred Clarke!) mentioned that if nighttime temps don't fall below 55, you can keep watering your plants. Not sure why you'd want to keep watering since its not needed/used, but that's a whole different topic!

Originally Posted by Keysguy

isurus---- OK, gottcha. If my main growth started 3 months ago at the beginning of growing season and the growing season is 6 months long, and if my new ones just started and can grow for only the back half of the season then it stands to reason they'll probably never attain the same maturity as the original growth I guess. Good new is I'm going to find out, aren't I?

Well, hotter summer temps will accelerate the growth cycle. I bet you can get a full growing season with the new ones. I'm still betting on smaller than normal size, though!

[Keysguy]

Well, hotter summer temps will accelerate the growth cycle. I bet you can get a full growing season with the new ones. I'm still betting on smaller than normal size, though!

Totally agree but that's not going to be the case for the one in question because I brought it back to NH with me for the summer as an experiment so I was shocked when it popped those 2 new growths off the backbulbs. But you're right, if I had left it in FL I bet they would have fully developed. Maybe they will here too. We'll see.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Keysguy

Totally agree but that's not going to be the case for the one in question because I brought it back to NH with me for the summer as an experiment so I was shocked when it popped those 2 new growths off the backbulbs. But you're right, if I had left it in FL I bet they would have fully developed. Maybe they will here too. We'll see.

Ohhhh, ya! I forgot you travel back and forth!