Catasetum late season growths, or spikes?

[camille1585]

I bought this Clowesetum Melana's Daughter (Cl. Rebecca Northen 'Grapefruit Pink' x Ctsm. Melana Davison 'Bombshell') 3 growing seasons ago, and it has grown quite well since I bought it.

This is my first Cat type plant, and I have no clue what newly emerging spikes look like. Are the 2 nubbins in my photo spikes, or very late season new growths?

If they are new growths, should I reduce/stop watering?
If they are spike nubs, should I continue watering? Plant is still nice and green, as can be seen in the second photo.

[JScott]

I think they look like spikes. New growths tend to grow from lower down on the plant. It is impossible to be sure when they are so small, but spikes grow fast, and you'll know for sure soon, but my vote is for spikes.

[jcec1]

I second that they are spikes. I stop watering my catasetum orchids on the 1st December every year (arbitrary date but I remember it). Even if there are spikes there are enough reserves in the pseudobulbs to continue with their growth.

And a really healthy plant you've grown i would expect a good display.

[camille1585]

Thanks for your input! I'll be obsessively checking the growths in the coming week, praying for spikes. It would be amazing if the first bloom for this plant would be on 2 spikes. Steve has this one too and I watched his YouTube video about it. He's really pleased with this cross and it seems very vigorous. I will I could easily get more SVO plants, and not just catasetinae

[Mr.Fakename]

Congrats on the bloom!

[JScott]

I'm so disappointed in myself this year. I started watering my FDK After Dark 'SVO Balck Pearl' too early. I suspected it was too early, but I did it anyway. The roots started to grow, and then just stopped.

The new growth is much smaller than the previous one, and I doubt it will bloom this year. The plant will certainly live, and next year I will do better and the new growth will be back up to its normal size, but I'm so mad that i did that, and now I'm probably going to miss a year's blooms. I don't know what I was thinking. I certainly know better.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by JScott

I don't know what I was thinking. I certainly know better.

The hardest thing about growing Catasetinae is to resist the urge to start watering when you see that tempting new growth. It's against every orchid growers, deepest instincts. So we've all done it... Resist!

[estación seca]

Well done!

We want to see the Psychopsis in the background, too!

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Well done!

We want to see the Psychopsis in the background, too!

I didn't notice that it photobombed the shot! It's been in pretty much constant bloom for a couple years now, right now it has open flowers on 3 of the 4 spikes (though one is a branched spike). Here are some photos I took over the summer.

[isurus79]

I've seen several of these blooming on FB and mine (I have two) are either spiking or have just wrapped up flowering again. My guess is that yours is a bloom.

I would say keep watering, not because it has flowers, but because of the leaves in the first photo you showed. Those alternating, bright white/green lines indicate active growth. When the leaves start to drop and the white/green lines start to lose their brightness is when the plant is going dormant. The white lines often turn yellow or orange, while the green becomes less bright when approaching dormancy. You probably don't need to fertilize anymore, but keep watering, albeit less often than during the active growth season. I'd let it get dry between waterings.