Sunset Valley Orchids Catasetinae Plant Offering

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by amber.leigh

Help!! I grow indoors in Florida and under grow lights.

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

This group of orchids has completely different growing requirements from other orchids. If you treat these like other orchids they will not last a year. Go to SVO and look at the cultural information section at the top.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by amber.leigh

I had been looking for I had been looking for Cyc. warscewiczii 'OMG Giant' x 'SVO Jumbo Super' for 2 years!! So excited.

Also got some Cooperi, Cygnus Atratus, the other warscewiczii, Ctsm. Susan Fuchs 'Burgundy Chips' FCC/AOS x Ctsm. ivaneae 'Purple Fantasy', Ctmds. Darkonium 'Base Element' x Ctsm. Susan Fuchs 'Burgundy Chips', and Cl. thylaciochila 'Wide Petals' x Cl. russelliana 'SVO'.

Catts love me but I killed the 2 cycnoches seedlings and catasetum I got from Fred last year. Help!! I grow indoors in Florida and under grow lights. I didn't repot the seedlings and the moss was tight. Wondering if that was my issue. I grow all the rest of my orchids in clay so tossing around whether to try kiwi bark or some fresh moss.

I watch some of you guys on YouTube and just now becoming active on OrchidBoard!!

These need to be sopping wet during the growing season, so sphagnum is an excellent medium at least until they get big. And don't worry about crowded pot... they can grow well even climbing out of the pot. BUT you absolutely must respect their dormancy. While dormant, they need zero water. I know it sounds cruel, but that is exactly what they need. They need moderately warm... not below 55 deg F, they don't care about light one way or another. And don't start watering until those new roots are 3-4 inches long and the leaves of the new growth have started to spread out. (When they start to sprout, put your hands in your pockets so that you are not tempted to reach for the watering can) When in active growth they need lots of water, fertilizer, and light because they grow so fast you can almost watch them get bigger. Follow ES' advice... go the the SVO website and read the culture notes. And read the notes in the Catasetinae forum, which contain answers to all the FAQs and help you fine-tune the general advice on the SVO site. If you try to grow them like other orchids, they become compost very fast.

[amber.leigh]

Yes, thank you. I've read as much as I can get my hands on about them. I gave them their winter rest and did not start watering again until the roots on the new growths were 4 inches.

The moss in their original pots just got so hard that I was wondering if that was the issue? I have another warscewiczii that I just re-potted in some moss but tried to keep it loose while still secure.

I was not aware that they should be sopping wet during growing season though. Tough to think of when I'm rotting them.

[Roberta]

Any repotting you do, should be during dormancy. Once those new roots start growing you don't want to disturb them. If they are getting totally out of hand, you can gently slip the plant out of the pot, drop into a bigger pot, and fill in with more sphagnum without disturbing roots. Plastic pots are good because they retain moisture well. Once the plants get bigger (and top heavy) clay can be useful for the weight. I also use plastic bulb pans - much wider than high. Again, the extra-wide footprint helps with the top-heavy tendency.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by amber.leigh

The moss in their original pots just got so hard that I was wondering if that was the issue?

The moss definitely turns into a brick! I like to soak mine in a bowl of water for a few hours to kick off the growing season. Otherwise it can be tough to rehydrate the brick after no water for a few months!

[amber.leigh]

Maybe that was my issue... it's possible I thought they rotted from too much water but maybe I just didn't water them enough 🤔

[RJSquirrel]

had a few spit on me at the shows. Yuck what was that!!? It was a pollen sac that got launched onto my face!!!

keep your distance from the flowers

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

had a few spit on me at the shows. Yuck what was that!!? It was a pollen sac that got launched onto my face!!!

keep your distance from the flowers

If you get close, be sure you are wearing glasses... no joke to get one stuck to your cornea. And once they launch their payload the flowers fade quickly. If I take one to an orchid club meeting, it is done knowing that I am sacrificing the flowers because most of the pollinia get jostled loose in the transport process.

[RJSquirrel]

safety glasses indeed. good idea!!!

they fight back sometimes and do beat ya up on occasion.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

safety glasses indeed. good idea!!!

they fight back sometimes and do beat ya up on occasion.

If it is somebody else's plant, the attack is well-deserved since it trashes the flower. If it's your own plant, oh well...
Once the flowers start to age, they trigger themselves... I bring them inside to enjoy when they first open, then have to scrape pollinia off the floor once they get to that stage.