Catasetum saccatum new growth

[Havoccity]

While most people are soon putting their catasetums into dormancy, I got another new growth from my saccatum around 2 months ago so I'm delaying it. By now its dwarfing all the previous pseudobulbs, and its not even done growing. I had no idea this plant could get so big. Now if only I can get some flowers from it.

I wonder if it's because I switched up my fertilizer ratio to something more balanced instead of Nitrogen heavy?

2nd pic is from a year ago.

[isurus79]

Most of my Catasetums that I got from Fred are also throwing new growths, as are some of my other plants. I'll still maintain the typical growth cycle and will back off on fertilizer now and water soon. The new growths will just end up stunted, but the plant will still wake up at a normal time which is important for proper growth cycle and blooming.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Originally Posted by Havoccity

While most people are soon putting their catasetums into dormancy, I got another new growth from my saccatum around 2 months ago so I'm delaying it. By now its dwarfing all the previous pseudobulbs, and its not even done growing. I had no idea this plant could get so big. Now if only I can get some flowers from it.

I wonder if it's because I switched up my fertilizer ratio to something more balanced instead of Nitrogen heavy?

2nd pic is from a year ago.

Havoc- where and how do you grow these? i see zone 8 but also a canadian flag and i dont think any part of canada is zone 8 so i may be confused.


if you grow outside that can change the timing of things as nature can switchi it up from time to time.

[MCD]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

i see zone 8 but also a canadian flag and i dont think any part of canada is zone 8 so i may be confused.

There are some areas of zone 8 along the coast of southern BC, even a bit of zone 9 around Victoria on Vancouver Island.

[Havoccity]

Originally Posted by MCD

There are some areas of zone 8 along the coast of southern BC, even a bit of zone 9 around Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Yup I'm in Vancouver. Its pretty cold now so everything has gone indoors to overwinter. During the warmer months most of my orchids go outside since the climate here is pretty wet and humid, but the Catasetums I actually grow indoors or I forget and neglect to give them the amount of fertilizer they need.

Also the saccatum pushed out a flower spike (possibly 2) a few weeks ago.

[SG in CR]

Just as an aside, that plant wants way more light. Back when I was starting with Catasetums I put a few in the shade and they grew lanky like that and hardy, if ever, bloomed. If they can't get enough sun to grow a sufficiently fat bulb they won't bloom.

[Havoccity]

This bulb is actually much thicker than all the previous bulbs, its just ridiculously tall. I too was concerned that this was etiolation at one point, but IOSPE says the pseudobulbs on this species are supposed to be "elongate", and Holst's Catasetum book says they reach 26cm in height and mine is 28 cm.

I also have it sitting directly under grow lights so close that the leaves touch the lights. Weirdly I have the opposite thing going on with my pileatum, which only makes short fat pseudobulbs and none of the big torpedo shaped pseudobulbs you see people have online.

[SG in CR]

Hmm, that's interesting. I'm basing my observation on C. maculatum mostly, which can get very long p-bulbs too but also very thick. Large ones can get to be about the size of a forearm.
Maybe C. saccatum is different. I have one saccatum that grows outdoors and it's bulbs aren't very long, but the plant isn't doing as well as I would hope. So maybe if it were doing better it would be growing like yours.

[Havoccity]

Well the flower spike that the plant pushed out shortly after I first posted just bloomed yesterday.

There are 7 flowers, but unfortunately I accidentally brushed a trigger hair and it ejected the pollinia, so soon it'll just be 6 flowers.

I heard the species smells nice but to me it just smells very faintly of bell pepper and mint. Flowers have a span of 4 inches.

Something interesting I noticed is that the dorsal petals and sepal are only very weakly attached to each other, so if you lift the dorsal sepal up a bit they will actually separate and the flower will "open up" as seen in some of the photos.

I currently have the ejected pollinia in the fridge. Does anyone have any other recommendations on how to preserve it?

[Jmoney]

I was told that Fred Clarke often keeps pollinia on his desk at room temperature. I've also heard some use the refrigerator. I've started to store a few interesting things in my desk in small envelopes. pollinia only. no stipe, column, etc.