New arrival catasetum/clowesia new growth has no roots

[plusburdles]

Hi all, I preordered some catasetum and clowesia hybrids from and the shipment just arrived yesterday and I got the plants today. I got 3 and while one of them has very healthy and vigorous roots, the other 2 don't and I've included the pictures here. What's interesting is that it doesn't look like it lost the roots from the new growth, rather there's just no roots at all coming out of the new growth. The growth looks pretty healthy and the old pseudobulds aren't even that shriveled. I was just a little concerned because the other catasetum I have grows crazy roots long before the leaves start fanning out which is what I thought was normal too. Does this look ok/normal and will it grow new roots eventually? I'll trim away the old roots before potting but I was also wondering if anyone with similar hybrids or same parents also observes the same behaviour

[Roberta]

First, Welcime!

I wouldn't trim anything. The old roots won't be particularly useful for hydrating the plants (which you won't be watering for awhile anyway), but they will serve to stabilize the plants in the new medium - wobbling as the new roots grow will damage them, lose the tender little tips and they stop growing. The plants look a little rough, but when the new growth starts, you'll get roots.

[plusburdles]

Thanks that's a good tip! I'll leave the old roots for now then. Do you mean when it starts to grow new pseudobulbs (not the leafy ones shown) that it'll put out new roots? I had assumed that these were the new growths for this growing season because the third one I got was coming out of dormancy with a new growth and roots and that these were all grown in the same conditions so they would also be the new growth of this year.

Originally Posted by Roberta

First, Welcime!

I wouldn't trim anything. The old roots won't be particularly useful for hydrating the plants (which you won't be watering for awhile anyway), but they will serve to stabilize the plants in the new medium - wobbling as the new roots grow will damage them, lose the tender little tips and they stop growing. The plants look a little rough, but when the new growth starts, you'll get roots.

[Roberta]

The leafy ones should have new roots... that could be problematic... I was looking at the p-bulbs, didn't notice that the leaves were well along.. They were unpotted at the wrong time, when they were already growing. So it is possible roots were damaged. Pot them up, you really can start watering lightly, and hopefully they're respond.

[plusburdles]

Thanks again! I was thinking that potting them up, keeping them a little moist, and hoping for the best was all I could really do

[estación seca]

Welcome! Go to the Web site of Sunset Valley Orchids. Look for the Cultivation link at the top and read about growing Catasetinae. These are in that group.

[plusburdles]

Thanks for the resource, but I've already read through that and similar articles since these aren't my first catasetums/relatives, just new ones I got. Was mainly wondering if people have been able to get them to recover after losing all roots at an advanced stage of growth but still well before the pseudobulbs mature. Most sources talk about when they're just breaking dormancy