Clowesia new growth in dormancy

[Popilyx]

I have a clowesia rebecca northen mikabi that I thought was going dormant but it's suddenly put out some new growths.

Here's the plant. I know it's a little late for it to still have leaves, but it came out of dormancy a little late; around late june or so because I bought it as just a bare root pseudobulb at an orchid show in summer. This is also why my growths are stunted I believe.

By October, I was reducing water and fertilizer. I noticed the biggest new growth near the bottom of the pot, but I decided that it was just a weird occurrence and kept withholding water like usual (you can see the leaves have an accordion pattern). It started dropping leaves slowly but steadily and at the beginning of this month I decided to move it to a cold windowsill to help encourage dormancy a little more. I don't know what the temperature of the windowsill is exactly, but I'm in Canada and there's snow outside so it's definitely pretty cold, probably around 15°C? Actually, by accident I think I damaged two leaf tips by placing them too close to the cold glass.

However, I noticed these two new growths on the sides of the bulbs yesterday.


I'm pretty confused since the leaves are still yellowing but now these growths gave come up. This is my first catasetum type orchid so I'm very much an amateur. Right now I feel like I should keep withholding water and hope that the plant gives up on the growths and actually goes dormant, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[My Green Pets]

You can just stop watering it now. It should try again with some new growths in a few months.

[Popilyx]

Thanks, will do!

[Roberta]

It might even give you flowers... Mine is totally dormant, but is starting its flower spikes. That's normal pattern.

[Popilyx]

Thanks Roberta, I hope so too

[Keysguy]

Originally Posted by Roberta

It might even give you flowers... Mine is totally dormant, but is starting its flower spikes. That's normal pattern.

I would substitute "should" for "might".
The newer bulb on your plant Popilyx is beautifully grown and should start to spike any time now so, as Roberta and MGP suggested, stop watering and put it in a spot where it will get bright light w/o the threat of getting watered. By the end of Jan I'd bet you'll see a spike start growing.

[Popilyx]

Thanks Keysguy, that's reassuring to hear!

[Keysguy]

Popilyx- I thought you might get further reassurance from the attached photo. It is my Rebecca Northen today. When we last communicated mine was dormant with no sign of a spike. I have been away for a couple of weeks since then but lookie what I found when I got back! As the spikes are not terribly long, I zip tied the 2 older bulbs together to create some space so I could get this one headed toward the closest side of the pot vs the farthest which is where it had headed. Hope yours will be starting for you soon.