Catasetum Growing Problems

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Every response here has given me much needed insight and instruction.

I have been underwatering them...big time, I now realize by all of your responses. I was so afraid of rot and not knowing, not recognizing when they were/and are again!!, requiring water, I hesitated thinking I need to see more roots growing.

Plant #3-start watering and fertilizing regularly, plant #2-begin watering lightly in about a week and, start giving plant #1 heavier watering to try to get the bulbs more plump before their winter rest.

I've been giving it the light dvespertilio recommends....so far, the only thing I've done right with these!

Again, I've gotten so much information from every replied post here.

I'm very grateful to you all.

If you are worried about overwatering, make sure that your rates of evaporation are very high. Do this with lots of moving air (whether its from a fan or from a natural breeze, the plants dont care!) and warm temps and bright sunlight. I pot my Catasetinae in platic pots with slits cut in the sides. I then use wine corks standing on end for most of the media. On top of the wine corks I have an inch or so of spag. This technique allows moisture retention with lots of air movement around the roots. It allows me to water every day with absolutely no worry of root rot.

[Sandy4453]

Steve, very interesting and curious...the wine corks. I can't visualize this but I get the objective. I was thinking that for next year, I'd use sphag. and add chopped tree fern and cc chips...to keep the spagh loose. How does that sound?

BTW, I watered all 3 today and will carefully/patiently wait to water again on the smallest one. I'm going to begin watering heavily the one with lots of new growth and the one with the yellowing leaves, I'll try to fatten up before its winter rest as you suggested. They've been getting lots of air movement and warm temps so hopefully, I'll get them plumped up again and maybe next season....spiking!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

Steve, very interesting and curious...the wine corks. I can't visualize this but I get the objective. I was thinking that for next year, I'd use sphag. and add chopped tree fern and cc chips...to keep the spagh loose. How does that sound?

Should be good! I would recommend that you either use clay pots or cut slits into the sides of your plastic pots. Air movement around the roots is pretty important with these plants. It wierd because they like moist conditions but their roots need plenty of contact with the air. You could also put the cc and tree fern on the bottom of the pot and put the spag on top. That would also add another level of 'air-i-ness' to the roots. Just a thought. Im curious to see what you do and how your blooms will be!

[Sandy4453]

Thanks again Steve for your thoughts. These are all in side slitted pots now. Next season, they'll go into the plastic, netted ones. I'll do as you suggested with the sphag. on top. All is not lost, just flowering for this season. I'll get it right for next year, thanks to you and the others, here!