Help Needed with Castasetum Potting Culture that Works Outdoors

[D&S Mabel]

Bruno: Odom's Orchids sells these. About 1/2 way down the page here - ODOM'S ORCHIDS -- Species . I've bought quite a few plants from them with no issues and they are reviewed elsewhere on this board. They are not the cheapest around but you get large, healthy plants


Here is a photo of the plants in question. The two bulbs on the right make up one plant and the one on the left with the bulb in front of it the other. Note the old spike from the right bulb, at the bottom. The bulb on the left has what appears to be the remainder of a spike about 1/3 of the way up the bulb, toward it's left edge. I have the labels but my niece pulled them out of the pot!!



Does this help with a possible ID?

[D&S Mabel]

Bruno: Thanks also for the additional culture information. I will try a translator on the language over the week and see what I get.

[kavanaru]

Hi Mabel,

you have a very nice plant there To be honest, I would not divide that one yet (if it is only one plant!)...

it's quite weird that not only the spikes are on different levels, but also that the PBs are indeed quite different.. If you would have had divided the plant as you mentioned: central and right PB = one plant (A), & fron and left PB= another plant (B), and posted them here, I would have said Plant A is Catasetum, and plant B is Cycnodes... note that not only the shape of the PBs but also the way the leave wrap them is diferent in both groups...

of course that can also mean, the plant was exposed to a growing condition for the first two PBs, and then to a different one for the next two PBs... the spike on the lowest third of the PB is nottypical for Catasetum, but it can happens... I have one Ctsm pileatum 'Oro Verde' which always produce 3 spikes (normal is only two), and the third grows from the lower third of the PB and not from the base...

[Nokomis.FL]

Originally Posted by Bruno De Toni

I forgot to ask you before Mabel. Who is the orchid grower that sells the pileatum oro verde in the states??

I have seen them from time to time from several different vendors. I think my first one came from California, but I know Plantio La Orquidea in Sarasota had some at one time.

[Bruno De Toni]

I agree with Ramon, there are at least two different plants, one is a cycnodes or mormodes (left bulbs) and the other one is a catasetum (right bulbs). They cannot be divided yet (two bulbs are not enough) but they can be separated and this is the right time to do it, before new growth development. Thanks for the information regarding the oro verde seller.

[nancy]

Back to potting 'stuff' - my mix is 1/2 fresh horse dookie, 1/4 gravel, and 1/4 chunky fir bark.
MMMMMM - catasetums love it!
Cheers - Nancy

[D&S Mabel]

Nancy - I would have to replace "horse" with "retriever" as I lack the one but have two of the other.

The plants might like it but I don't know if their fragrance would be able to cover the scent of the potting mix!

[Nokomis.FL]

Originally Posted by D&S Mabel

Nancy - I would have to replace "horse" with "retriever" as I lack the one but have two of the other.

The plants might like it but I don't know if their fragrance would be able to cover the scent of the potting mix!

I wouldn't use fresh droppings, but composted would be O.K. I have experimented with Black Kow and Turf Pro, both available at a local Ace Hardware in Central Florida. The times I have used them, I waited until the new bulbs and roots were well established and then sprinkled the dry manure on top of the existing mixture and watered in. With the Turf Pro, I just used it at 1/4 strength in water.

A local garden shop sells composted chicken and/or turkey manure. I was thinking of trying that as it doesn't have as much sand mixed in as the Black Kow.

[nancy]

My horse manure comes straight from the horse's patoot to my orchids. Never had any problems with burning, rotting, etc. *so* *long* *as* *I* *can* *keep* *from* *watering* too soon.
Horse manure has no smell! Only downside: grass and oat seeds sprouting.
100% horse manure, fresh, is the perfect potting medium for cymbidiums, too.
Cheers - Nancy
p.s. IMO, sphagnum is the embodiment of evil, even worse than kittens. Toxic, disgusting stuff, especially in an area of acid rain and alkaline tap water.