Catasetum-confused-need advice - Orchid Board

Sandy4453 · #1 03-19-2009, 07:21 PM

Since there have been a few questions recently that have popped up regarding Catasetums and since they're ending winter rest, I've got a couple of questions, if someone (Steve

) can give me a little guidance.

I failed completely with mine last year, had no clue what to do and still, don't recognize when things are going fine or not or what may need adjusting with these.

I'm down to 2. The first one was taken out of all medium and rested in a net pot, bare rooted, all winter. It's been putting out this growth for the last month, the longest root is about 1/2", there are 4 new roots all together.

I left the other one in the pot with medium in tact. I stopped watering the same time as the other one but so far, no new growth. Yesterday, it poured all day and the one in medium, is still wet...a day later. Since I've read everywhere that no water until new growth with roots at least 2", should I take the plant out of the medium and let dry? Is it probably doomed now for the garbage bin?

I plan to pot these up in sphagnum with some tree fern to keep the mix open. Should I wait till the roots grow longer on the one putting out new growth?

In another thread going on now about these, mounting was brought up. When would it be appropriate to consider mounting over potting?

Anyway, thanks in advance for the help I direly need with these.

kavanaru · #2 03-19-2009, 07:43 PM

Hi Sandy,

first photo: I would wait a bit for the root getting about 1 inch long, before repotting, but would cut off all old rotted roots too... a suggestion: I grow all my Catasetinae in S/H and they love it! I would not grow in Sphag, unless you have experience with this medium!

second photo: most of those PBs look a bit odd... I would say they are rotted... My suggestion is to take it out of the pot, clean up the plant, cut off the damaged PBs, and desinfect the good ones. Let them dry overnight, and then soak them with rooting hormones. That should give it a start... once started, keep under high humidity and mist regularly, letting it dry out between misting. Then let the roots grow about 1 inch and repot... This plant will most probably not bloom this year, but you can save it and get it blooming next year.

General: once they are growing, and you have started watering, give them a lot of water and nutrients (that's why S/H works so well with them!), and reduce watering end of September, stopping completelly by halloween...

veekay · #3 03-19-2009, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

Since there have been a few questions recently that have popped up regarding Catasetums and since they're ending winter rest, I've got a couple of questions, if someone (Steve

) can give me a little guidance.

I failed completely with mine last year, had no clue what to do and still, don't recognize when things are going fine or not or what may need adjusting with these.

I'm down to 2. The first one was taken out of all medium and rested in a net pot, bare rooted, all winter. It's been putting out this growth for the last month, the longest root is about 1/2", there are 4 new roots all together.

I left the other one in the pot with medium in tact. I stopped watering the same time as the other one but so far, no new growth. Yesterday, it poured all day and the one in medium, is still wet...a day later. Since I've read everywhere that no water until new growth with roots at least 2", should I take the plant out of the medium and let dry? Is it probably doomed now for the garbage bin?

I plan to pot these up in sphagnum with some tree fern to keep the mix open. Should I wait till the roots grow longer on the one putting out new growth?

In another thread going on now about these, mounting was brought up. When would it be appropriate to consider mounting over potting?

Anyway, thanks in advance for the help I direly need with these.

Hello Sandy,
Your catasetum is perfectly healthy and it is in a growth phase, water once in two days,make sure water do not settle in heart of the growth.
When the new growth is lot bigger you need to give more water and fertilise more frequently.
They are sun loving plants.We grow them in porous medium (a mixtuer of coarse pearlite,pounded washed charcoal and coconut boss)

After the plant is fully matured they they produce flower spike at this stage do not move the plant(because flower do rotate)

There is nothing wrong with your first plant.
veekay

Sandy4453 · #4 03-19-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kavanaru

second photo: most of those PBs look a bit odd... I would say they are rotted... My suggestion is to take it out of the pot, clean up the plant, cut off the damaged PBs, and desinfect the good ones.

kavanaru, thanks so much for your advice. As far as I can tell, they all look rotted and so does the other pot with the new growth. I was told to definitely not cut the shriveled psbulbs, that they were needed?

I'm definitely going to unpot it and clean it up as you've suggested (pic 2). If I cut the old bulbs, I'm only left with one green tiny bulb. Is this enough to encourage more growth? And should I also cut away dead roots at this time on this?

kavanaru · #5 03-19-2009, 08:04 PM

no, no, no... your first plant looks great!! don't worry about it

the second plant, I can see at least two PBs which could be saved

These little greenies would be enough to save the plant, but as I said, it will be like a new seedling

will take one or two years to bloom

Sandy4453 · #6 03-19-2009, 08:15 PM

Thanks for your advice, veekay. Do you suggest the watering should begin now and not when it's grown a bit more?

Quote:

Originally Posted by veekay

There is nothing wrong with your first plant.
veekay

And the 2nd plant, veekay? Hopeless?

I'm just so lousy at growing these and everyone seems to grow them completely different which, can be a good thing except when I just can't seem to intuitively know what makes them tick, hence, treat them right.

isurus79 · #7 03-19-2009, 08:22 PM

I think that one good soaking will not hurt your plants, even it is a bit early for watering. The bulbs on the first one look a bit shriveled anyway. Personally, if it were me, I would repot the first one (Ramon's SH idea is pretty interesting) now and not water for a week or two and then just water as Veekay indicated. That way the roots can grow into the dry media and not suffer when they go from aerial roots to roots in media. Giving it a week or two to dry off will allow more growth and they should then be long enough to get watered normally.

Your second plant may be a goner, though not from the recent drenching. Usually I will get 1 or even 2 p-bulbs that look like that over the winter as the plant slowly draws down its reserves during dormancy. After the bulbs are brown and shriveled, they are then done forever. However, on yours, almost all of them are like that! To me, it looks like that plant could have recieved a little more water over winter than it got...though I cant tell from the picture if the bulbs rotted through or were drawn down by a plant needing some nutrients. The fact that thall the bulbs are so shriveled is what makes me think the plant may have needed some water. Also, if it did not get water over the winter I see no reason for rot. However, the black spot on your remaining green bulb does not look good. I think I would leave that plant as is. Unpotting it could push it over the edge into the giant garden in the sky and the water may have actually been beneficial for such a dehydrated plant (IMO). There is a chance that you can get a new growth from the green bulb (like Ramon said) but it will be many years before it blooms again. Can you also post more pics of the 2nd plant? Maybe a few of the wet plant and then a few of the plant when it drys?

veekay · #8 03-19-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

Thanks for your advice, veekay. Do you suggest the watering should begin now and not when it's grown a bit more? And the 2nd plant, veekay? Hopeless?

I'm just so lousy at growing these and everyone seems to grow them completely different which, can be a good thing except when I just can't seem to intuitively know what makes them tick, hence, treat them right.

Hi Sandy,
I would water your plant sparingly, it would do well,the second plant might have soft rot and I would sprinkle clove powder around the base of back bulb and new growth.Please with hold watering the plant till you are able to separate the back bulb from new growth.

wish you good luck
veekay

Sandy4453 · #9 03-19-2009, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isurus79

I think that one good soaking will not hurt your plants, even it is a bit early for watering. The bulbs on the first one look a bit shriveled anyway. Personally, if it were me, I would repot the first one (Ramon's SH idea is pretty interesting) now and not water for a week or two and then just water as Veekay indicated. That way the roots can grow into the dry media and not suffer when they go from aerial roots to roots in media. Giving it a week or two to dry off will allow more growth and they should then be long enough to get watered normally.

Thanks Steve! And what do you suggest for a potting medium?

Quote:

Originally Posted by isurus79

To me, it looks like that plant could have recieved a little more water over winter than it got...

Can you also post more pics of the 2nd plant? Maybe a few of the wet plant and then a few of the plant when it drys?

It got NO WATER! Should it have?

I just now took these at different angles for your examination. It's just soooo ugly...don't laugh.

If I weren't such a dummy with these, I'd probably be embarrassed.

but as you once told me not long ago, "Second hand info is very useful, but it pales to first hand knowledge" and with that, I promise not to give up on these Steve! I'm actually obsessed with getting it right and...I've got a loooooooong with to go, I know!

isurus79 · #10 03-19-2009, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

Thanks Steve! And what do you suggest for a potting medium?

This is tricky for me to answer because Im not familiar with your particular conditions. Ramon's SH idea is very interesting and might be worth considering for yourself, though Ive never used the stuff so am not a good person for advice on this. I use a pot or basket (for large plants) with holes cut in the side. Wine corks (or very large bark chunks of equal size) are placed on end and then spag on top. I may have mentioned this technique to you in the past so I wont get too into it, but it works for me and my conditions! The trick is to get a media that holds water but is very porous and allows a lot of air movement around the roots. A clay pot (unglazed) with spag on top and something big on the bottom (large bark, rocks, wine corks, etc.) would produce the same effect. Honestly, I think the best way to find works locally for you would be to talk to other growers in your area (from local societies, shows, growers, the OB, etc.) and see what they use for media.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

It got NO WATER! Should it have?

This question is tricky too. The rule is NO WATER! However, there are always some exceptions. If you see that your newest growth is shriveling, it needs some moisture. Back bulbs turing brown and shriveling is ok, new bulbs doing the same is bad. Usually, a quick splash (not a drenching) of water is all the plant needs to plumpen back up. Do this on a warm, sunny day and it should dry quickly and rot wont set it. For me, this scenario happens a few weeks after I initially stop watering, and then maybe (not always) once a few months later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

I just now took these at different angles for your examination. It's just soooo ugly...don't laugh.

If I weren't such a dummy with these, I'd probably be embarrassed.

but as you once told me not long ago, "Second hand info is very useful, but it pales to first hand knowledge" and with that, I promise not to give up on these Steve! I'm actually obsessed with getting it right and...I've got a loooooooong with to go, I know!

Im really glad you post those pics because now I think the plant is salvageable. See what happens to the 2 green bulbs with the introduction of water. They should get nice n fat. Those brown back bulbs may be the only thing supporting the plant in its dehydrated state so you want to leave them alone. After a week or so, when the green bulbs are fat again, you can cut off 1 brown one, preferrably the one that is farthest away from the green ones in terms of growth and age (ie. the oldest) and disect it a bit. Look at the stem connecting it to the plant and see what color it is. If its green or light brown it should be ok. If its black, maybe not. Post pics again and we will go from there.