Potting Ctsm. sanguineum?

[gnathaniel]

I have a two bulb division of Ctsm. sanguineum that just started showing new growth in the past couple of weeks. It has no roots to speak of and I've pretty much been ignoring it all fall and winter so I wouldn't be tempted to water it. The new growth is coming out of the older more shriveled pseudobulb and is about 1 cm long with no sign of roots yet.

So, is this the time to pot it up and what should I put it in? I have LFS, coarse and medium LECA, medium coco chips, fine perlite, medium charcoal, styrofoam peanuts, treefern chunks, plus assorted granite chunks and quartz gravel on hand. My intuition was to use an even blend of LFS, coco chips, and charcoal in a 3-4" slashed clay pot. It will be in a fairly bright and airy but cool room (where it's been all winter, but I'll give it more light now that it's growing), and I have a definite tendency to underwater. I'd like to set it up so I won't need to repot for several years if possible. I know next to nothing about Catasetinae, please lend me your opinions! Thanks,

--Nat

[kavanaru]

Nat, I grow several Catasetinae. Inspired by the method used by teh brazilian growers, I decided to try them in S/H (as described by Ray, using LECA). They love this! Now, all my Catasetinae are in S/H.

Brazilians use their own form of S/H. They use a mix of coconut chips, bark, charcoal, ceramic pieces or LECA, and add a teaspoon of Osmocote to the medium when replanting, plus additional orchids fertilizer when watering.

Few things to keep in mind:

- when growing, you "cannot" overwater a Catasetum (just, don't let water stay too long between the leave!)
-when growing, these plants will tolerate (and actually like) high dosis of fertilizer (even more than twice the recommended amount! - I have never tried that much!)
- Just before going dormant, if you are growing them in S/H you should water (several times!) with only pure water, in order to wash out the fertilizer. After this, you can stop watering until the new growth withroots is there (I sometimes give a short flush with pure water, in order to avoit the PBs shrivel too much - but I do not leave any water in the reservoir!)
-DO NOT make the mistake to follow the very often recommended bosh: Catasetinae DO NOT need to be repotted every year and DO NOT need to be divided down to 1 or 2 PBs every year! - If you use LECA repot them when outgrowing the pot, if you use organic substrat, repot when this is broken.
- be proactive treating mites and thrips. I use a systemic insecticide every two weeks (this is important, especially if your air humidity is low!)


Read this thread, where I have posted some very good links for Catasetinae culture:

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ff-hc-sky.html

Adding these two new articles which were not yet available at that time:

http://www.aos.org/AM/Images/pdf/Beg...ries-Ctsm6.pdf
http://www.aos.org/AM/Images/pdf/Beg...ries-Ctsm7.pdf

[gnathaniel]

Thanks for the information, Ramon! I've got some S/H containers from when I was trying it for some Phals, I'll sterilize one and pot my Ctsm in it. Would you recommend the same culture for a Cl. Grace Dunn? I just noticed a new growth peeking out from under one of the spent bloom spikes...

--Nat

[kavanaru]

I would recommend S/H for Catasetum, Clowesia, Cycnoches and their hybrids. I am trying it also with Mormodes, and will soon also try Dressleria - I do not expect any problems with them either... So far, I have catasetum, Cycnoches, Clowesia, Cycnodes, Clowesetum, Mormodia and Clowenoches growing in S/H and they all like it a lot!

Here you can see some plants:

[Nokomis.FL]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

I would recommend S/H for Catasetum, Clowesia, Cycnoches and their hybrids. I am trying it also with Mormodes, and will soon also try Dressleria - I do not expect any problems with them either... So far, I have catasetum, Cycnoches, Clowesia, Cycnodes, Clowesetum, Mormodia and Clowenoches growing in S/H and they all like it a lot!

Do the pots you use drain completely or does some water collect in the bottom? I grow outside and the Florida heat requires more irrigation.

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Nokomis.FL

Do the pots you use drain completely or does some water collect in the bottom? I grow outside and the Florida heat requires more irrigation.

Nokomis, the S/H pots keep a certain amount of water in the bottom. Important is not to allow the water reservoir to dry out completely, but always keep some water in it.

check this website All about Semi-Hydroponics

[Nokomis.FL]

I thought that was the case. Like I said before, the Florida summer heat dries the plants out so quickly that this might be something to experiment with now that a few of my plants are beginning to come out of dormancy.

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Nokomis.FL

I thought that was the case. Like I said before, the Florida summer heat dries the plants out so quickly that this might be something to experiment with now that a few of my plants are beginning to come out of dormancy.

Nokomis, for sure it will not be hotter than the brazilian or caribbean weather (ok, depending on where in Brazil or the carribean), and a variation of the S/H works perfectly in brazil (They call it PET Culture - basically, the same as S/H but using standard substrate: bark and so on)

[Nokomis.FL]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

Nokomis, the S/H pots keep a certain amount of water in the bottom. Important is not to allow the water reservoir to dry out completely, but always keep some water in it.

check this website All about Semi-Hydroponics

Are you using a stadium cup or food service container for the pot or are those specialty pots where you can drill your own drain holes?

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Nokomis.FL

Are you using a stadium cup or food service container for the pot or are those specialty pots where you can drill your own drain holes?

hehe, I use anything I can get... from Pots bought at Ray's to Tupperware and plastic disposable cups.... just let your imagination free

an easy way to drill the holes: I use a hot nail