Catasetum Weirdness

[HighSeas]

I was wondering if you guys would take a look at this....It's my only Catesetum. (Tenebrosum) I bought it last summer and got it just as it was dropping it leaves. I parked him over my workstation in the orchid house to make sure he didn't get any water. There he roosted all winter long, all the while, my husband reminding me how ugly he is.

Towards the middle of January I noticed a "constriction" or narrowing toward the base of the larger pseudobulb. The other is unaffected. It's almost as if the pseudobulb dehydrated in that one spot and feels somewhat hollow when I gently squeeze it. No smell. No secretions and no visible sign of pathology. Have you ever seen this? What did I do wrong?





There are also two keiki's on the same pseudobulb. They emerged shortly after the new growth began to sprout.



I have virtually NO experience with Catesetums. Just ordered some sawdust to mix up with clay pellets and dolomite powder....Since their habitat does reflect that they like decay, I thought that idea sounded more to their liking than the orchiada I have them in.

[Bud]

The sawdust mix is good. I repotted all my Catasetinae this spring as they all sprouted new growths.
You inherited the plant already losing its leaves and you did right with a proper winter rest.
This plant should be given lots of water and fertilizer in its growing months to help it store some energy for the winter dormancy. The reason you have soft cane is: it didn't get much energy last summer so the two keikis depending on it have almost used up all its resources.It is feeding two babies. As soon as you get three to four inches of roots on the keiki, twist it off the cane and repot it in your sawdust mix. Your soft cane will just die and wither yet the other cane will remain to produce another growth next cycle.

---------- Post added at 07:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 PM ----------

Your husband will be amazed mid summer when you get cascading fragrant beautiful flowers with such yummy colors. All Catasetinae are 'ugly' in dormancy but wait until you see them in bloom....

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...enebrosum.html

[HighSeas]

Bud...Thank you so much for your input! So...should I keep it somewhat moist? (Or let it mostly dry out between waterings?)

I've never had one of these so I'm clueless. I don't want to rot him out of the pot but I want to make sure he gets sufficient energy reserves for the next season.

[Bud]

the growth is still quite small...if you wet it =it might rot....so wait until it gets at least five inches tall then repot it in sawdust then resume water and fertilizer according to culture.
But maintain bright light, warmth and high humidity around it.

[isurus79]

Honestly, I think the large bulb is rotting so I'd cut it off and tie down the cut-off bulb horizontally so that the new growth will grow into a pot. When you cut the bulb, you'll see brown parts. Be sure to cut that back until there is no brown, only green.

The overall plant looks like it was not grown well during the active growth season. Cat tenebrosum has big fat p-bulbs and the fact that yours are so skinny makes me think it wasn't grown well for quite some time now.

[HighSeas]

I did notice that the pseudobulbs in all of the pictures I've seen are more "plump". Hmmmm. I attributed that to mine being a smaller more immature plant. Great! So I have a needy, probably weak little guy to learn on. Lovely! Thank you for your observation though....I really appreciate your input!

Bud...let me get this right. Don't water it at all until it gets bigger? Leave it dry? Lot's of humidity....and wait until the new growth is more mature?

[euplusia]

I would also take a razor blade, cut off the upper part of the bulb and any possibly rotten parts, powder it with cinnamon and place it horizontally on a pot with medium. Be very careful not to hurt the keikis. A few drops of water to keep the medium a bit moist is enough for the moment.

[catasetum-ian]

concur with steve and eplusia, the constricted part is most likely an infected region of the bulb, the PB is now trying to save itself by sending keiki high up on the PB.

i usually use two blades, one is to remove grossly affected area, then use the second sterilized blade to cut a new cut surface. i am a fan of mancozeb or bleach solution. my advice is don't be too stingy in removing the affected area. get a good margin out of the affected area whenever possible, sometimes they might not be grossly affected but already infected at cellular level.
good luck

[Bud]

Janet, just maintain high humidity, bright light and warmth around it....do not worry about watering, spraying or fertilizer yet....especially since the others have discovered that it is attached to a rotting cane. Just make sure your new growths ( keikis) are healthy and thriving.

---------- Post added at 04:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:01 PM ----------

your atmosphere in Florida has high humidity....you have warm bright sun....so put it near an open south facing window....it will survive without water until it is five inches tall or has at least three inches roots....then repot it in Euplusia's sawdust mix and begin fertilizer and water regimen....