Fredclarkeara grew like a weed now it just sits there.

[estación seca]

Also realize a lot of people stand Catasetum pots in a dish of water most of the summer. They really do use that much water.

[bil]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Also realize a lot of people stand Catasetum pots in a dish of water most of the summer. They really do use that much water.

Yep, it's what I do, except I use a fertiliser solution.

[fooferdoggie]

so would it do well as a semi hydro with Leca?

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by fooferdoggie

so would it do well as a semi hydro with Leca?

I'm certain it would. I use semi-hydro for most of my plants for my own convenience. To my mind the layered organic method I use is less work than semi-hydro. I suppose s/h would allow me to forgo my yearly repotting, but its no big deal.

[bil]

S/H is good for them, letting them sit in water is S/H, so I imagine that Leca S/H ought to do very well.

[fooferdoggie]

I took it off the mount and it has hardly grown any roots it was not happy for sure.

[SaraJean]

The main issue I had with catasetums in s/h was that my young ones did great but my older and larger ones would drink the reservoir by the early evening after being watered that morning, the greedy little b.... so I gave up trying to use s/h but maybe adding a little larger reservoir might do the trick if you really want to give it a go. I might try this with one of my divisions next year

Originally Posted by fooferdoggie

ok so in the pot it will go and feed it like a Vanda and lots of light. at the time I mounted most of the orchids as it was easier for my blind wife to tell if they needed watering and she knocked them out of the bark. but she is better at it now.

You could just try straight sphagnum moss as well. That is what the majority of mine are potted in now. My largest ones that are in 6” pots are in a mixture of 2:1 sphag and bark, but most of mine are in 3” and 4” pots with only sphag. It’s quite literally impossible to overwater them when they are in the height of the growing season (for me that’s May-Sept.) as long as they are in an appropriately sized pot. Mine can take being watered everyday, and many times, multiple times a day with rain showers we get. Plus that removes the issue of bark rolling around if it gets knocked over, you could also drop it in a heavier second pot, and also is easier to do a moisture test than it is with bark. Early in the growing season feel the top and if it’s dry, water it. When it really gets growing just water it either everyday or when the top gets even slightly dry.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by bil

Yep, it's what I do, except I use a fertiliser solution.

Yep, I do the same. As soon as the new growths are big enough to resume watering...they go into saucers of fert water solution. And they stay in those saucers until the plants go outside in the late spring. Once outside, they pretty much get watered every day. I put slow release fert granules in the pots and I fertilize w/my usual solution when I fert everything else. Like watering, it's hard to over-fert these guys when they are actively growing.

I also pot up most of mine in straight sphag. Some are in a mix of sphag and shredded redwood but the sphag ones actually grow a bit better than the mixed media plants. I'm guessing it's because the redwood tends to shed water for a while when it's fresh and the sphag holds moisture better. I have a few in large clay pots and nothing but sphag. My largest being a Cycnodes Wine Delight...in a 12" clay pot (or maybe it's a 14", I can't remember right now, but it's a very large pot) w/only sphag. It's a beast! As already stated, these guys are virtually impossible to over-water when they are in active growth.

[fooferdoggie]

so far this guy is just sitting there it has not dropped its leaves or done anything. should I let it dry out so it will go dormant?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by fooferdoggie

so far this guy is just sitting there it has not dropped its leaves or done anything. should I let it dry out so it will go dormant?

Yes, let it go dry Another post in this thread referred you to the Sunset Valley Orchids website for culture info... do check that out. Fred Clarke advocates stopping water in early January to push dormancy if the plant still has green leaves by that time (like now).