Fredclarkeara grew like a weed now it just sits there.

[fooferdoggie]

this guy had one leaf when we got it and grew like a weed then just stopped. the only thing that changed is it got hot during summer and I added brighter leds. so too much light or what? we don't let it dry out too much heat it got upto 90 in the house this summer.

[Subrosa]

Its growing season is about over. The leaves will yellow and drop, and hopefully you'll get a spike or 2 this winter. You'll want to start keeping it drier.

Edit: too much light for a Catasetum........maybe if you live on the equator. At 10,000 ft of elevation. But maybe not!

[fishmom]

The heat shouldn't bother the plant, but the p-bulb looks smaller than last year's bulb, a sign that the plant needed more water and fertilizer than it got. Fdk. doesn't want to dry out during the growing season, which is hard to manage with a mount. Would you consider potting it next year?

[orchidsarefun]

Fdk has successively larger bulbs and if this doesn't happen then some requirement wasn't met. Mine, which are potted, are almost in full bloom and the lower leaves are yellowing. It seems like you mounted yours after purchase and this would have set it back if it's roots were damaged in any way. It's difficult to keep mounted plants , of this size , roots 'moist' and that is why most are potted up.

[fooferdoggie]

I know it never dried out it takes 2 or 3 days for it to get a dry surface as it had a lot of moss. some of my others would dry out fast but not it. but it only got real light feeding my dipping water only has about a teaspoon of food per gallon since the plants are dipped usually several times a week and then a misting with food once a week. so its not light then it could be not enough food or the moss does not do a good job for this guy? it may have been two months since it stopped growing leaves. so maybe back in bark with it and when should I pot it after it looses it leaves?

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[bil]

Originally Posted by fooferdoggie

I know it never dried out it takes 2 or 3 days for it to get a dry surface as it had a lot of moss. some of my others would dry out fast but not it. but it only got real light feeding my dipping water only has about a teaspoon of food per gallon since the plants are dipped usually several times a week and then a misting with food once a week. so its not light then it could be not enough food or the moss does not do a good job for this guy? it may have been two months since it stopped growing leaves. so maybe back in bark with it and when should I pot it after it looses it leaves?

OK, my FC threw three shoots, each as big if not bigger than the parent bulb. My other Ctsms that only threw single bulbs are WAY bigger. Mine get about 6K fc light, and heavy ferts, about 140ppmN of a 30.30.30 mix.
The really important difference is that yours is mounted and mine are in pots that are allowed to sit in about an inch of fertiliser solution 24/7

I love mounts, I mount almost everything I have and everything that I can, but there is simply no way that I would ever mount Ctsm. IMO that setup you have, which would be fine for most epiphytes simply couldn't supply enough water unless it was watered many times a day.
Even then, I would worry that the stronger ferts would burn the roots if the mount dried out between watering.

[orchidsarefun]

I would pot it up after roots of about 1inch appear on a new growth, taking care not to damage the roots. New growths tend to start around Feb/March. You should stop watering yours completely by end December.

Fred Clarke has excellent advice on cultivation for novice growers - check out his website.
Sunset Valley Orchids - Superior Hybrids for Orchid Enthusiasts

---------- Post added at 09:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:15 AM ----------

Of course I'm hoping that new bulbs on this one don't get any bigger, its already a problem finding it a good spot indoors. This year's growth is over 12 inches tall, I can't measure its girth - it's big!

[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.

[Subrosa]

I do very well potting Catasetum in a layered substrate. I fill the bottom half or so of the pot with composted manure with a bit of perlite mixed in, and the rest with sphagnum. Once the roots grow into the manure fertilizing is not a problem, although I do use my regular "weekly weakly" solution on it weekly as well.

[bil]

I have heard people who use 600ppmN of Catasetinae.