New Cattleya, No ID

[mofms1]

I bought a Cattleya at Orchid Trail from their discount table aout 1.5 weeks ago. It didn't have an ID other than it's a Cattleya. The flowers were gorgeous, orange with a vibrant red on the inside, but they have fallen off (or are falling) now. I would like to take good care of this and am considering repotting it into s/h, but not sure if that would work well for them.

In the pictures the plant is in its original pot with a mix of bark and cork, that pot is placed in a clear pot with slits on the sides and some dry Leca in the bottom. It's in the outer pot mostly because it just happened to be sitting there and it's where I plopped the plant down. No special reason.

The window is a south facing window and the blinds are usually in that partially open position. It's a little gray out today, but I'm in NC and that window usually gets a lot of light.

Please let me know anything I could or should be doing to help my Cattleya thrive. It was an impulse buy b/c it was only $8. I'm still fairly new to any orchids other than phals, I keep saying I'm going to not buy them and then buying new kinds anyways. This means I'm not really giving myself a chance to really learn what I'm doing before I move on to a new type.

[SouthPark]

From the look of the leaf colour of that cattleya - light green to greeny-yellow, it was probably growing in relatively high bright light level. Perhaps even some full sun.

I would recommend medium level light to begin with - definitely not low light levels. Medium can be in the shade, but no direct path sunlight. But I reckon that this one can handle direct sun - provided it gets gradually 'sun-hardened' ..... ie. gradually building up to handle brighter ad brighter light.

For the pot, aim for a pot that provides not only very good drainage, but also very good air-flow from media surface (and then through the media) to the bottom of the pot. This means big enough holes and an adequate number of holes at the bottom of the pot.

If any other pot is placed around the outside of the main pot, then either ensure that the same aim about air-flow is met ----- or (another option) remove any outer pot. These are options. Of course - if the orchid grows nicely for very long times (for seasons and seasons), then it's ok to keep using an existing setup.

My main aims are - adequate light level and light duration, satisfactory temperature range for the orchid, satisfactory air-movement in the growing environment, airy-media that retains some moisture when watering but doesn't become water-logged and making roots soggy for long periods of time, and very good drainage pot that allows adequate air movement through the media and around the roots.

The bark medium currently in the pot appears to be quite satisfactory! Ensure that this orchid receives adequate light level and light duration. Provide nice warm temperature and maintain gentle air-movement in the growing area.

If air-movement is satisfactory and the pot has good air-flow and drainage, then it's ok to water enough (as needed) to keep the roots moist - never waterlogged/soggy/watery.

Sometimes, growers don't water adequately, and the orchid can go 'backwards' in health (ie. go on the decline and dehydrate).

Also - your description of light levels at the window sounds quite satisfactory.

[mofms1]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

For the pot, aim for a pot that provides not only very good drainage, but also very good air-flow from media surface (and then through the media) to the bottom of the pot. This means big enough holes and an adequate number of holes at the bottom of the pot.

If any other pot is placed around the outside of the main pot, then either ensure that the same aim about air-flow is met ----- or (another option) remove any outer pot. These are options. Of course - if the orchid grows nicely for very long times (for seasons and seasons), then it's ok to keep using an existing setup.

The bark medium currently in the pot appears to be quite satisfactory! Ensure that this orchid receives adequate light level and light duration. Provide nice warm temperature and maintain gentle air-movement in the growing area.

Thanks so much for responding. I just have one more question. Do you think I need to repot this into a slightly larger pot? The roots are all over the place on this one. If the plant is doing well and the medium is good, I'm happy leaving it as is. But if it needs a new pot because the roots are escaping I can always go and get some of the mix Orchid Trail uses because they seel it by the bag. Or I could pot it in LECA (as a medium and not s/h), which the AOS says can work very well with proper care. If I do need to repot it, I think I may be able to use that outer pot because it's slightly larger, but not a whole lot bigger.

[Roberta]

Repotting would be a good idea. But wait until you see NEW roots just beginning to emerge. The old roots will keep the plant going until the new ones develop, but it is the new ones that will adjust to the new medium and keep on growing. If you do it just as the new roots are starting, you don't have to worry so much about the inevitable damage that will happen to a new root tip or two since there will be more where those came from.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by mofms1

Thanks so much for responding. I just have one more question. Do you think I need to repot this into a slightly larger pot? The roots are all over the place on this one. If the plant is doing well and the medium is good, I'm happy leaving it as is.

You're most welcome. The roots indeed had spread out and grown very long too. In general, just look at the rhizome region and the directions that the new growths (new bulbs) are popping out --- or moving towards.

Sometimes, the rhizome may even get to the edge of the pot and the bulbs start to emerge around the upper rim of the pot, and grow out of the pot. If this happens, cattleyas can still do just fine - depending on the growing environment (eg. enough humidity and moisture and nutrients needed).

If the orchid already has lots of roots, then the orchid will still do just fine (and grow more roots within the pot) if long roots are cut (preferably with sterile cutting tools and good hygiene). It just depends on the growing area you have, and whether you don't mind roots spreading out everywhere (if they can sustain themselves).

Putting into a slightly larger pot is no problem too. In the tropics here, I have repotted orchids at various stages of growth. I avoid breaking or snapping roots whenever I can. Sometimes it just happens - in which I then allow the break to dry and seal up naturally before the next watering time begins.