Cattleya walkeriana frm. Coerulea -- rippled leaves?

[MJG]

Based on lots of good advice on this thread, I repotted this orchid with much more air around its roots. My intention was to pot it in a medium that I could water every day and have it dry out with 12 or so hours.

I finally received my hydroton order and repotted yesterday. I filled a terra cotta pot about 1/3 full of pre-soaked hydroton. Then I set the orchid with roots sitting on top of the hydroton with a rhizome clip to hold it in the pot.

I drenched it after I potted it yesterday early afternoon. This morning the lower area of its roots sitting on the hydroton were still damp. I drenched it again this morning. I checked just now and the roots are still wet next to the hydroton, but otherwise mostly drying. They're damp enough that they'll still be a bit damp tomorrow morning when I check them for watering.

If I continue this cycle, am I going to kill its roots from staying perpetually damp at the bottom? Would it be a better idea to dump the hydroton and just let this sit bare-root in the pot?

And another question....this is my first time using hydroton. I grow my orchids at room temp in my house, about 72-73 degrees. When I picked up the pot this morning and again just now, it felt really cold to the touch where it's wet!! I've never experienced that with bark in a clay pot. Does wet hydroton do this? I'm feeling like the last thing I want to do to my cattleyas is ice them down!

[Roberta]

It sounds to me like you might need to skip a day... remember, even when the hydroton is not obviously wet, it is holding humidity. And since your goal is "humid air" you can let it get a little drier, I think. Also, if you let it dry out a little more, it'll be warmer. I don't think you have to worry about being too cold, but probably don't want it perpetually both cold and wet.

[MJG]

That's good advice. Cold and damp are not ideal growing conditions. My plan to daily drench came about because this orchid is so dang dehydrated. We'll see how this goes.

[estación seca]

Edit: I found my notes, which included the full links to the Orchid Board threads. catwalker808 is no longer shown in the membership list, and I could not find his posts with Advanced Search. Here is his most detailed explanation of how to grow Cattleya walkeriana:
C walkeriana - Tips for Growing & Blooming


Previously:
A member named catwalker something posted here long ago. I believe he worked at a Hilo nursery, and he was an expert at growing this plant. I may have saved some of his posts. I will look on my desktop when I get a chance.

I do remember he told almost everybody who posted problem photos that they were underwatering during the growing season.

He said they grow on branches in deciduous forest in Brazil. In their summer growth period the canopy shades them. In winter the trees drop their leaves and the plants get very much more light. In summer it rains heavily, is extremely hot and is very humid. In winter it does not rain. It is a lot less humid, with little dew.

I have been to Cattleya walkeriana habitat in midwinter. Days were in the upper 80s F / upper 20s C. Nights were in the 70s F / mid teens C.

He said plants in cultivation must be watered heavily, even more than once a day, during summer. They don't need as much summer light as other Catts, and more light increases water needs. They need much brighter light in fall and winter to bloom. He recommended a very open potting mix and frequent watering. Drying out between watering is not needed if the roots have enough air.

My observations have been it grows better mounted, if I can water enough and provide humidity. They didn't take off until roots were firmly attached. My best growth came with plants tied on top of wads of sphagnum moss on a cork mount. I kept the moss always wet or damp in summer. The roots grew over the moss surface, and did not penetrate. I hope I can find the material from catwalker.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by MJG

If I continue this cycle, am I going to kill its roots from staying perpetually damp at the bottom? Would it be a better idea to dump the hydroton and just let this sit bare-root in the pot?

MJG ...... I reckon that if the roots have grown used to it (such as the same way roots that eventually reach {by growing longer and longer} some quite watery regions of media become adapted), then such roots can likely handle those sorts of conditions ----- which is along the same lines of new roots or extending roots getting adapted to 'water environment growing'.

But I think that if regular roots haven't become adapted to constantly moist conditions, then they can certainly run out of oxygen and begin to die and rot ----- eg. change colour to grey colour, or even black colour etc. For such cases ----- you could then see what happens when you allow the media to dry out. Those roots may become white coloured (which would be a good sign), and whatever stuff (bacteria or whatever) will probably dry out and kick the bucket ....... and then you'll probably be good to go again for the next watering - and then hopefully the roots then keep growing normally, or even sprout off-shoot roots. From that point onward ----- need to prevent those regular roots from staying overly moist for relatively long periods of time - otherwise the low-oxygen issue will occur again.

The occasional media dry-out can actually help a lot ----- eg. keeps potential nasties at bay or under control, cutting down of unwanted (eg. bacterial/pathogen) activity in the media etc.

I think that - also - to help things along will be good growing temperatures, and some gentle air-movement, and adequate lighting. Too damp and dark and cold ---- definitely can become problematic.

[MJG]

Here is a picture of what it looks like now after the repot. There's new grow at the edge of the pot with healthy looking roots that want to be aerial.

You can see that the other leaves and pseudobulbs are very dry and shriveled. The roots that you can see in the pot are as good as it gets underneath the orchid. They feel fragile and papery.

(Btw, I'm not above being snarky where it is deserved.....this orchid came to me in this condition a couple of months ago from my friends at Seattle Orchid.)

[MJG]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Edit: I found my notes, which included the full links to the Orchid Board threads. catwalker808 is no longer shown in the membership list, and I could not find his posts with Advanced Search. Here is his most detailed explanation of how to grow Cattleya walkeriana:
C walkeriana - Tips for Growing & Blooming

ES, thank you for locating this thread and for your own comments. They are very helpful.

[isurus79]

It does look dyhydrated, but not too bad. This one should perk up quickly. If the hydroton has you worried, maybe try another media, like rock or giant wood chunks?

[My Green Pets]

MJ, I just got one of these from a fellow Orchidboarder a couple months ago. I potted it in a square plastic pot with 1 to 1.5-inch chunks of granite rock i got at the garden section of a big box store. It gets soaked and dried out every 2 days. The old growths are shriveling as it grows out but the new ones should be fine. Hope this is useful.

[SouthPark]

Those new roots are certainly a very good sign that this orchid is making an excellent come-back.