Possible to rescue a resentful bifoliate cattleya?

[MateoinLosAngeles]

I got this C. Leoloddiglossa that I suspect has sulked and is attempting suicide after an untimely repotting. Let's call it "Lisa."

I was monitoring Lisa's new growth: a healthy pseudobulb almost twice in size as the previous one, and I would've sworn I saw green root tips coming out of the base. When I proceeded to unpot it from the opaque nursery pot it came in, I noticed that it actually didn't have any new roots coming out, so I placed it in a transparent pot of the same size for easier monitoring. That was about 2 months ago.

The plant hasn't done anything since then. I have another Leoloddiglossa (from a different vendor) that is currently shooting roots, and I was able to transition to S/H. Yet, Lisa seems frozen in time. I've noticed some older roots starting to look like they've seen better times, and the leaves have lightened up in color, and the surface is not as smooth, which are all early signs of dehydration.

The plant has mostly tigrina combined with loddigesii and amethystoglossa. The latter two are winter bloomers in the "root before bloom" category, C. tigrina is a summer bloomer and a "root after bloom" plant.

Given that this hybrid shot up a considerable pseudobulb in late March-April, it seems to be showing the tigrina calendar come through, and it would naturally want to produce roots between June and August. I feel that I got so close, and had I not fiddled with the orchid, it would probably be on its way to growing new roots next month or by August at the latest. But in its current state, and knowing how temperamental bifoliates are, I'm genuinely concerned that Lisa won't try to hold on to dear life and that this silent treatment is her swan song.

Is there a way to reason with Lisa and ask for her forgiveness? I've thoroughly followed Kelpak supplementation every 3 weeks and ensured the medium is consistently moist yet not wet. Ventilation is good and overall culture is fine, humidity is around 50%, light is good without baking them, and all of Lisa's sisters and step sisters seem just fine, doing their thing. Thus I believe this was an issue with disrupting the roots at the wrong time. I haven't placed it on a heat mat because I thought this Cattleya liked it on the cooler side, but would that help?

Would appreciate any tips on convincing an angry bifoliate cattleya to give me a second chance and choose to live.

[estación seca]

My impression of these is 50% relative humidity might be too low. None of my bifoliates does anything unless it's higher.

[isurus79]

Lisa should be fine, just give it more time. In the future, if you find you've accidentally done something wrong during potting, just get the plant into it's new home. Now you'll have to wait until Lisa reactivates, then you'll have to shock the plant yet again with a new pot, probably in the next month or so.

[Leafmite]

Make certain that 'Lisa' is stable in the pot (stake/wire). If an orchid wiggles in the pot, this can irritate the roots (and, if an orchid's roots are sensitive, they will stop growing). Some bifoliate Cattleyas take a long time for the new pseudobulbs to get their roots so, as said, just be patient and keep the leaves from getting dehydrated until the new roots begin growing.

Many of the nice smaller fragrant Cattleya species and their hybrids are bifoliate and so, naturally, as one who likes smaller, fragrant orchids, I have a few in my collection. After potting them in lava rock, I keep the roots dry for a couple of days to let them heal before I begin watering. I learned this from growing Angraecums and it works quite well with Cattleyas, too.

[Louis_W]

Good advice above, just wanted to add that i disagree with "prefers cool temps" thought. I grow leoloddiglossa and all three parents very hot!

Also you didnt mention what you potted it into but since you have at least one other plant in SH i highly reccomend that for the big bifoliates. It really allows you to circumvent the whole terror of repotting. I repot mine and they dont notice at all

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Louis_W

Good advice above, just wanted to add that i disagree with "prefers cool temps" thought. I grow leoloddiglossa and all three parents very hot!

Oh, good catch! I also grow all three parents outside all summer long in the Texas heat.

[MateoinLosAngeles]

Thank you all for awesome advice!

Originally Posted by isurus79

In the future, if you find you've accidentally done something wrong during potting, just get the plant into it's new home. Now you'll have to wait until Lisa reactivates, then you'll have to shock the plant yet again with a new pot, probably in the next month or so.

This is so true and such a good reminder that you gotta bite the bullet... I was hoping the root meddling was so minimal that I would be able to get away with it! Wishful thinking...

I placed the plant under a germination dome with humidity in the 75-85% range and placed it on a heat mat, temps are between 70-80ºF. It's under lights getting about low Oncidium/high Phalaenopsis light intensity. I believe this Cattleya is one of those that can take up to full sun but it might appreciate a slower metabolism to give it time to shoot roots. So I think I'll sacrifice light for now in order to provide hot, humid air, which its parents love.

---------- Post added at 01:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:27 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Louis_W

Good advice above, just wanted to add that i disagree with "prefers cool temps" thought. I grow leoloddiglossa and all three parents very hot!

Also you didnt mention what you potted it into but since you have at least one other plant in SH i highly reccomend that for the big bifoliates. It really allows you to circumvent the whole terror of repotting. I repot mine and they dont notice at all

Absolutely correct, I literally had this plant next to a Cattleya intermedia hybrid and even though I was writing C tigrina I was thinking of C intermedia. I'm not extremely concerned about temperatures in Los Angeles, but still I'm aware that during heat waves temps can go above 90 if I'm not careful or pay attention.

But yeah, I re-read the culture notes for tigrina, amethystoglossa, and loddigesii, and indeed they all love it warm.

[Louis_W]

[\QUOTE]
Absolutely correct, I literally had this plant next to a Cattleya intermedia hybrid and even though I was writing C tigrina I was thinking of C intermedia. I'm not extremely concerned about temperatures in Los Angeles, but still I'm aware that during heat waves temps can go above 90 if I'm not careful or pay attention.

But yeah, I re-read the culture notes for tigrina, amethystoglossa, and loddigesii, and indeed they all love it warm.[/QUOTE]

90 is nothing. If its gonna break 110° then you might do something but my plants are over 90 almost every day. LAs climate is probably good for them. Id just watch those lows. Ive gone into the high 40s without much problem perhaps they could go lower but i know you guys have a rare frost that might kill them.

[isurus79]

Exactly. Mine will see 105 for weeks or even months (ugh) on end.

[Roberta]

I am more concerned with lows than highs, but I'm growing outside. Mateo, I think you're growing indoors so lows wouldn't be a problem, the highs certainly wouldn't be an issue. (The hot days will be unpleasant for you more than for the plants, with those large windows...)