What's Happening to My Catt Leaves?

[Roberta]

Follow the instructions on the Kelpak. It's a once-a-month treatment, not a fertilizer. Orchid Love is a fertilizer (supposedly) but when I look it up, it seems to be a "secret magic mix" ... Fertilizer should give you the percentages of the major constituaents - Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K). Check Ray's website for how to calculate the right concentration, nitrogen is the most important.

---------- Post added at 12:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:56 AM ----------

The wrinkly p-bulbs are sign of desiccation - some is normal (the plant drawing on reserves) but the newest ones should be plump. They're not going to plump up once shriveled, but new growth should be plump. The older roots are just not that efficient at taking up water. So, as ES said, you need to reduce water loss by raising humidity (such as enclosing the plant in a plastic bag), water so that it runs through the pot (pulling air into the root zone), then let dry out for a few days. As with all epiphytic orchids, your goal is "humid air" in the root zone, not "soggy wet". Until you get some roots going, fertilizer is not very important since the plant can't absorb it. It's all about roots...

[c123anderson]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Follow the instructions on the Kelpak. It's a once-a-month treatment, not a fertilizer. Orchid Love is a fertilizer (supposedly) but when I look it up, it seems to be a "secret magic mix" ... Fertilizer should give you the percentages of the major constituaents - Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K). Check Ray's website for how to calculate the right concentration, nitrogen is the most important.

I want to say that the Orchid Love had the amounts on the bottle, but, yes, I don't like the feeling of being deceived on ingredients. That seems more like "snake oil".

Frankly, the Orchid Love smelled so strongly and looked like its description, "all natural organic ingredients, a mix of the highest quality products including liquid kelp, liquid fish & beneficial plant substances" it was not something I'd use a lot. According to the seller, GS Plant Foods, it's 1-1-0.4 with no urea, just to record this information for someone looking in the future.

[c123anderson]

[/COLOR]The wrinkly p-bulbs are sign of desiccation - some is normal (the plant drawing on reserves) but the newest ones should be plump. They're not going to plump up once shriveled, but new growth should be plump. The older roots are just not that efficient at taking up water. So, as ES said, you need to reduce water loss by raising humidity (such as enclosing the plant in a plastic bag), water so that it runs through the pot (pulling air into the root zone), then let dry out for a few days. As with all epiphytic orchids, your goal is "humid air" in the root zone, not "soggy wet". Until you get some roots going, fertilizer is not very important since the plant can't absorb it. It's all about roots...[/QUOTE]

Okay, I watch the wrinkly pseudobulbs but try not to overcorrect (too much water). With both plants, both have new growth (new pseudobulbs) starting that look healthy. This means there's hope.

I will certainly take ES's advice and yours. I want to make sure the new roots are healthy and have food, but give the plants what they need to establish and grow.

At this point, though, the leaves browning are indications of issues, but they shouldn't be panic-inducing.

Thank you both for your advice and thoughts.

With the C. gaskelliana, I received a few more struggling Cattleya alliance plants from the out-of-business nursery. All, including C. gaskelliana, are actually forming new roots and seem to be moving in the right direction. But your advice is still extremely helpful, particularly the humidity, which I hadn't thought of.

Thank you!

---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Roberta

Snake oil. Very expensive water. Plain old Miracle Gro at 1/2 teaspoon per gallon will do the job. There's debate on the subject, but you have to figure that orchids can utilize organic nitrogen such as urea... in nature, they get their nitrogen from rotting detritus, bird poop, etc. not ammonium nitrate (which might be a bit more efficient but not a big deal either way)

I've actually had very good luck with MiracleGro. I got some of the Orchid blend, but, frankly, the old blue stuff works great, too.

This is what the C. gaskelliana received after repotting, was MiracleGro.