Cattleya hybrid lost its only new growth…

[greenhouseFrog]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Nooooooo... Don't cut anything! Pruning is for fruit trees not orchids! You will not help it grow, you will kill it for sure! It makes a new growth once a year. When it gets bigger it may make more, it is the new growth where the flowers come from.

There are lots of crazy notions around that people find on the 'nwt. Not here, swatting down misinformation is a never-ending process.

When the plant starts to climb out of the pot (maybe with the next growth) it will be time to repot but it doesn't need it yet. Most orchids like "tight shoes". Putting an orchid in a too-large pot exposes it to a wet, airless environment - root death. Your goal is "humid air", so fairly large bark, especially for Cattleyas, is very good.

Forgive me for any misunderstanding; I didn’t cut anything from the plant—the new growth snapped off either in transit or during unpacking. That thread seemed to me to simulate the damage that had occurred; the picture isn’t the greatest, but it was a very clean break at the what I guess was the beginning of the leaf.

This is the smallest of the bunch, so it’s gonna have to stay put till recovery, the others are already climbing out to meet the world!