Blc. Waianae Leopard 'Ching Hua' Secret?

[D&S Mabel]

Help needed here with Blc. Waianae Leopard 'Ching Hua'.

I am having very little luck with this plant. I have had three of them - 1 died and I chalked it up to too small a plant (2-1/2" pot) and me not keeping a good eye on it. Of the two I have left (which I've had for 18mo. now), one is on its last legs. It started to send out a new growth but that has died back and the leaves are shriveled a bit. I don't see any good root growth and the plant just seems to be fading away. The second plant is ok, it has a new growth on it but, overall, it is small, looks a little rough around the edges and grows very slowly.

I have them in amongst my other cat. types, which do pretty well, and have them potted like cats. What am I doing wrong? Does this plant need special attention or is this just a test of my patience?

[ottercottage]

I am having the same problem. The root growth is poor and plant is in a stall. I just repotted into strictly medium-sized wood bark in a 4" plastic pot. This plain potting has saved a couple of my other cattleyas which evidently like just wood and air! Any suggestions would help me too.

[D&S Mabel]

I'm at: growing outdoors, minimum twice weekly watering (maybe more if it rains), Better-Gro Special Orchid potting mix (mostly pine bark) with shipping peanuts at the bottom of the pot to aid drainage. Fertilizing weakly weekly with DynaGro. My other cats like this arrangement...

[amyqofu]

This thread has inspired my first post. I also have one of these, and it also is struggling. It just doesn't have the vigor of some of my other catts (which I am new at growing). OTOH, my Spotted Gem 'Snow Leopard' is doing quite well. I think it's going to bloom for the 2nd time this year. So, maybe it's not the growers but the plant?

[ottercottage]

I grow indoors with lights. I use Schultz orchid food once a week, weakly, water a couple of times a week. All my other catts are fine, thriving. When I re-potted I divided the plant, am going to try growing one mounted on a driftwood slab and see what happens. This is puzzling and a challenge!

[gixrj18]

I also have this plant, which has been a very slow grower. However, I have recently given it more light than my other Catts...and it seems to be reacting! It has a new growth right now, which is about half mature. We'll see if it blooms for me!

[kiki-do]

Originally Posted by amyqofu

This thread has inspired my first post. I also have one of these, and it also is struggling. It just doesn't have the vigor of some of my other catts (which I am new at growing). OTOH, my Spotted Gem 'Snow Leopard' is doing quite well. I think it's going to bloom for the 2nd time this year. So, maybe it's not the growers but the plant?

Hi Amy!!!! Welcome to Orchid Board. Be sure to introduce yourself in the intro forum so others can say hello! So glad you joinned in.

I too had a couple catts acting rebellious to the regular growing methods. One was so bad, I almost tossed it. It was pitiful and I decided to mount it on a stick with moss. I kid you not, within three weeks it started to come around. I'm not sure what it's needs were, but it seem to respond favorably at being mounted. The lighting was no different. It's been about 4 months now and it has a new growth plus new root growths. I'm not out of the woods completely with this one, but she is definitely trying to make it. The other one, unfortunately, did not make it. I didn't mount that one (I didn't know it would work so well) but put it into a clay pot with fresh medium. It was too far gone.
Don't you just hate seeing these little guys just check out and make us helpless????
with yours!

[amyqofu]

I forgot to say that I am in Northern CA, growing in a greenhouse with 50% shade cloth on it for the summer.
I water about 1 x week, and fertilize with time release 13-13-13 (Dynamite). Maybe I'll try a bit more light...

[OrchidTess]

I was babying mine and it was not performing. So I put it out in the greenhouse close to to my digbyana and got 8 flowers on one spike this year. I use MSU Fertilizer and seaweed extract twice a month.

[ottercottage]

Gorgeous - great growing!