Catts in Baskets

[boytjie]

Curious if anyone else is growing their Cattleyas and/or related 'chids in baskets? I put an Encyclia tampense and two of my mini Catts in 4" wood baskets to see how they'd do compared to plants potted in plastic. One year in, they've clearly out-performed the potted ones, healthy new roots and growths everywhere, even in my relatively low average humidity of 40%.

Based on this I'm thinking of switching over a few more when it comes to repotting time. Still experimenting with what medium to use inside the baskets, though, so I was wondering what other basket-growing folks might be doing? Straight sphagnum seems a bit dense, and fir bark seems to dry too fast. CHC or fiber maybe...?

[aceboj]

I use teak baskets for all my Laelias and drier-growing Encyclias and have excellent luck, both with them on hangers and used as pots. As for medium my favorite is tree fern fiber, although I have good luck also with expanded-clay pellets. I line the baskets with 1/4" hardware cloth to better contain the media.

[isurus79]

I grow my 'basketed' Catts with either just large grade bark or wine corks on the bottom with large grade bark on the top. Works great for me! It lets me water every day and I dont have to worry about my 'chids rotting in the wet season (ie. Feb and March).

[buckie]

It never ceases to amaze me on the different growing styles around the world, here in VERY tropical Nth Queensland, Australia, we use plastic pots and either volcanic rock or red granite ( 1/2 inch ) I think that the secret is to try to treat your cat's as if they were in the wild, the roots use your potting mixture to hang on to, NOT FEED OFF. When you get that right all you have to do is get the watering cycle with heat of the days sorted and they will grow. In the wild they have thunder storms in the afternoon in summer, in the winter fog or due in the mornings giving them their water supply, copy that in your seasons and you can't go wrong.

Warren