Can you repot while in Sheath?

[Cattleya17]

Hey i have a Problem with bark! My Cattleya has been in it for 2 years now and its bloomed before and has one emerging sheath and two new growths on the way. The bark is breaking down. The ants love to make nests in my orchids planted in bark which is why i now grow everything in Lava.

But this one started producing a sheath so i left it in the bark, I am worried it will abort anything if i do. but i cant bring an ant nest into the house. what should i do???

I did what was suggested in the pest forum which was to completely submerge the plant in water for a couple of hours or more, i did it for three. Guess i didn't get them all.
Please get back to me.

[Becky15349]

Are there any visible buds in the sheath? If there are no buds, you're probably ok...but if there are buds, I'm not sure I would do it - I lost 2 buds this year on my Epc. Siam Jade because I repotted, and I was very sad - I don't want the same thing happening to you!!

[Cattleya17]

Nope no signs of bud at all. the leaf just opened up about a week ago and the sarong is not even dry yet

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Cattleya17

Hey i have a Problem with bark! My Cattleya has been in it for 2 years now and its bloomed before and has one emerging sheath and two new growths on the way. The bark is breaking down. The ants love to make nests in my orchids planted in bark which is why i now grow everything in Lava.

But this one started producing a sheath so i left it in the bark, I am worried it will abort anything if i do. but i cant bring an ant nest into the house. what should i do???

I did what was suggested in the pest forum which was to completely submerge the plant in water for a couple of hours or more, i did it for three. Guess i didn't get them all.
Please get back to me.

You might want to try a little Sevin dust sprinkled over the top of your media. Let it sit for a bit and then water it in so it mixes with the bark beneath. This method has worked for me with no ill effects to the plant, buds or blooms. Within 24 hours the ants will be gone.

[Becky15349]

That might not be a bad idea!! Although, if you don't see any bud, you can probably repot if the media is breaking down like you said...

[Cattleya17]

yah i would like to get it out of the stuff. i can scratch the bark to pieces with my finger nails. its very soft i dont wanna risk it. i think that the ants chew it up which doesnt help

[nenella]

I am not a cattleya expert but I believe that to have the maximum benefit you need to idealy wait until you have new roots growing on your new growth before replanting

[Cattleya17]

yah i know it pretty close to that stage and i see some growing around the pot. its really active right now. I Hope that all goes well

[smweaver]

Is your plant a unifoliate or bifoliate cattleya? If it's a unifoliate, it might be okay to repot it even while it's in sheath. My C. mossiae plants produce sheaths at this time of year and then don't bloom until the following spring. So just because you see a sheath doesn't mean that buds will appear right away. If it's a bifoliate cattleya, be very careful about when you repot it. They do not react kindly to being repotted at any time other than when they're producing new roots. One other note of caution, if you use the Sevin, it might not hurt to keep the plant isolated. Sevin is highly toxic and an indiscriminate killer. Any bees or other beneficial insects (or the predators that feed on them) that come into contact with it will be killed. Good luck with your plant.

[Cattleya17]

I didnt know that about Unifoliates. It is a Unifoliate, i only have one Bifoliate and that is Slc. Jewel Box 'Scherazade' and i divided it in sheath and so far i see a shadow in there. But yes the orchid in question is a unifoliate. When i took it out of the pot Ants spilled out everywhere and eggs too! lots and lots of roots! Firm white and growing! so i am very hopefull that the sheath will still produce buds.