Why isn't my Catt growing?!

[mmursuli]

This is yet another orchid my neighbor gave me. It seems once the blooms die, she hands them over to me. No complaints here
Anywho, she gave me this Catt around Feb, and while all my other Catts have been growing and thriving this one seems dormant. Maybe it's a different type of Catt I'm not familiar with? It is a lot smaller than my other Catts...Any ideas?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Checked the roots lately?

[silken]

I have several that have been sitting almost petrified. They seem healthy, but maybe some just do that.

[mmursuli]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Checked the roots lately?

I checked the roots some time around March/April. I remember because my dog accidentally knocked it down chasing a squirrel. They looked OK. I snipped a few here and there. Should I check them again? I don't want to disturb her.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I don't think it'll be a problem if you remove the plant from the pot to check on the roots very quickly.

I think it's worth checking to make sure that everything is okay before saying that this is normal behavior (which it can be).

[Kelo]

That looks like an enormous pot for that small plant to be in. Since you haven't had the chance to check the roots for a few months it could possibly be that the roots are trying to find somewhere to lock onto. I would check them and re-pot into something much smaller.

[mmursuli]

I was horrified when I saw the condition her roots were in! This explains a lot. I cleaned her up a bit and put her in a smaller pot. I'll probably dunk her in some Hormex later. You comments are more than welcomed!

[Kelo]

That looks like a prime candidate for rot. Keep it in the small pot until the roots are everywhere! Then pot it into a pot with VERY well drained media of your choice. Don't water again for 5 - 7 days (since you're in Florida - but check the weight). Weigh it now (in grams if you can) and you'll get an idea of when to water it in its present pot after a few weeks. It will almost feel like the weight of a sheet of paper when it's bone dry and needs some water. It's unlikely you'll over water in this small of a pot but it's better to have it slightly on the dry side to avoid that rot.

Keep us updated though!

Oopsie - there's a small new growth emerging on the right of the 2nd picture of your last pics! You're getting a new chance here.

[Kelo]

One more thing that I forgot. That right leaf in the bottom pic, cut out the brown marks cos it looks like some rot it going on there. I use hand sanitiser - the type used in hospitals to clean hands - to clean the knife or blade you use to remove the marks (cut off the top half of the leaf if you feel like it). Apply some to the edge of the cut leaf too to prevent immediate infection. I do that with mine anyway and so far I've had no problems at all.

[mmursuli]

Originally Posted by Kelo

One more thing that I forgot. That right leaf in the bottom pic, cut out the brown marks cos it looks like some rot it going on there. I use hand sanitiser - the type used in hospitals to clean hands - to clean the knife or blade you use to remove the marks (cut off the top half of the leaf if you feel like it). Apply some to the edge of the cut leaf too to prevent immediate infection. I do that with mine anyway and so far I've had no problems at all.

Thank you so much for all the advice! I've never used hand sanitiser. I usually use straight alcohol to clean and then apply cinnamon to the cut area.
I also noticed the new growth!