Advice C. purpurata Werkhauseri x C. Whitei Coerulea - Orchid Board

Nico · #1 07-17-2011, 06:33 AM

Hi!

I've got this plant since July last year, not in a very good condition. Some leaves died but the psb remained, in hope for new growths. After months of inactivity (from the pseudo-bulbs without leaves), I cut the rhizome and divide the good part of the plant from the leafless psb, without repoting. Again no sign of activity from them, as you will see in the pictures.

What to do next for the best of the plant? Repot only the good part? Let the psb, maybe they eventually produce some new psb. They look to my like almost dead, but....

Thank you very much!

tucker85 · #2 07-17-2011, 09:34 AM

I'll throw in my two cents for what it's worth but I live in south Florida so it may not apply to your area. Cattleyas like to get good air movement to the entire plant including the roots. I would put it in a pot with plenty of holes or slots to get air movement. Down here we encourage roots by misting the rhizome and the top of the medium once or twice a day. The medium itself should be dry most of the time. You can water maybe once a week thouroughly but you should have chunky medium and good air movement so it dries very quickly. Cattleyas like lots of light. You only need to protect it from the midday sun which can burn it. Don't fertilize until you see new roots starting. If there's any way to provide some humidity that would help also. If it doesn't get too cold in your area it would probably benefit from being outdoors during the summer time. These are only suggestions. Good luck with your plant.

Leafmite · #3 07-17-2011, 10:04 AM

Hi!
Usually, to revive a rootless cattleya, I fill a pot with lava rock to where I want the orchid to sit, stake the cattleya, and let sit, misting the rock a few times a day, until new roots begin. But, you have mentioned a leafless part of the plant and, if green, this can be grown as well. This spring, I ended up with some tiny, wrinkled, rootless backbulbs, one with a decent leaf, one with dried leaves, and one with no leaves. These were the very old parts of my new plants that I took off to better arrange the rest of the Catt orchids in the pots I had prepared for them. The small, thin bulbs were still green and I decided to have a little fun with them. What I did was to take a plastic vanda basket (for good airflow) and lined this with a little over an inch of the sphrag moss that came with some of the new orchids and set the bulbs on top of this, anchoring them so they would stay still. I put them in the same lighting as my phal orchids, they had temperatures mostly in the eighties (26 C and higher), and I kept the moss damp but not wet. I started them in late April, moved them outside in mid-May, and in early June they began to produce growths and just recently, I found roots. Now I have moved all three to lava rock and net pots, my favorite set up, careful not to damage the new growth. I think that the keys to success was the heat, the decent lighting, good airflow, giving the bulbs a culture that wouldn't further damage them and much patience. I don't know what condition your cattleya is in, exactly, but I thought sharing my experiment might be helpful to you. Hopefully, someone who has more experience and can judge your orchid better can help. It might be useful to share if your orchid has good roots and what conditions you have been giving the orchid so others can help more easily. I really hope to see flowers from this orchid posted here someday! Good luck!
Leafmite

P.S. I would not sever any of the old growths from the orchid you show in the picture. The older bulbs help to support the new growth when an orchid is small

Nico · #4 07-18-2011, 01:49 AM

I keep this catt in my kitchen, on a shelf, where the window is always open, good humidity and indirect sunlight. because the plant is weak, I don't risk to put it outside where, in the summer, the sun burns. I want to keep an eye on her daily and make it grow right now and established. Over the years I will expect flowers, but I have pacience

Thank you again for sharing your experiences!

glengary54 · #5 07-18-2011, 04:39 PM

Nico - from the photos, your plant appears to have a new growth that hasn't put out new roots yet. I would take it out of it's pot. Cut off any dead roots and re-pot it into fresh medium, making sure to stabilize it with a rhizome clip. I would keep it fairly dry to encourage it to put out new roots. You can mist it everyday to increase the humidity. I can't tell from your pictures if the leafless backbulbs are still green or not. If they are green, leave them alone if not, cut them off. Keep us posted on it's progress.

Eyebabe · #6 07-18-2011, 05:12 PM

The first thing I would do is cut the last 4 pseudobulbs from the back off the plant and all of the dead roots as well. Throw them in the trash o.0
This leaves you with your front four pseudobulbs (new growth included in the count).
Next, some new media preferably hydroton or Aussie Gold and a smaller pot; probably about half the size you currently have. I would prefer a clear pot with side slits or clay. You can soak/wet the media in water with KLN or Superthrive to promote root growth.
Use a rhysome clip and stake to FIRMLY secure the plant to the media. (As you have trimmed most of the roots off and will need mechanical means to set the plant.)
If you do not secure it firmly, you will never get any roots, period.
Keep humidity high and water normally.
Keep the plant kind of warm...about 75F to 80F
Your plant looks extremely viable. Trim your roots up nice and neat....leaving all those dead roots will promote rot and decrease the stimulus for the plant to grow new roots.