Help with growing my Catt's

[No-Pro-mwa]

I got 3 new Catt's and sense I have killed all my others even though I am sure it was neglect I want to make sure I will keep these alive.

Fertilizer that I am using now is Dyna-Gro orchid pro 7-8-6 1/2 tea in a gal of water. Does this still need to be weaker? Actually I would like to know about this for all my orchids. It seems weak enough with these numbers.

I also put a 1/2 tea of Pro-Tekt in with it together and water this way. I have just ordered Neptune fish and seaweed stuff as I was ordering from Kelly's Korner and that was all the seaweed they had.

Am a bit concerned it may smell and so not sure if I will want to water them in the house with this. But because I was ordering I just went ahead and got it, I can always use it on my outside plants.

So if I need something different then I will go ahead and order some from Ray. I also am getting new KLN as mine was old and no good.

I am not planning on re-potting yet as they all have sheaths on them even though I am sure they will drop them.

What do the rest of you use in the way of pots for your catt's. I like clay pots so am thinking I will eventually put them in these.

This huge Jose Marti is in a 8.5" pot so it will have to be a bit wider I guess. Not sure how I am going to handle this thing.

[tucker85]

Dyna-Gro is a good fertilizer. 1/2 teaspoon is 46 ppm nitrogen which should be fine, especially in Wyoming where the light isn't as strong as in the South.

I've never used Pro-Tekt and I don't have an opinion on that product.

I think you'll find that the fish and seaweed product will smell too strong to use indoors. If you have a local garden supply store or hydroponics store, they often carry a seaweed or kelp product, without fish.

I use open wood baskets for my cattleyas because I live in the sub-tropics and grow outdoors. I think natural clay pots are your best bet because cattleyas like to dry out rapidly and plastic holds moisture a long time, but catts can be grown in plastic if you're careful. The best pot for that huge Jose Marti would be a clay bulb pan. If you can't find one the right size try a clay azalea pot. Both those are shallower than normal pots.

By the way the picture on my avatar is a Jose Marti 'Mother's Favorite'.

[kindrag23]

I ordered my den. nobile online from kammoto (?) ande whew the fish smell coming from those roots dang near did me in. Good luck I am fighting with my cattleya to keep it going. Keep it up it will be worth it in the end!

[Brooke]

Can you tell us what kind of light the Catts are receiving?

If you can't find a clay bulb pot or azalea pot you can add p'nuts to the bottom to keep the media more shallow to avoid stagnant and deep wet media in the pot.

Brooke

[Gthumbz89]

Tucker is right about the clay potts..The faster the roots dry out the better. I find the key to keeping cattleyas happy is to keep their roots dry for a day or so, drench the pots with water and very weak fertilizer and then let it dry out completely again. Seems like the roots are happiest when I water once a week with a 1/4 strength dose of ferts. Just a word of caution be very careful with those supplements because I burned the heck out of my cattleya roots with things like superthrive... I was using allot more than the recommended strength though. Just my ... I'm sure you'll get better advice.

[brn_thmbs]

I just watered & fed everyone this morning & I used the Neptune fish emulsion seaweed extract mix. I smell like I've been baiting hooks and chuming for days on a tuna boat... Luckily they're all outside for the summer. Come colder days they come in & I switch to straight seaweed extract monthly. Can't be having that stank in mah house :-\
Good luck with the Catt!

[WhiteRabbit]

I too like clay pots, especially for the larger Catts, and also go with azalea pots, bulb pans if I can find one in the bigger size.

I also like to put styro in the center of the root mass, or an overturned net pot in the center of the pot. The bigger the plant, the more helpful it is to have something in the center to help the media dry evenly.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Thanks all, tucker I hope mine will bloom like that. It's very nice right now. It has 4 growths and 3 in sheath so I think I had better wait to re-pot, what do you all think about that? It is kind of root bound and trying to come out the pot but maybe just maybe it will bloom.

So neptune much to stinky I will use it outside, I always use fish poop on my garden anyway so that's why I ordered it. I will just make a new order and get some from Ray, I was just trying to make things easy on myself heeheehee. We do not have stores that would carry SH products so I am not sure I can find kelp around here. I'm guessing on line is my best bet. Very small town, I had to tell the greenhouse here not to keep there Catt's standing in water a month ago, I think they are probably dead now.

I will look for a clay pot and last weekend I had my hubby drilling holes in my little clay pots to see if he could and wala he made orchid pots out of them. I had seen on here people with ones with round holes but I hadn't seen them anywhere. Now I can have him make them and they will be cheaper. So if and when I find a pot if it needs it I can have him drill some holes in it.

I am a little worried about watering it as I take all my orchids to the sink to water them and let them drain out. I hope this big one will not get to heavy. I am going to have to see about the light right now I have them on my new plant stand that dear hubby built for me and I have them in the East facing window. This plant stand goes in a corner where it is in east and south facing. I have to get the windows painted and my shears put up. I do have some blinds that will let some sun in but I haven't gotten them up in these 2 windows yet.

I may have to get a light meter because I am second guessing all my light. And now the sun will get lower so that is going to change things. Here are some pictures I didn't take one of the whole plant stand.

[DavidCampen]

I have purchased terra cotta orchid pots with multiple holes from Green Barn Orchid Supplies:
Orchid Pots - clay and plastic - Green Barn Orchid Supplies

But now I have started using a diamond core drill to put holes in locally available terra cotta pots.
Amico 14mm Dia Diamond Tipped Tile Ceramic Glass Hole Saw Drill Bit - Amazon.com

I suggest that you not add ProTekt to your standard fertilizer solution. It is strongly alkaline and will reduce the availability of other nutrients. There is debate about how helpful it is to use silicates like Protekt - I would suggest that you not use ProTekt at all, at least for now.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Ok David will do or not do hahah. I will have to show dear hubby this drill bit it may be easier to use. Although he did a good job with the one he has it will give him a reason to get a new tool.

That sight doesn't show the price but I'm sure it is much cheaper to drill your own so I'm happy about this.

Oh and I wanted to say Whiterabbit thanks that is a good idea. I have many peanuts but no net pot so unless I want to order one I will put in Styrofoam. Does it matter the kind?