backbulb - Orchid Board

polishguy187 · #1 12-04-2013, 01:36 AM

i got a catteleya pseudobulb from a friend todasy when he repotted an old one. he kinda just twisted it off the end of the rhizome (which was grpwing above the pot with so many roots you couldnt even see the medium) it had about 5 long yet damaged (broken into segments from being twisted off). i put it in this small pot, i didnt reallt bury any of the roots, i staked it in place riught above the medium like how it was growing, and i put a layer of moss on top of the roots and bark. i did this about 4 weeks ago, the bulob is starting to shrivel a little bit, im wondering roughly what the odds areof survival. ive attached a pic, as you can see its not just abackbulb, ikt had leaves and roots. the angle its on you cant see but heres a small 3rd leaf as well

this same friend also gave me a couple tiny ones from a dendro he has, he thinks tyhey are new growths his cat ripped out, im not sure if they're new or old because they're each around 1 cm tall and really thin , with with leavesm, attached at the base with a decent little root, i placed it between 2 big pieces of bark and surrounded it with little piecesto keep it in place.its stopped wiggling around since i put it in so i think its growing new roots already. ive been watering them each once a week, with occasional misting in the middle of the week

ive been gardenning for a while, but this is my first time around with orchids, im at the 6 month mark, my original phal from the store has dropped its flowers, grown, and now is in spike again, as well as 'saving' one i over ferilized (the roots turned the color of the fertiliver instead of green, then developed blisters, then shrivelled off) and one i overwatered. im just wondering if i did the right thing with these 2 and any experienced advice i could get on future divisions

dounoharm · #2 12-04-2013, 12:05 PM

well, it looks like you did as good as you can do...sometimes they don't do well in household conditions tho, the air gets to dry in a house, especially in winter....with the cattleya, you must have a viable growth 'eye' on the rhizome where the psuedobulb comes out at the base...there are usually 2-3 of them at the base of each leaf....if the growth 'eyes' are capable, they will swell, and a new leaf will gradually form....sometimes this can take as long as 3-6 months so you have to be patient...the little den looks fine, it should send out growth in a couple months....one thing about orchids, you have to be very patient! good luck!

polishguy187 · #3 12-04-2013, 12:51 PM

thanks for the advice! the catteleya is starting to shrivel a bit, i think im going to take a pop bottle and cut off the bottom and just place it over the little plant on the table to keep the humidity up. what do you mean eyes? theres about an inch of the rhizome at the base of my bulb, its like a rough looking almost barky section that has the roots coming ou of it, but i dont see anykind of other growth or anything on it. i thought it would put out roots first ten start producing new chutes from the base or something... oh well, 1month down, ?? to go lol, theyre on their way at least