EPLC Charlie Brown with split pseudobulbs

[Macha51]

Hi everyone,

Have had this EPLC for years. Bloomed in the beginning but cannot get it to bloom again. Its pseudobulbs are split on the sides, what does this mean ?

I'm sure it has enough light, it's in a south-facing window and I sometimes put in under fluorescent lights. Could it be too much watering or too little ?

Thanks for your ideas !

[silken]

I'm not sure what you mean by the bulbs are split on the sides. If you just mean that papery covering that is split, that is fine. It is a protective covering while the growth is small and then dries up and can be carefully pulled away. It is a good place for bugs to hide. Just be careful not to damage any new roots or new eyes (growths) when you do. I always clean mine off.

How are the roots, when was it last re-potted, how often is it watered, what temps does it grow at, how is it fertilized??? It should have basic Cattleya care which is an open chunky medium that drains well and dries thru fairly quickly. It should be allowed to dry before watering again. A balanced fertilizer with maybe some bloom booster when growths are young. This hybrid is 1/4 Laelia milleri which is a rupiculous type. They need a somewhat drier winter. Never real dry but not over watered for sure. Also L. milleri is considered difficult to bloom and sometimes a bit of iron supplement will stimulate bloom. OrchidWiz suggests a rusty nail placed on the media can help. Or just some iron supplement. Yours is only 1/4 milleri so not sure if that is the issue but it wouldn't hurt to try.

Many Catts like a bit of a temp. difference between night and day in order to induce blooms and some need a cooler winter rest.

Maybe give us some more background on your culture and then people can help better.

OK, I looked again and see what looks like an old brown pseudo bulb that is split. Could just be old, or too much sun which burnt it. Are lots of green ones doing it? In a south window if there is no protection, it may be too much sun. It requires quite high light but never direct sun. If the plant feels warm to the touch when the sun is on it, it is likely too much.

[Macha51]

Thank you Silken for your fast reply and yes, I should have given more details. Just repotted it and roots are in pretty bad shape. A bit of green on some pseudobulbs. I always use a chunky medium as you suggest and water when quite dry.

Daytime temp can reach 22-23oC, nighttime as low as 15oC. Fertilize along with my other orchids with orchid fertilizer.

I guess my main concern are the roots. What could I do to stimulate their growth ?

I will try to add clearer photos. Thanks !

[Macha51]

More photos

[silken]

Overall, the plant itself looks OK. Too much sun could be causing the splitting. Those darker bulbs just look like old almost dead ones. Eventually they do die. Not sure what other reason if green ones are splitting. I can't see it in the pics. It looks like you use coconut husk. It's not my preference, but everyone has different growing conditions and different things work for others.

With coconut husk it is often suggested to really soak and cleanse it first. Supposedly since it comes from tropical countries, it is first washed and prepared in ocean water. So it can be holding a lot of salt which can be hard on roots. I always found it stayed too wet in the centre and didn't dry evenly like my medium bark does. I also prefer clear pots with lots of air/drainage holes. The roots photosynthesize in nature so they like some daylight. But again, that is just what works for me. It's best only to re-pot when new root growth is started as old ones don't always adapt well to new media.

I would get some kelp (seaweed) and add it to your water. Then do it occasionally when watering after that. Using the skewer method is also helpful to tell when the centre and bottom of the pot is dry. It is the last to dry and if not allowed to, root rot can occur. Just get the thin bamboo kebab skewers (found in dollar stores) and place one down deep into the pot and leave it there. Pull it out and see how wet or dry it is before deciding to water. Then place it back in the same spot till next time.

Also you say orchid food, but there are different kinds. If it is one with a large middle number, it is bloom booster. It doesn't need that all the time. One with close to even numbers of all 3 is a better balanced fertilizer. High nitrogen (first number) is also not great as it promotes leafy green growth, not blooms. Hope this helps.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I see the fissures in the pseudobulbs in your second photo. I have seen this from time to time in various Cattleya alliance orchids that I have owned over many years. It usually seems to be confined to specific plants. It is unsightly, but does not seem to hurt flowering. I grow Epic. Charlie Brown and mine is not splitting. Mine is in "lava rock", maybe that is helping with water management? Too much water at certain times is the only thing I can think of that might cause the splitting, but admittedly I am not certain.

[Macha51]

Thank you both for your input. I checked my potting medium bag and the mix does contain some coconut husk so I guess I will rinse it before using.

I alternate balanced and orchid fertilizer and will try spraying with diluted seaweed to stimulate roots.

I do not put the orchid in direct sunlight so I am suspecting that I am not watering it well: too much at some times, too much drying out in between. I will certainly use the skewer trick for this !

I am a bit confused about the cattleya family, so I will definitely read up on this great website, where the information you get can be relied on.

Thanks again !

[silken]

AOS Culture Sheets. Here is a link to American Orchid Society culture sheets as well.

It's probably better to use a balanced fert all of the time and just use the bloom booster type when growths are small since that is when it's determined if they will bloom or not. And you can add seaweed to your fertilizer water also so all the roots get some.

[ula]

Hi homey ,
I would really encourage you to bring it outside for the summer, all my Encyclias simply love it. Looks like yours is getting maybe even too much light because it's "blushed" all over. Since one of the parents is E. cordigera, I would think (if all your other factors are right) you might be lacking the night/day temperature variation to initiate a spike. I tried flowering cordigeras on the windowsill, but it was a no-go for me, but chucking them outside for the season seemed to do the trick.
I also have a few plants from cattleya alliance that get a bit of splitting on pseudoblulbs, but doesn't seem to harm them.
Next time you repot, I suggest you add some sphag into your mix for this one.
Good luck, I hope it flowers for you soon, it's a very pretty one.

[brsucculents]

Charlie Brown is a great grex. As Ula stated the plant is half Encyclia. Encyclia can split if they get too much water at certain times of the year. I wouldn't worry about it.