I am having a problem with my Susan Harry - Orchid Board

gngrhill · #1 10-19-2016, 01:32 AM

I got this Susan Harry 'susan Harry' last year. It is mounted on a cedar board. Twice this year it started a new growth and both times they turned black and fell off. I did some reading on OB and seems most opinions were either more water, or more calcium. I have since watered more often and increased the calcium and it started another new growth that actually got to about 2 inches long this time, but , once again, it just turned brown, then black and fell off. What do you think I am missing. I am wondering if I should take it off the mount and pot it, and maybe that still won't make a difference. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks

stonedragonfarms · #2 10-19-2016, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gngrhill

I got this Susan Harry 'susan Harry' last year. It is mounted on a cedar board. Twice this year it started a new growth and both times they turned black and fell off. I did some reading on OB and seems most opinions were either more water, or more calcium. I have since watered more often and increased the calcium and it started another new growth that actually got to about 2 inches long this time, but , once again, it just turned brown, then black and fell off. What do you think I am missing. I am wondering if I should take it off the mount and pot it, and maybe that still won't make a difference. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks

What conditions are you growing under? Are you in the house (in windows, under lights, etc), greenhouse or outdoors? What's your temperature range? When are you watering? I looked at the parentage on this, and I'd probably try the following: 1. Water the root zone at night, preferably just before lights out (or sunset); DO NOT water the leaves, just the area where the rhizome sits against the mount. Water nightly. 2. Mist the entire plant in the morning; ideally just before dawn; the leaves and rhizome should have ample time to dry throughout the day, before you water again in the evening. 3. Maintain rh at least 50%; closer to 65-70% would be even better. 4. The parentage is pretty mixed as to throwing roots concurrently with new growth or throwing roots after the growth matures; regardless, be very sparse on feeding until you see development of new roots.
Good luck

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PaphMadMan · #3 10-19-2016, 07:57 AM

Do you have other Catts that do successfully develop and mature new growths under similar care? A few examples if you do, or anything unique about the conditions that poor Susan Harry is getting?

estación seca · #4 10-19-2016, 02:34 PM

A Catt on a board pushing a new growth probably needs watering at least once a day, and twice if it's warm or breezy.

Leafmite · #5 10-19-2016, 02:53 PM

I think more growing information would be helpful. Are you growing this in a window or under lights? Lights: What type and how close? Window: What direction and how close? Do you have a fan running? When you water, do the leaves get wet? Could water be getting into the new growths? How often do your orchids get the Calcium additive? What dose? What are your day and night temperatures?

Surprisingly, some members of the Cattleya family grow on limestone cliffs in small pockets of organic medium as well as other places where they would get more Calcium than the average plant. These species sometimes pass this affection for extra Calcium onto their offspring. That is why some Cattleyas fare well with less Calcium and others seem to need more.

My collection is mostly made up of members of the Cattleya family. During the summer, the Cattleyas go outside and I water them every day it doesn't rain (lava rock/basket pots) and add about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of powdered milk every time. During the winter, in the past, I grew them in a large South-facing window and the growing ground to a halt but they had eggshells to sustain them, even while resting.

Now I grow them under T5HO bulbs for the winter and, during this time, I run a fan to help dry the leaves and distribute the heat more evenly. I water daily and add Calimagic every watering and they still get eggshells. Under the lights, they usually do not rest so they are treated as they are during the summer. The lights make the daytime temperatures summer-like, even on the coldest days, but I try to have everything dry by nightfall as the temperatures drop into the fifties.

I hope this helps. I lost many good Cattleyas one year to Cattleya deficiency (some Cattleyas were completely unaffected!) so I provide a consistent supply all year.

gngrhill · #6 10-19-2016, 05:56 PM

Susan is in my grow space with all my other Catts (which are all growing ok). She is under the T-5s about 10 to 12 inches away. The lights are on for 12 hours and then the plants get whatever sun comes through the window (West, shaded by trees). I was watering everyday with a mixture of rain water and my tap water (which contains a lot of calcium) I have now been watering twice a day with straight tap water so the calcium level has doubled what it was getting. The humidity runs around 50 % during the day and closer to 75% at night. Two fans running 24/7 and 2 humidifiers as needed. I do not water the leaves on any of my orchids, just the roots

Leafmite · #7 10-19-2016, 06:33 PM

I really have no idea, then, if you are sure it is getting enough Calcium and water is not getting into the new growths. Hopefully someone else can help you find the answer and get your orchid happy again!

PaphMadMan · #8 10-19-2016, 08:18 PM

So... Recurring necrosis of new growth of just one Catt among many. And there isn't anything unusual about the species background of this hybrid - it is a quite typical complex hybrid of big floofy Catt species with a touch of Rhyncholaelia digbyana and typical former Laelia species 6 or 7 generations back. And it is very unlikely that this awarded cultivar that has survived 27 years since it was registered and awarded is a problem plant or weak grower.

Given all that, I think we're looking at a systemic infection - probably viral. Mature tissues may seem healthy, or not allow symptoms to spread, but the pathogen load in the sensitive new tissue kills.

If it was a sentimental favorite I would suggest isolation and virus testing. If it is just another older floofy WCL Catt, I'd dump it ASAP.

Leafmite · #9 10-19-2016, 10:14 PM

I was thinking the same thing. If there is enough Calcium, new growth is kept dry, and conditions otherwise seem to be excellent but you still have a plant getting these issues, it means that the plant is weak. I have found with all the stuff I grow that, most of the time, it is simply genetics. However, in this case, we have a cloned plant and the genetics of the mother plant are good so virus would be my choice, too. A plant that is fighting a virus just cannot fight off secondary infections or deal with stress as a healthy plant can.

silken · #10 10-20-2016, 12:03 PM

I would say we have lots of calcium in our water too. But I had lots of Catts that got black new growths until I started adding a Cal/mag supplement. And then it takes a while to get into the plant's system and for it to produce a new growth that is getting the benefit from it. It could be virus, but I would buy a bottle of Cal/mag supplement and start adding a bit in the water. I don't think it would hurt.