My Mom's Orchid Identification

[Tazenman]

Hello everyone! I am new to Orchids and the picture is from my Mom's Orchid that I received after she passed away. She LOVED Orchids and we all got one from her collection. Like I said I am new to Orchids and I need help identifying this type of Orchid please. I would like to say I can grow anything but this one has gone way down hill since I received it a couple of years ago. I have gotten so many different suggestions and everyone seem to be the wrong one. This may sound dumb but this plant means the world to me!

Thanks for any help and I hope everyone will be patient with me!

[MrHappyRotter]

It's a Cattleya alliance hybrid. It's probably intergeneric, meaning it's not strictly a Cattleya but probably some combination of Cattleya, Laelia, and Rhyncholaelia. Just read up on general Cattleya care and it'll be fine.

They like bright light, elevated humidity, and good air flow. They need to dry out a bit between watering and should be in a chunky, well drained orchid potting media.

The plant in the photo actually looks pretty healthy to me, why do you say it's going down hill?

Have you repotted it since you got it? How do you care for it? What are your growing conditions/situation like?

[Dollythehun]

The leaf on the right looks sunburned. Is that possible? Otherwise I agree with MHR.

[WaterWitchin]

Agree with y'all. Looks healthy to me, other than a sunburned leaf (which happens to all of us). From what I can see from rest of plant, the slight reddish/purplish coloring of leaves and plant are right about the perfect amount of light.

Yes, why do you think it's going downhill as compared to a couple of years ago? As MrRotter says... have you ever repotted it? After it finishes blooming and starts up growing again, might be a good idea to check on that.

Beautiful blooms, by the way.

[Tazenman]

Well the pictures I posted were right after I got the plant. Had it for a couple of months and it bloomed everywhere. It is so beautiful. Since then the flowers fell off the green leaves turned brown and starting to fall off. I repotted it in a bigger pot using bark type medium. My sister told me to fill the sink with water, let it soak for ah hour then drain it. She said to do this every two weeks. I have been doing that and have notice recently it looks really bad. I pulled the plant out of the bark a little and I think the roots are rotting. So I am watering to way too much. Also I have repotted it in the wrong container. It is a solid pot with a hole in the bottom and lots of room at the bottom of the pot. How do I fix the roots? Do I pull it out of the medium and let them dry out some? If you want I will post current pictures but I am kinda ashamed to though...

Thanks for your quick responses!!

[Leafmite]

A few questions:
Was there new growth with new roots when you potted the orchid into the larger pot?

After potting the orchid, were the roots dry for a few days to allow them to heal or was it watered?

How much larger was the new pot?

What size of bark did you use?

What light, temperatures and other conditions is this orchid getting? (How is it being grown?)

I know that when I acquired my first orchids, they were a bit of a mystery. The internet was in its early days and the library's orchid books were ancient. The only important information I learned was that they needed to be kept warm and that they grew either on trees with their roots exposed or in shallow pockets of leaf matter. That they grew either without medium or in very little medium led me to realize that the roots needed plenty of air and the purpose of the medium was simply to stabilize the orchid in the pot and to keep the air around the roots humid.

If it isn't too terrible when summer comes along, you can probably pot it up in a better medium (set the rootless orchid on top of the medium, stake it well so it cannot wiggle in the pot), and set it somewhere in a spot that gets a little morning sun/bright shade and then wait until the roots grow. I have had to do this in the past and the orchids would send out new growth in the spring with new roots and recover well. I actually use red lava rock for my own Cattleyas but what works best for you will depend on your climate and conditions. Good luck!

[Tazenman]

Was there new growth with new roots when you potted the orchid into the larger pot? No I do not think so, the roots that were growing on the top were a grey/brownish color. I tried watering the plant every week but the roots stayed that color.

After potting the orchid, were the roots dry for a few days to allow them to heal or was it watered? The new pot was about 2, maybe 3 times bigger. I repotted the plant immediately and watered.

What size of bark did you use? I purchased some that were specifically designed for Orchids.

What light, temperatures and other conditions is this orchid getting? Light is morning light and no direct sunlight, It is positioned in the Living area and it get light from morning and afternoon. Our house is 64 to 68 degrees in winter and 70 to 74 in summer. We live in north central Alabama. I have read recently that Orchids need to be fed, I have not done that, yet. I am really afraid the roots are rotted, what can I do right now to help this plant survive?

(How is it being grown?) Not sure what you mean here.


Thank you for your help!

[Leafmite]

As long as the orchid is not too wrinkled and still green, it can be still be saved. My early Cattleyas came from a local florist and were in terrible condition but they somehow pulled through. I believe your mother's orchid can survive, too.

With those cooler temperatures, you will want your medium to dry completely in about three days so that the roots will not rot. You can choose a medium, fill up a pot, water it as you would if the orchid were in the pot and, after three days, dump out the medium. If the bark that was in the middle and bottom is still quite damp, the roots would probably rot. I use red lava rock instead of bark as I could kill any orchid's roots in bark...and quickly (I am that good at murdering orchid roots with bark). Cattleyas tend to prefer drier conditions in cooler temperatures.

What I have always done with rootless orchids is to fill the pot up with the new medium, stake or wire the orchid on top of the medium so that it cannot move, then put it where it will not be disturbed and has the necessary light. It will not need to be watered or fertilized until it has roots. The old pseudobulbs and sunlight will provide the energy for the new growth. When the roots start, I spray them with a spray bottle but I do not move the orchid as this might cause the new, delicate roots to be damaged. New pseudobulbs should begin appearing at some point between now and June. Some Cattleyas bloom before producing roots but most will produce roots before blooming.

As for light, a Cattleya would prefer to be in a South-facing window. I live in Ohio which is quite dark and dreary so even though my orchids are in a South-facing sliding-glass door, I bought plant lights to supplement the natural sunlight. Like with any plant, always introduce them to more light slowly. I will probably put all the orchids outside for the summer with the other plants.

Good luck!

[Mountaineer370]

Originally Posted by Tazenman

If you want I will post current pictures but I am kinda ashamed to though...

Welcome to the OB, and please don't be ashamed of anything! The members here go out of their way to be helpful to newbies asking questions. I can certainly understand your sentimental attachment to this particular plant. I think a current picture or two would be very helpful for those who are trying to help with your particular situation.

[Tazenman]

Cheri,

Thank you for your kind words.

OK Here are the pictures of my Mom's Orchid as of this morning. I did pull it out of the bark medium so you can see the roots. It looks pretty dire!

BTW Most of the leaves turned brown and fell off the past week or so.

Thanks for everyone's help here!