Hello and advice needed for Catasetum

[daemondamian]

Welcome Vermonter As you can probably already tell in the reponses to your question, this place is great

I've learned a lot from the very helpful and knowledgeable people onboard.

Frederico- what awesome healthy looking plant and the flowers another indication I need to get me a Catesetum! LOL

Is there one that is considered the easiest Catesetum to begin with?

[Frdemetr]

Damian,
The catasetum growing needs look for imitate the habitat of this species (in Brazil the "campos cerrados" - "fields and savannah"), with dry and hot days and night fogs. Catasetum lives (usually) over palm trees, and roots find humidty in certain water 'deposits' in the palm leaves junctions with trunk.
I think hybrids are easier to grow, but some species are fine too (Ctsm fimbriatum, pileatum)

[daemondamian]

Thanks for your recommendations and insitu growing conditions Frederico!

[Vermonter]

Hello Catlover, I apologize for not responding. It appears I haven't been on the board for a month. I appreciate your suggestions.

[euplusia]

Hello Vermonter,
I am growing Catasetums in Germany, so conditions should be comparable. In my collection Ctsm. atratum grows easily, but Ctsm. tenebrosum has always been difficult. I exspect the hybrid to be easy growing.
Catasetums are not choosy as for the medium. I take coarse or medium fir bark. You may add styrofoam, potsherds, charcoal. Don´t take soil. They like to start thriving in New Zealand sphagnum moss, so up to 10 vol.percent are okay, but keep in mind that it decomposes fast and then needs to be replaced.
Conditions in the growing space (greenhouse?) are more important than the potting medium. To encourage new growth they want high humidity close to 100 percent for several hours a day at +/- 25°C. Good ventilation between the plants and bright light, only sheltered from the burning midday heat, meets their demands. When in active growth, you can hardly water and fertilize too much.
Catasetums are easily propagated by cutting backbulbs. Put 2 or 3 of them upright in a pot, either without any medium or with 3 cm coarse fir bark, and give water when you water. When cutting in April or May, you will have an extra plant in october. Even parts of backbulbs do.