Project 2016: Cattleya walkeriana

[wintergirl]

With this heat I have been spritzing the roots daily with rain water.

[u bada]

I've killed catts by watering them too much... even in heat I think too much water for these guys cause problems. especially species, hybrids are for more forgiving...

Also maybe it didn't have enough light for energy to finish out that growth...

[wintergirl]

I don't think I watered too much. The tip is all dried up not wet and rotten.

[Leafmite]

My orchids are all outside but our temperatures have been mostly around 88'F to 91'F, daytime, and around fifteen to twenty degrees cooler, nighttime, most of the summer so it has been pretty optimal for the Cattleyas. I have been adding a little powdered milk with each watering to help prevent fungus issues. With the red lava rock/basket pots, they get watered every day that it doesn't rain.

The walkerianas all seem to be doing well. I have the older, noID walkeriana, the bag baby, Cattleya walkeriana var. alba 'Camelia' (with a tiny extra), the Andy's Cattleya walkeriana coerulea and the Hausermann's Cattleya walkeriana var alba 'Pendative'.

[gngrhill]

When I thought I might not keep the one I had alive, I ordered a Carmela from a different ebay seller. I was shocked when I received it as it has a tiny new growth and ONE new root growing from the new growth, and
ALL the rest are dead. I don't know what's up with these walkerianas. I'm going to send a message to this seller, too. Hope he's as forthcoming as the last one was.

[stonedragonfarms]

Originally Posted by gngrhill

When I thought I might not keep the one I had alive, I ordered a Carmela from a different ebay seller. I was shocked when I received it as it has a tiny new growth and ONE new root growing from the new growth, and

ALL the rest are dead. I don't know what's up with these walkerianas. I'm going to send a message to this seller, too. Hope he's as forthcoming as the last one was.

Looks to me like it was plug grown and then "cleaned up" for shipping. A lot of plugs from the big growers in Hawaii ship this way to nurseries to be grown on. I'd bet that the vendor took in a batch of plugs and is reselling them (not that there's anything wrong with that...); hopefully though, the savings were passed along. Just my 2¢, please let us know how the resolution goes,
Adam


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[Leafmite]

Actually, that could also be a Lowe's bag baby....

[SFLguy]

I just saw a presentation by Gold Country Orchids where they saw walkeriana in situ
It was on a south facing cliff on almost pure rock that measured 100+ degrees f

[SFLguy]

But since they were on rock, i can imagine them not liking too much water

[estación seca]

Go back and read the link to catwalker's post. Walkeriana needs a lot of water all year, but the roots also need a lot of aeration. Where it lives it gets nightly dew. Mine have easily tolerated many days in the 100s. catwalker makes a point to tell another person several times that the person is not watering enough.

I would guess most summer trouble is due to not enough water because of not enough watering, or because of dead roots.

My standard walkeriana seedling is in S/H and looks great. It gets a lot of water. My coerulea seedling is still in bark. It is growing profusely but the leaves are all wrinkled, because I can only water it twice a week.

wintergirl, I'm pretty sure you underwatered, unless you have a root problem. A blackening and drying new lead is classic underwatering damage.