same problem in many cattleyas

[AnonYMouse]

An alternative you should be able to get/make. Wood charcoal!

Mix it in with chunky coconut husk.

[Lorraine]

Have you considered mounting your catt on some driftwood? I have mounted several that lost their roots and if done now you should have a very good chance of stimulating it to grow. As a mount they can be watered every day. If you have a cooler season then you can water every couple days depending on the type of wood you used. Some retain moisture longer than others.

[WhiteRabbit]

Specifically for the Tropical Pointer, in my experience, these (mine, at least) don't want to dry out completely - similar to its C intermedia parent. Water when media is approaching dry. An occasional drying out is fine, but shouldn't be allowed regularly.

[Island Girl]

One thing, if you like to water every day/or every other day (I do too), then coconut husk chips will probably stay way too wet for you, the hardwood charcoal would work by itself, and mounting is also a great idea, since your other catts like that. The ones that like to be a little wetter, maybe you could just pot those instead. Just use the largest, chunkiest media you can find, like an inch or so (around 25mm or so). Good Luck! Ooh, and post pics of your mounted ones too.

[NYCorchidman]

I think your cattleyas are suffering from too much sun.
I see burned spots and overall light colors and wrinkled leaves and pbs....all sure signs of heat stress.

You might want to add some shading over them or grow them else where with less intense sun.

These will not recover but new growths will be fine under correct light condition.

[Bannet]

You have right thinking about it .These signs are due to pests which are not good for our plants.Professional experienced company

[james mickelso]

You don't have to use bark or coconut husk or anything organic. In Ecuador you have some very nice volcanic rock. Use that as media. You are in a fabulous environment for growing most cattleyas and laelias. Are you near Quito? Catts love water. Thrive on it. But need to be drenched and then left to dry out completely. I would pot these in nothing smaller than 1/2 inch (1 centimeter or larger). Or mount them on wood slabs. Or even, as some of us do, wooden baskets. Or wire baskets. The black areas on your leaves is bacterial brown spot. The bacteria enter through wounds or damaged areas on older leaves. It is rarely fatal but can kill the whole leaf if the leaf remains wet. Spray with physan or any copper based antibacterial spray. Limit overhead watering and keep on the dry side. The leaves are wrinkling because the root system has been compromised by over-watering and the media is staying wet, so the leaves have become dehydrated. They will not become plump again no matter how much you water. Watering is what killed your roots so don't over water the orchids. Put them in a larger media and water sparingly until new growth has made new roots. And clean off the old papery sheaths on the older pbulbs. It harbors bad bugs and fungus.