new growth on Potinara Risky Business "NN"
 

This is my first from the Cattleya Alliance. I'm thinking this is the start of a new pseudobulb, but the drops of "dew" have me worried something has been munching on my 'chid. Is this normal or do I have a bug on the loose? What kind of timeframe should I expect for this growth to mature?

Is there anything culturally different about Potinaras compared with other members of this alliance?

Those drops look normal and do appear like that on some of mine as well. Some people call this happy sap! Some sucking insects can cause honey dew drops but this does not look like that. In my experience Potinaras take regular Cattleya culture.

I agree with Silken, the drops are perfectly normal. Most of my orchids have those drops and the lizards on my patio like to lick it off. I also agree with normal cattleya type culture. I've never timed how long a pseudo-bulb takes to grow but I would guess somewhere between 2 and 3 months if the orchid is getting good light.

Nothing to worry about I'd say. Looks like the sap that orchids produce when they begin to develop their spike or new growths. Or as you said, it could even me morning dew.

That's definitely new growth sugar droplets coming out of your orchid. Taste them. They're actually REALLY delicious!!!

Hah... I've totally tasted them before. They are delicious.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I have to admit to tasting it also.:blushing:

Castro Valley. Perfect. Takes all the light it can get short of burning it. Shade it from 10am till 3 pm late spring through early fall. Temps in the high 80's during summer will necessitate watering more often. This new pbulb will mature by mid June or early July. Probably not a bloomer but if you peel the dead sheath material off the older pbulb you will see another pbulb bud waiting to begin life. That one will bloom around Oct/nov. Be careful when taking off the sheath material that you don't scratch the new buds skin. The droplets of sap you see are coming from the stomata which are normally on the undersides of the leaves when they open out but are now located at the tips because the leaf is still folded. Not to worry. But ants love it so be watchful. Aphids and scale do too. The biggest reason for taking off the old dead sheath material is that it is a great place for mealies, hard and soft scale to hide. I was removing some off a large catt this morning, found a couple colonies of soft scale/mealies and took pics for OB. But the pics were out of focus because of the short distance from lens to target. If I find more tomorrow I'll do a better job. Good luck on your prize. Love to see more pics of this plant/media/leaves/base on other side. Potinara is brassovola x cattleya x laelia x saphronitis. Very nice plants.

Here's a batch of new pics. As you can see the new growth has progressed quite a bit although the newest leaf has yet to open.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/09/dezahe4u.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/09/ju7avy5a.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/09/9umave4e.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/09/zy8u7aqu.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/09/ybageran.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/09/nadeturu.jpg

That new leaf looks like a sheath to me! I see some bumps on it but hard to say. Are there bugs or scale on it?? Hopefully its just the way the picture is showing it and not any bugs.

Here's a better picture. What I can see are reddish spots presumably from light and "dew drops." I'm still pretty newbie when it comes to orchids and this my first cattleya alliance. So if it's a sheath rather than a leaf, will a spike come out when it's ready?http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/09/mysy4aja.jpg

That picture makes it look like it could be a leaf too. I can't tell for sure. If they are all dew drops, no problem. Some looked light brown like scale but it could just be light reflection.

If it is a sheath, the buds will develop inside it. By holding it up to the light you can usually see the silhouette of them thru the sheath. Sometimes I slice a bit off the top of the sheath to open it up. It prevents moisture from getting trapped in there and rotting the buds and lets the buds get thru as they grow taller. I know they manage in nature without our help, but I decide how things look and either cut it or not, depending. Keep us posted!

I was looking at your other photos of this plant. I think the other growths all have single leaves. Sometimes it can still grow two leaves on a unifoliate cattleya but that's probably a sheath you have.

Pretty sure it's a leaf. Sheaths are thinner and more rounded at the top. (But secretly I hope it's a sheath because I know the feeling when you get a bloom).

I see what you mean James. A google images search for cattleya sheath shows this one is a lot more pointy.

Praying that we're both wrong.
:pray:

---------- Post added at 12:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:54 AM ----------

Do we think the reddish spots are freckles? Are they normal? I don't see any on the older leaves.

Looks like a sheath to me.

The spots are normal and mean that your plant is getting an appropriate amount of light.

Looks like a sheath....otherwise its the most deformed leaf I've seen.

I held the plant in front of the sun and took this pic to get a glimpse inside.http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/10/9ebume3e.jpg Not sure if it shows anything definitive.

Hard to say but I think there is a small bud in the lower portion. I still think it looks like a sheath. Give it time.

From this image it sure looks like a sheath. Leaves are much thicker than this. As someone else here says...."WOO HOO!!!!"

;) sweet. Looking forward to it. Will keep you posted.

I have recently acquired a potinara and it's my first of Catt alliance too.
I don't know much about its anatomy or care.

Any updates on what the growth is?

I don't mean to be a pest, but if you are able to update, please do. Again, a Pot. is my first Catt Alliance too.

I see also that you have it in one of those oxygen core pots. Does it seems to like that still?
I just ordered some for my phals.

new growth on Potinara Risky Business "NN"
 

Sorry for the delayed response. I've had a lot of root growth and some development of the flower spike since my last post. Here are some pics taken this morning.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/20/y5u8uze9.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/20/buru8y7a.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/20/uba7uze6.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/20/y4e5ujyt.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/20/a8uqygu9.jpg

It was in moss when I picked it up from Trader Joe's a year ago. It seems to be a lot happier with the medium grade bark mix and oxygen core pot.

Ooo... So it was flowers. :) It does indeed seem to like its new media and pot.

Wow, 4 buds. That is great!

Awesome

Yep. I figured Oct/Nov. I am excited for you. Be very watchful of fungus down in the bottom of the sheath. This will be a nice Thanksgiving center piece. I don't know why those other growth buds didn't take off. You could see them at the bases of some of the other pbulbs once you got the old sheath material off the older pbulbs. Maybe after this flowers they'll become next years storage. Nice growing. Pics of the flowers please.

Woooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Open.open.....o p e n

Maybe try singing a sweet song to it?


Paul McMahon
Sent via iPhone

Yes anxiously waiting for flowers to open. Will I need to stake the spike? If so, any suggestions on how? It's leaning out over the pot (see pic below).http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/11/ahegahaq.jpg

Yes a stake will be necessary as the flowers add considerable weight to it. I use a bamboo skewer and flower clip. Some florists sell flower clips that clip to the side of the pot or you could make one.

How would you suggest doing it exactly? Shall I insert the bamboo stake parallel to the pseudobulb or should it be vertical and tie it with a longer stretch or wire tie?

I pull up the pbulb to see how close to vertical it can go and then insert the stake at that position and tie the pbulb and the flower up with those twist ties you get in the grocery store. Once around the stake and then around the flower stem. Push the stake in along the inside of the pot to help support the stake in the vertical. I want to see pics of the flowers.

Almost...

At least another week or two. Waiting patiently.

Tada...
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/28/5uve9a4e.jpg

Wow!!! Very nice. Fragrant yet? Love the color combo.

No not really. What kind of fragrance would you guess this would have?