Cattleya violacea in S/H?
 

I've been reading up on this species as I've been considering repotting a plant that i got in some months ago potted in a clay pot packed with sphagnum (with peanuts at the bottom). The roots that were there when i got them didn't fare so well and I've been waiting for sign of new roots so I can repot the plant if I want to. It's been in active growth since I got it and has just finished putting out a new pseudobulb and I noticed the other day that there are new roots starting at the base of this new growth.
I haven't decided what i want to do yet, but i'm curious to know if other members have tried this plant in S/H and if so, have they had any success with it? I was getting from the various articles that this plant wants abundant moisture along with good air to the roots at all times - does that sound like a decent candidate for S/H?
I think I have most of the other cultural requirements in the room i am growing the plant in - it gets good light (at least, the new leaves are tinged with purple), and I keep the humidity way up and it's usually 70-ish at night and 80 or so during the day with all the lights on. I also have a fan circulating over the plants at all times.

Thanks, everyone!

Hi Dana, did you try S/H for C. violacea? How is it doing?

I did; I have to admit I've been a bit neglectful of fertilizing this summer (we had a house fire a couple months ago, so I've been concentrating on rebuilding and haven't had as much time for my plants as i would like), however, violacea took *very* well to S/H. The roots seemed to really like it. I also had pretty good success using a basket, but I was very impressed with how well violacea liked S/H.

oops! soryr for the fire... Hope nothing bad happened to you and yours...

I was also curious, C. violacea is my favorite Cattleya. In Venezuela there two main populations: one growing in a very hot seasonal region (lots of rain 6 months of the year, and extremelly dry and hot the other 6 months) This plants have normally smaller flowers but with great substance/texture.
the other population grows mainly in the amazonian rainforest. Lots of rain 4 months a year, and a lot more rain the other 8 months ;) temps are slightly lower, and many of these plants are regularly underwater for several hours a day/week.

Great youradapted that well to S/H... and I saw you have a semi-alba too (a different thread ;) wow... those are lovely... however, tends to be more difficult than the lila type...

:waving Good to see you Dana ..I hadn't seen you on the board lately.

Any updates on this? I'm curious about C. violacea in s/h...

I have had three clones, only one of which is still alive. I thought that they required quite a bit of moisture...but root rot was the end result. but I tired to grow in regular Catt media and let it dry between watering .... Now it is taking off. I was thinking semi hydro, but I don't want to mess with it as whatever I'm doing is working for me.

Any - and I repeat any - plant can be grown in semi-hydroponics, if it, when combined with the rest of your cultural parameters, are right for the plant. I have a local customer who wins awards with her cacti and succulents grown that way.

If you get root rot, there are likely one of two things going on:

1) Repotted at the wrong time. As roots grow, the cells form in a manner that is optimum for the conditions. Once they have grown, they cannot change. Move them to a different set of conditions and they will fail - how rapidly is determined by how great the difference from the medium they grew in.

That is why it is important to repot plants (any repot, not just into S/H) just as new roots are being initiated. They will tailor themselves to the environment, and the plant will be well supported.

2) Your keeping the plants too cold. Assuming one does the repotting correctly, and the plants are well cared-for to begin with, this is the only other issue of significance. Don't forget that - especially in a dry environment - evaporative cooling from the moist, airy S/H environment can chill the roots more than ambient.

I think this is where I went wrong with my C. leopoldii and amethystoglossa failure that I posted about a few months ago. I didn't provide extra heat.