Division problem: What am I doing wrong and how can I fix it?
 

Hello all,

I have an urgent orchid issue. I divided this rare Cattleya maxima and now it has a black spot where the cut was made.

I made the division to remove a rotten bulb and cut it back until there was green, and then left the plant out of the pot for several days to let the cut callous over. Then, I put it in a new pot with new medium. Yet, now there is more rot.

I think I definitely need to take it out of the pot again and cut this section off.

What can I do this time to make sure it does not happen again?

I do not want to slowly lose this plant from bad division after bad division. It has a lot of dried-out, papery roots.

Should I remove those this time? Maybe root rot is the issue. I also have Alliette and Heritage.

I used the Heritage the first time.

Thank you.

Photo shows a bunch of roots that don't look great... is this a back division? Question... was it starting to push new roots when you divided it? Since this is the dead of winter, unless the plant is is in active growth, might be an issue. Do you have a photo of the front, active part of the plant?

Here are some photos. Most of the roots are not great. I was not sure if I should have removed them when I unpotted it. I did not really want to divide it, but it had an advancing black region on the rhizome that I thought was urgent to cut out. I ended up losing two bulbs (one new with a new root) from that section.

Edited to flip pictures.

That new growth does look good. What did the roots from that new area look like when you potted it?

If it were my plant, I would just keep watch for now, Maybe a bath with Kelpak to inspire the new roots, and Quantum probiotic might help too (may help the plant fight off bad stuff). Keep it warm. I'd be really reluctant to disturb it again. If rot is into the rhizome, it might not be save-able. Depends on what's going on.

Hopefully someone else will jump in with some insights.

I would just stay the course and keep it stable until those new roots come. Accept that the rot may spread and take out a couple older bulbs. If you get the culture right the new growth will take over and it won't matter so much

You don’t think I should just cut that rot part off? Maybe do that and cover the wound with cinnamon and another dose of heritage?

I dont think I would personally. I have a C. Loddigesii that had rot similar to your plant. It slowly crept up rotting two or three of the old back bulbs. Eventually the plant compartmentalized the rot and by then it had grown three or four new canes and a root system. When it overgrew its pot I went in, cut the dead behind the rot (i didnt cut living tissue) then potted it up

Just one example i know. I guess it also depends how fast the rot is moving.