Help! Nightmare: superthrive overdose?
 

My cattleya just bloomed with 4 flowers that are all peloric. To be more specific, there are no lips, the petal that should be a lip looks exactly like the other two petals. There are also 3 pollen caps on the column and the flower size is much smaller. And strangely, the fragrance disappeared.

I think I overdosed with superthrive, which can lead to mutated and deformed flowers.

It is an awarded cross and last year, the flowers were normal. Meaning, it is not a random seed cross or first bloom that might cause strange flowers.

My question is, will my orchid be permanently "mutated"? In other words, did superthrive mess up my orchid's genes forever? If I stop using superthrive, will the flowers be normal next time? I'm really worried! :(

Please post pics.

Yes post some :photo: but superthrive will cause genetic damage to your plant. But from time to time with all the cloning a plant with a less than perfect genome will be produced that is more predisposed to mutated flowers. Either way what you described sounds like an interesting flower



well you did it when I wasn't looking

I think we posted at around the same time :)

Anyways, I really hope this isn't a long term thing. I'm sorta new to using superthrive and I didn't measure it correctly, meaning I used a solution that's too concentrated. :( So can an orchid "repair" its genetic damage?

Oh btw, this is what it's supposed to look like (from last yr's blooming):

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17...9/IMG_3182.jpg

OK I have to ask....how? How in the world would superthrive cause a genetic mutation? I mean I know hormones can do pretty crazy things but at least in plants, those hormones tend to be fleeting.

Ok if the hormones are fleeting that's good. I was just wondering about that.:)

ok that is the weirdest thing ive seen,ive never heard of a orchid completly changing like that! sorry i dont know anything that would help!

It is actually quite pretty. If it flowers the same way like this next year you have a sport in your hands. If it is a sport only the new growth that produced those flowers should only be affected. The older backbulbs should be normal.

Someone can correct me who knows better, but I thought something like Superthrive could not permanently affect the genetics of the plant - could only produce a temporary effect.