my cat not the pick of the litter
 

Nearly every flask has overachievers and runts. If my plant is still a runt after 5 years, will it always be small and a slow grower?

Laurel

If it's growing small and slow in less than ideal conditions, it may have a chance to get more vigorous given more ideal conditions. If it's in ideal conditions and still growing slow and small, it probably won't get much better. However, if there was some significant set back then it could just be still slowly recovering form that still.

Is it a complex hybrid or is it something close to species level? If it's close to species level, it may be more finicky about what conditions it wants and/or just be less vigorous due to genetics.

Well said Bob.

Laurel, if you can, please post a picture of it.

Pics are always great! What's the cross?

It is a species cattleya (purpurata). Some flaskmates are at least twice the size. It looks like a healthy happy miniature right now. New growth maturing. Can't vouch for all its past years care. Will work on posting. Thanks

Are you growing any of the flaskmates? If so, and if they are full size, then I would say that the seedling in question is a runt.

Laelias (Cattleya now) tend to be good with a wide range of temperatures and generally not too finicky.

No, a fellow club member is growing them. The new leaf looks like it is going to be bigger, and I have new root growth in a number of places. I have not had it long enough to have caused its problems. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it was not given enough TLC since it was not one of the big babies. Hey, maybe I will have a rare dwarf purpurata, good for the windowsill :)

Sound like its worth giving it another season to see if it does any better for you!

I'm growing C purpurata from flask and at year 5 they were still rather small plants. I still had them in 4" clay pots and LECA.

Today they are in 6" clay pots and I'm hoping that some of them bloom this year #7! None of them are even close to the height of a mature purp but they will eventually get there.

Brooke

It's always hard to know if a plant is just a weak plant or if the environment isn't right. Species seem to be more sensitive to environmental conditions than hybrids. There definitely is a difference between individual plants. I've had two identical species or hybrids where one grows like a champion and the other is weak and sickly all the time. A virus can cause them to grow poorly or there may be a genetic deficiency of some kind. I always give weak plants a couple years to come around and occasionally they will but more often they just continue to be lack-luster and I eventually throw them out and replace them with a more vigorous orchid.