Cattleya with wrinkled leaf, watering
 

Last week I bought 4 cattleya seedlings. I repotted them yesterday into miracle grow orchid bark. One of them has leaves that are wrinkled and (as expected) very little in way of roots. Should I water this one more often than the other three (which had more in the way of roots).

:waving

If you don't have a good root system, I think watering more could lead to root rot. Perhaps it would be better to mist the leaves instead.

I don't use Miracle Grow orchid media. But apparently it is often quite fine and has dirt like particles. I did hear they came our with a courser bark type. Hopefully that is what you are using. Cattleyas need a pretty open mix that dries quickly. I use medium bark with good results. If they are tiny seedlings, they can use a finer mix until they get larger.

I agree with Orquiadicto that more watering will likely cause more root rot. I would give it some seaweed to help stimulate root growth and let them dry well between watering.

I agree that extra watering for a Cattleya is not the best way to go. I have had quite a few Catts that got wrinkled leaves at one time or another, the leaves seem to work just fine with proper watering. Be careful when you mist; it is OK to do so, but if the leaves look wet when you are done, you are watering the leaves rather than mist ing, and that could be a problem for new Cattleya growths. Mist should leave a haze on the leaves, but not much more.

I have sort of adopted a strategy with most of my orchids to water based completely on what is healthiest for the roots, not based on what the leaves are doing. However, the leaves may be an indicator to check on the condition of the roots (so your wrinkled leaves tipped you off to a problem of few remaining healthy roots, and re-potting is the way to go, as you have done). Watering may or may not re-hydrate those wrinkled leaves; if not, don't worry about it too much, they will function just fine, and with good culture, later growths will have healthier leaves.

One last thing I would consider - I think there may be more than one Miracle Gro potting mix. For Cattleyas, what you want is a mix with no fine materials in it (Perlite, bark, charcoal are OK; anything that looks like potting soil or peat should be rinsed away - that will kill Cattleya roots).

Orchid Whisperer is spot on.


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Most plants can take in moisture through their leaves. The undersides to be exact. Light haze or drenched isn't an issue. Getting them wet is important. Pics of the plants can help point the way to better culture for the individual plant.

I understood that you cannot re-plump up a leaf or p-bulb, you just wait till a new one grows. I was thinking last night that p-bulbs and leaves are like tree rings. If one year or so they get little water and bad treatment, then that past abuse is going to show. In any case the new bulbs have the flowers and it is their growth you shoul encourage. Old p-bulbs and leaves are only food supplies for the young new bulb. The only way to get all plump bulbs is to have them that way to beginwith. Buy a young fresh plant and always give it optimal treatment. Optimal treatment is unreliable in real life or without a greenhouse and professional knowledge. I certainly hope my new p-bulbs look perfect, but know down the line that there is a chance they might not.

This is not *entirely* true for pbulbs and leaves, but it is mostly true. You cannot restore the wrinkle free appearance, once it has been severely wrinkled, but if the wrinkling is very slight, a good watering will restore it to its original smooth appearance. I've seen this in phals, oncidiums and my daughter's cattleya.

This presumes that you have an otherwise healthy plant though and I don't think that it will be useful to the OP for her seedlings.