catasetum in S/H?

[AHAB]

Hey all,
Any have success with catasetum in S/H?
Thanks,
AHAB

[Darknessdancer]

I've succesfully grown catasetums in semi hydro, particularly cat. intergerrimum (sp.?) of which even one came to send out two spikes at the same time from the same bulb.. I never give them dry periods insted I continued waering them as normal until they put out new growth

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Darknessdancer

...I never give them dry periods insted I continued waering them as normal until they put out new growth

Wow! How long have you been doing it? no rot problems? I grow also several Catasetum, Cycnoches and Cycnodes in S/H, but I gove them a rest... at some point, I just water them thoroughly but do not leave any water in the reservoir, this help the bulbs to stay in good shape...

[Bruno De Toni]

I agree with Ramon, watering this plants during their dormant period is putting them to a risk of rot.

[Darknessdancer]

Bot of you set good points, but I've been grown catasetum intergerrimum, chysis aurea, and cycnoches clorochilon in S/H for at least a year and half, and i've never have problems with them, i water them each week or each two weeks (depending on my laziness level) constantly year-round and as far as i can see, they grow happily. Chysis aurea is putting two new growths and cycnoches one new front, they are being watered every 7 to 14 days (for the reasons mentioned above) and never have root rot or something like that. Only difference is that about a month ago I took one of the catasetum plants (that had finished flowering about a month ago, it gave 8 nice flowers yayy!!!) and put it out of the S/H since i read somewhere that some growers strip them of the roots and put them on shelves until they start putting new growth, when doing it I observed that its roots were just dead and they were stripped-off easily. My theory is that the roots die anyway and the bulb just serves as food storage for the developing new growth, this is the reason why those plants are recommended to be divided in pieces of just one mature pseudobuld each, this way every mature pseudobulb can produce new growth on it's own.

Ok, in summary, as far as i can see, in my experience they don't suffer root rot even when watering them year-round, but if you are very worried about that you can always take them out or withhold watering after they flower and wait for the new growth to appear. Anyways their roots will die even if you (don't) water them in rest periods.

[kavanaru]

so, if the roots are death, or if the palnt is dormant, why watering year round?

on the other hand, I sdo not water my plants year round, and the roots stay alive for the next season... which on the other hand again, if you water the plant year round and the roots die... hhmm.... that's what I would call root rot... and the risk to have a bacterial rot, going up the PBs would be to high... so, I don't see the point...