Rescued two Catts by water culture! - Page 2 - Orchid Board

mojomick · #11 02-23-2009, 12:07 PM

OK, am I reading this right? You make a solution of 125ppm water, put in a glass and add an orchid? Do you cut off exhisting roots? Just cut them off when thry die? Change the water weekly? Is that all? I would love to try it. Please give me your step by step as I have a very distressed Catt that needs help. I would love to save it. Thanks, Betty

mojomick · #12 02-23-2009, 04:12 PM

Thanks for the reply in your other thread. Am going to give it a try. Can't hurt. Betty

camille1585 · #13 02-23-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojomick

Thanks for the reply in your other thread. Am going to give it a try. Can't hurt. Betty

Yes, you really should try it! Another OB member, Becky, saved a rootless catt with water culture. It has amazing roots now!

blackorchid · #14 02-23-2009, 06:14 PM

mick, this is basically it. Make a fertilizer solution and try to cultivate algae for the first 1 or 2 weeks, and dump it out(don't rinse the container. just dump the old water) and put new fertlizer solution and your orchid. The container has to be clear or transparent. The algae left on the wall of the pot will increase the rate of regeneration of new algae in the solution. The level of water just barely covers the rhizome. I won't cut the root completely out, because I think you need some roots to absorb the water in the beginning. change water once a week. Remember to disinfect the root (I did it with H2O2) before transferring into water on the first time.
Anything else, please give me correction if I'm wrong.

greenbean · #15 02-23-2009, 09:10 PM

That's a good explanation Vinh. I'm just starting out myself, but I'd like to make a couple points: 1st, change water AT LEAST once a week. If the orchid you are trying to grow in water culture has an infection of some sort, changing water every other day and retreating with H2O2 or other disinfectant if the fungus or whatever reappears will benefit the plant. That is how I cleared up the infection on my Doritis.

2nd: About the roots. If they are rotten, remove them, no matter what. All, or nearly all, of the pre-existing roots will die anyways because they are not adapted to water culture. Rotten or dead roots will only serve as food and shelter for fungus, bacteria and other pathogens. Also, try to remove all dead matter, including dead leaf bases, psuedobulb sheaths, and any rotten areas on the rhizome should be scraped clean. The object is to eliminate any and all pathogens.

mojomick · #16 02-24-2009, 10:27 AM

Thanks everyone, I am going to try to rehydrate and save a couple of beautiful cattss. Has anywone tried this with a phal vioalcea? Mine just lost all it's leaves. Betty

tuvoc · #17 02-24-2009, 11:45 AM

Wow! Thanks guys for this discussion! I have a Blc. King of Taiwan 'Splendiferous' that will not grow for me at all. I'm trying this out immediately.

Kim

blackorchid · #18 02-24-2009, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojomick

Thanks everyone, I am going to try to rehydrate and save a couple of beautiful cattss. Has anywone tried this with a phal vioalcea? Mine just lost all it's leaves. Betty

I'm trying to save Phal violacea var Borneo (P. bellina) in water too. It's the first day I put it in, I'll inform about it you later.

AboutOrchids · #19 02-26-2009, 01:45 AM

Thanks for the info and the references http://www.orchidboard.com/community...on_biggrin.gif

priz_m · #20 02-27-2009, 03:35 PM

Quick question though, I have 2 phals that are reallly struggling to survive and it's kind of odd considering my other phal is taken care of in the same way and is just thriving in the pot, should I go water culture is there a way to bring them back to something less high maintenance i.e. S/H ? thank you