Just bought 2 "Potinaras", what to do now?

[Tango]

It was a mass of wet pressed decaying sphagnum put there to make the plant fit in a slightly bigger pot. They treat their plants like that and then sell them to us at 30 euro each. Good deal.

---------- Post added at 03:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:18 PM ----------

Yes, they put pressed wet sphagnum to make the plant fit in a slightly bigger top. They managed to destroy the entire rootsystem of a large plant... Really do not understand this kind of orchid sellers.

[SouthPark]

Thanks tango for confirming the spaghnum. When growers do that - the experienced nursery growers know more or less the amount of water to add, and when to add it. The plants can (and do) thrive when the grower does their own appropriate things (with their experience).

But when the plant (grown in spaghnum) gets transferred to other growers - such as the people that sold it to you, then it's possible that they don't follow the same schedule and method that had been working well.

[aliceinwl]

I got a couple like this back in March (also in moss). An overnight soak in a kelp based rooting stimulant seemed effective in jump starting root growth in both of mine.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by aliceinwl

I got a couple like this back in March (also in moss). An overnight soak in a kelp based rooting stimulant seemed effective in jump starting root growth in both of mine.

Did these plants stay in the moss? Or a repot into a different media?

[Ray]

"The plant" is not the only factor that determines the medium used. The potting medium, the pot, and how well they work with your growing environment and watering technique and habits to meet the needs of the plant are what matters more.

What works for one grower with a specific plant may not work at all for another grower.

What works for one plant for a specific grower may not work for a different plant for the same grower.

[aliceinwl]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Did these plants stay in the moss? Or a repot into a different media?

No, I did an immediate repot into bark, but the roots were already dead.

I purchased them from different international sellers at a show in March and I think there are some regulations that plants can’t be imported into California in soil but moss is okay. The price was right and I strongly suspected they’d have root issues since I hadn’t seen anyone pushing moss as a Cattleya substrate.

One of the plants made a complete recovery, the other is still struggling but I expect it to ultimately survive.

[Tango]

Hi! This message is to say thank you for your help with finding the proper way to care for this plant, and to show what a beautiful gift it gave in exchange. I would like to share it with you.
The other plant is healthy but apparently decided to keep herself for later.
Best,
Tango

[SouthPark]

Beautiful flowers tango. I love the yellows, and these ones have very nice red there too. I like the line patterns in the throat area too.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Tango

Hi! This message is to say thank you for your help with finding the proper way to care for this plant, and to show what a beautiful gift it gave in exchange. I would like to share it with you.
The other plant is healthy but apparently decided to keep herself for later.
Best,
Tango

It is a beauty. What a great reward for your care!

[nuriko1set]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

When growers do that - the experienced nursery growers know more or less the amount of water to add, and when to add it. The plants can (and do) thrive when the grower does their own appropriate things (with their experience).

But when the plant (grown in spaghnum) gets transferred to other growers - such as the people that sold it to you, then it's possible that they don't follow the same schedule and method that had been working well.

I feel a bit in the same shoes! The majority of my new Cattleyas comes in sphagnum moss and I'm still not quite sure when to water it. Do you have any advise? I know we all have our own conditions at home, but what condition should the moss be when we water?

I can't see the roots inside, I only see the top of the roots that are outside of the medium. When I see them getting dry I'll spray it lightly in between waterings. I have a very dry environment right now, barely mid 30 in humidity. I am looking for a good warm mist humidifier, anyone has one to recommend? I am hoping that the warm mist will also help with raising the temperature.

A few weeks ago, I have been watering it less frequently than the other catt. that are in bark (every 9 or 10 days or so). But now that it's a lot more chilly, we have been turning the heater on, which I feel is drying the medium much faster. So for right now, I think I water it every 5 days give or take. I water when I feel the top of the media is getting a bit dry, almost starting to crisp. But I can still feel the media is moist underneath the very top. I also limit the amount of water I give it every watering, not like how I run water through for 5 minutes or more for my catt. in bark, but I water it enough to have water run through the bottom, but I don't run it for a while under water.

Anyone have any advise on how the moss should feel before it should be watered for Cattleyas? I am waiting for one to finish flowering, and for another to adjust a bit before I repot it into bark (recommendation given by the grower). I feel that bark is easier for me to handle than the moss, which makes me still doubt my timing very much! Especially after I repot, I know where the roots are inside and I can poke a bamboo stick into the media to help me check water level. It irks me that I can't tell how the roots are doing because they are all hidden in the moss, although they look ok from the top. haha don't know what's waiting for me at the bottom.

Thank you for the advise!!