My orchid... leafs and roots

[Milui]

Hi everyone!

I am having some little problems with my orchid... which are actually more interrogation than problems... It's a Cattleya Netrasiri Beauty x Blc Varut Roongkamol. It was a gift and I really want to grow it healthier and bigger and buy some more orchids too.

First of all, my orchids roots seems to be unevenly placed, since I change her pot, she won't stand still, I had to stick piece of bamboo to her pot to make her stand. (Her roots were getting all out of the soil and she was about to fall out!!!)
So I am wondering how to make her roots grow maybe faster or I don't know... a way to make her hold herself in place.

I also wonder which roots to cut off... maybe I cut too much out last time. I cut almost every white root who seemed ready to collasped against a really light pressure between two fingers. http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/9916/img0187iz3.jpg (That's an old photo, I will upload a new one fairly soon, yet you can see the white colour which I cut off...)

Then, her leaves. She have about 8 leaves and most of them are of a beautiful healthy green but one of them is kind of green-yellow. This leaf also have a weird unsmooth texture. Should I cut it? If so, how??? There is also a round blackish spot on one leaf, but I think that is because of the light beside it which might have burned it... anyway I unplugged that light! One leaf have about 2 mm blackish line on one end of the leaf, should I cut that off too? http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/3653/img0189xv0.jpg

Then, one leaf died and it's branch is still alive (it's been a while) and no leaf is growing back on it... should I cut it out? http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/3408/img0186ja6.jpg

Finally, I don't know wether there is an ideal soil for this type of orchid... I have a general orchids' soil bought at some hardware store.

Anyway, it seems to be quite healthy since she flowered twice in 6 months (the first time 1 flower and the last time 2 flowers) and she has new leaves growing. It has a very partial light (meanly mid-afternoon light).

[Jorge_Burrito]

It is fairly normal for a plant to have issues keeping upright after a replant. You can try something like a rhizome clip. KLN or superthrive help promote root growth, although most new growth in my experience (both above and below ground) occurs during the summer growing season which we are just reaching the end of.

In terms of cutting roots off, you really only want to cut roots off that are rotting. Roots that are white are usually fine unless they are mushy. The roots in the picture probably should of been left.

I can't see the leaves too well from your pictures, but what I can see looks OK. If any of the black spots start spreading you might have issues with insects or elsewise, but for now just keep an eye on them.

I would leave the green-yellow leaf on. It may continue to yellow, at which point you can cut it off at the bottom of the leave (and then dust some cinnamin at the cut). Leave the "branch" aka pseudobulb attached to the plant.

A generic orchid bark is fine (it is a bark right and not a soil?)

Catts tend to like a lot of light, so you might try and find a location where it sees a bit more light (although ultimately if your Orchid is growing and blooming, you can't be doing anything too wrong)

[Milui]

Originally Posted by Jorge_Burrito

A generic orchid bark is fine (it is a bark right and not a soil?)

It's some kind of pieces of wood of differents shape and size, I don't know if that's call bark, I didn't know the exact word for it...

[Milui]

I wondered too, were I could buy good orchids in Quebec not too expensive?

[Jorge_Burrito]

Originally Posted by Milui

It's some kind of pieces of wood of differents shape and size, I don't know if that's call bark, I didn't know the exact word for it...

That is fine then.

[jkhom]

I am not an expert, however I agree with Jorge, it would appear that you cut good roots. You might try KLN to promote new root growth. I've heard nothing but good things about KLN and S/H so I have just started using KLN and s/h system so I really don't know how well it works yet. I think the media you are using sounds sufficient so I think that with proper care your orchid should recover.
Good luck.

[Milui]

I bought some plant starter fertilizer (10-52-10)... would that do the same???

[jkhom]

Check with the experts, but I would be careful with fertilizer on a wounded plant. I don't think KLN is a fertilizer but it does contain hormones for root growth.

[magicatt]

here is what I do. If you squeeze the root and tug and you are left with a string, cut it off.

[Milui]

It's not quite wounded, I just want to make the roots grow a bit faster since it doesn't stand still.