cattleya fustration

[Tetouan]

Im not pretty sure but the plants seem to be getting a lot a sunlight too.

[flexdc]

You need to report these ASAP. I wouldn't wait for new growth cause it might never come.

I am also California 10, so you are probably in So. Cal.

I pot all mine in straight bark in Clay pots. Catts seem to like clay pots better because of better aeration. If you pot them in ceramic or plastic, add course chucks of perlite or charcoal. I would advice against rocks because we have very hard water and rocks seems to allow more salt build up.

After repotting put them in shaded location and must mist every few days. When you see new growth or roots, resume regular watering. For clay pot with bark I water every 5 days or so in the summer. In winter cut back to about 10 days or so depending on your location. Do watering during the day to prevent rot.

Also I grow my catts outdoors and semi-shade. They seem to like that here. My catts mostly have light green leaves which indicates enough light level. But I also misjudge sometimes and burn a leaf or two specially during spring time when temps can change suddenly.

[Jerry24]

I too have had this Catt for about 7 years without any blooms. I had it bark all that time (also in the shade under a tree) but never saw any improvement. Last October I switched medium and went with sphagnum moss. On Jan. 28th 2012 I took a look at the roots and noticed some major improvment on the roots. I have also moved them to where they get direct sunlight for maybe 4 hours a day. I am noticing some new growths on them (I broke the plant up into 3 pieces) I am posting these pictures. The one with no roots is how they all looked like before I put them in moss. And as you can see, in 3 months the difference on the roots.

[Wynn Dee13]

I grow all my catts in New Zealand spaghnum moss in clay pots. They do great. Tons of roots. I agree that they are over potted and need new medium. I would choose whatever medium works for you. If you have had good results with the Aussie Gold then maybe you should try that. Good luck!

[flexdc]

For me, the younger cattleyas like sphagnum moss. As they mature, they definitely prefer bark. That is my experience anyways.

[Wynn Dee13]

We all have our own style of growing. Everyone needs to figure out what works best for them since we all grow our plants under different conditions. The way I grow my orchids might not work for you and vice versa. But we can share what works for us and others can take what they want from that information. It is very interesting and fun to hear how someone else grows their orchids.

[Rinzo]

thanks for all the feed back people, ill get smaller pots ASAP!

[stefpix]

you can use the pots you have just use less media and use just the bottom half of the pot. I would maybe use hydroton /leca as media

[james mickelso]

Everyone has given you good advise. These are just like most of the recues I get. I would opt for repotting them now. Your catts are longing for a new environment. Here's how your orchids grow in nature. They grow bare root on rough or furrowed tree branches. No soil. Just rain and mist most of the time. And a good breeze. And warmth. Lots of bright light but not direct sunlight. Those are the basics. Take your orchids out of the pots and trim off any old brown or gray roots. If any live good whitish roots are clinging to any of the old media, leave it atttached. Get some 1/2 inch bark or lava rock/cinder. They will do just fine in it for now. What you don't want is a fine mix. You want something that is course with lots of air spaces. Remember that these naturally grow on tree branches with no soil. Pots. Ok now, the clay pot will be fine. It is a little big but here is how you can make it perfect. You will need to figure out how to stabilize the orchid in the pot. Once you have that figured out, fill the bottom of the pot with gravel, foam peanuts, or anything that will take up space. You will now have about 2 inches of space in which to place your orchid. Clip the orchid to the pot, and fill the pot with mix. Remember that it needs to be airy. Now you can water the orchid a couple times a week. You won't have to worry about over watering it because your mix is very pourous and dries out quickly. Not rot problems. Even if your orchid has no roots right now, as long as it is bright, warm, and humid, it will send out new growth that is being supplied with energy fromt he back bulbs until the new growth buds elongate and become leaves which can then photosynthesize. Don't worry about feeding it. Also I would use distilled or RO water. Salts will be detrimental to any new growth or weak roots. These plants are in good shape. They have been too wet, and in poor mix. Also please tell us what the light level has been. It should be bright but not direct. And they need to be in a humid environment. Not 80-90 % but around 60%. You can set them on a tray filled with gravel and water. But don't let the pot sit "in" the water. Let us know how they come out.

[OCO1]

I grow smaller orchids and have been helping a relative with orchids for a long time.

I saw the pics of your plants. I agree with the others that they are way over-potted. You need to take them out of the pots and examine the roots. See what roots are still alive. Trim dead roots. If you don't know how to figure out which are live and which are dead, consult with a grower (you can call them and they ought to help you), since you don't want to remove live roots. Remember: orchids like small pots, not large ones like normal plants. This means lots of roots in the area.

Then, put in smaller pots with the roots touching the insides of the pot. Be sure you have a good mix made specifically for orchids. These mixes are made to help provide air circulation, and also hold a little moisture, too. Orchids cannot grow in soil, but you probably already know that. Right after repotting, you can submerge the pot in water, since the mediums are usually kind of dry right at first. That would not be how to water on your daily basis, though.

Have you been fertilizing, at all? If not, refer to any resource for fertilizing orchids. They do need a bit of food, but not as strong as other plants, so be sure to read about how to do this for orchids. Orchids require very light fertilizing, often. You could also ask a grower how to fertilize in your own circumstance.

If you find that the plants don't have many roots, you can mist the top of the medium with any mister bottle, rather than deep watering. This will encourage new roots. You should begin to see new little root tips if you water in this manner, (usually on a daily or e/o/day basis). The rate of root growth will depend on how much sun they are getting, too. But, you don't want to expose debilitated plants to profuse sun, so pick your window, carefully and watch for burn on the leaves from high sun. Orchid leaves can pale from: too little food, too much sun, pests taking nutrients.

If there are some roots that are larger, then you can water a couple times per week, too, and that will really depend on the medium your plants are going to be potted in.

Do the plants have any pests? Look for: little bumps stuck to the leaves, that look like tiny clam shells, but about the size of a freckle. If you have those, they are called scale and suck the nutrients from the plants. Look for other things like tiny little webs (spider mites); of course look for moving bugs. If you have any pests like these, then you need to use pesticides or use a wipe of rubbing alcohol mixed in water, and refer to orchid resources for proper dilution and use. That does kill pests, but be careful with its use and follow directions or ask an orchid grower about how to do that. Good luck with your plants. If you still can't figure it out, find a grower local to you and visit them, bringing your plants along. Then, show them your plants and see what they think.

That top plant seems to have nice fat bulbs on it, so it ought to recover nicely, with good care.

In case there is any confusion (with different people responding and asking questions), I am responding to Rinzo's question.