Guarianthe questions

[Kartxofa]

Hi!

A few months ago I bought a cattleya (turns out I think it has been reclassified as Guarianthe) and I've had some problems with the poor orchid so I was hoping somebody could help me a bit.

- I can't get the orchid to grow a single root.
Thankfully the orchid has a few working roots but since I bought it, it grew a new pseudobulb but when the time came to start growing roots the first was "devoured" by mould, the second (which was aerial) simply turned black and stopped growing and the third grew long enough to reach the media but after a short while the tip turned black and stopped growing.

I hadn't fertilised the orchid back then and when I did it was so watered down I don't think that amount could have burned the root tips. As for the media, it is inorganic but I'm careful to keep it moist to maintain humidity to avoid the too dry media to dry out the tips of the roots.

- The newest pseudobulb the orchid grew when I brought it home is plump. Really plump. It's so plump there are two gashes along it, but I read they're caused because of lack of hydration so I'm a bit confused because if the pseudobulb were any plumper it would explode. Thankfully the orchid seems fine and I really don't think these gashes could be infected, but it was something I wanted to ask you about.

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As I said before, I try to keep the media humid so that roots can grow but even though I keep the area well ventilated, if I overdo it, even if it's just a bit, mould starts attacking the orchid. I've cleaned the area with hydrogen peroxide.

Any help will be greatly appreciated it. Thanks for reading!

[Roberta]

First, welcome to the forum!

Guarianthe, Cattleya... no difference in culture... for most of us they're Cattleyas. Do you know which one yours is?

First, no peroxide anywhere near the roots. It will damage them severely. If you don't have roots, you will have a dehydrated plant because it can't take up water. Fertilizer is the least important factor - until you have roots, no need. And once you have them, use it at, perhaps, half the strength that is prescribed. on the bottle.

What media is it in? It is critical that it be open so that the roots can dry out between waterings. IT looks like some sort of inorganic pellets, which is OK. When you repot (or if it doesn't need it, NOW) , it is also vital that the plant be very firmly-held. Any wobbling will damage the tips of the growing roots. If you are able to water frequently, I suggest a wood (or plastic) basket rather than a pot. I have been moving all of my Catts to wood baskets when repotting time comes, and have seen excellent root growth (I think of them as "three dimensional mounts". But that fits my growing conditions - I am able to grow these outside all year around, and so they get excellent air movement. That's another part of what they need - and in the house harder to provide. (Maybe a small fan?) However that you accomplish it, the wet-dry cycle is very important. Oh, how well-drained is that pot? If it doesn't have plenty of holes for drainage, make some more, or get another pot. And certainly don't ever let the pot sit in water - again, drainage is vital.

[Kartxofa]

Hi Roberta!

Thank you for the welcome and for taking the time to help me! My cattleya is the Aurantiaca Mishima Spots and it's potted in clay granules. It was potted in a mixture of moss, coconut fiber and charcoal (I think). I took a peek at the roots and I think they were on the verge of collapse so I immediately repotted the orchid. Thankfully some roots survived the transplant so that's why the orchid is not dehydrated. I think I'll make more holes in its pot (plastic pot) because I think you hit the nail on the head when you talked about the pot needing to be well drained. I'll try to immobilise it even more because maybe one of the root tips turned black because of that (the others, I don't know, maybe not enough ventilation?)
Again, thank you for the detailed reply. You probably have saved my orchid!

[Roberta]

Glad to help. (And this is a beautiful C. (Gur.) aurantiaca) With few roots to help, you may be able to stabilize the plant with a stake (Actually, for smaller plants,, wood barbecue skewers work well) tied to it with twist ties. Or, you can also do it with three wires, each secured to the plant and the pot (make a hole) - the "tripod" is a very stable configuration... tighten each wire, and it's firmly held.

I am glad that the existing roots are helping the plant. Don't cut anything from them, even a root with rot on the spongy outside velamin) can transport water. Also, be patient. The ideal time to repot is when new roots are just emerging - those growing root tips are very fragile and easily damaged, but if it is the time of active rooting there will be more coming soon. But if the mix is bad, sometimes you do have to repot at the less-than-ideal time to save the ones that you have (which I think was your situation - you did well!) So you may have to wait for the next rooting cycle to see those new roots. Orchids don't do anything fast... they respond to changes in treatment over a period of months, not days. But I think that you have the right direction. Keep us updated...

[Kartxofa]

I went to do the necessary changes you suggested. I drilled some holes around the pot and I stabilised the orchid with a bbq skewer and I think this will be what the orchid needs because it's not wobbly anymore. Yeah, even if one root looks a bit "ugly" I'll leave it, every root is precious, lol

Thank you! I fell in love with the colour of the flowers and I hope one day I'll see mine in bloom. I'll keep you posted! Thank you so much!