Is it fractured or is it broken?

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I give candles as office presents for Christmas. There is a candle shop here in town. When I go in there it's always packed. I'm usually the only guy. The ladies have half-smiles on their faces, and their eyes have a dreamy faraway look. Reminds me of cats with catnip.

[bejay]

Any update?
Did the top piece produce a growth?

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All three pieces have rooted, and are pushing growths. I potted each of them into plastic bottles. I hope to take photos tomorrow during daylight. I will edit this message when I do so.

[Dorchid]

Pickup date! I mean, pic update!

[3rdMaestro]

Something like this would only work if it was new growth, is that correct?

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First photo: Bottom piece at bottom; middle piece above.



Second photo: I planted the whole bottom piece, without disturbing its old, dry sphagnum, using the PET method. The other pieces I set on the surface and loosely covered the roots with dry potting soil. The potting soil is quite shallow over the LECA. I'm using EpiWeb for the bottom layer.



Third photo: Top piece.



I have not watered them yet. I'm thinking maybe I should, even though they don't have many roots. The roots they have are about 3" long. I have other seedling Catasetinae that are just beginning to push roots. I don't know whether other people are also experiencing late root growth.

Oh, the cacti - on the left is Maihueniopsis darwinii and on the right is Tephrocactus molinensis, the Ann Schien super clone.

Originally Posted by 3rdMaestro

Something like this would only work if it was new growth, is that correct?

I don't know. I think I was lucky to break it as it was making new growth. The shoot formation hormones were circulating through the plant. The upper broken pieces were cut off from the one new shoot on the bottom piece, so their meristems were removed from growth inhibiting hormones that many plants form when they begin growing a new shoot. That led to each piece forming a new shoot quickly. Most Catasetinae can form new growths during the summer, well after the first set are initiated; I don't know whether breaking off the top of a pseudobulb during the summer would lead to breaking a new growth. I don't have any big old plants, so I won't be trying that for a while - but I will try it eventually.

The wax was also very important. I'm almost certain all three pieces would have dried out through the wounds and died before they rooted.

[Roberta]

If the roots are 3 inches or so, they are probably pretty close to being ready to water. Maybe give them another week or two and then go for it. Good save! That's the hard way to divide a plant, but it seems to be working! I have a few Catasetinae that are late in the root department. They'll get there... they'll likely go dormant later too. This is a Cycnoches x Cycnodes, and as I recall, both Cycnoches and Mormodes tend to run a little later than Catasetums.

[Shadeflower]

This is a dendrobium parishii cane that didn't get any special treatment, it just eventually started producing new shoots.
It's not quite the same as this was a dried backbulb that should have ended in the bin but if it produces a couple of plants that would be nice. I didn't think it would have the energy but new roots have formed giving it good chances

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

This is a dendrobium parishii cane that didn't get any special treatment, it just eventually started producing new shoots.
It's not quite the same as this was a dried backbulb that should have ended in the bin but if it produces a couple of plants that would be nice. I didn't think it would have the energy but new roots have formed giving it good chances

Off topic, but a lot of Dens are amazing in their ability to come back from the (apparent) dead. I'll start a thread in the Dendrobium section. Another fascinating group