Potting Ctsm. sanguineum?

[gnathaniel]

I have a two bulb division of Ctsm. sanguineum that just started showing new growth in the past couple of weeks. It has no roots to speak of and I've pretty much been ignoring it all fall and winter so I wouldn't be tempted to water it. The new growth is coming out of the older more shriveled pseudobulb and is about 1 cm long with no sign of roots yet.

So, is this the time to pot it up and what should I put it in? I have LFS, coarse and medium LECA, medium coco chips, fine perlite, medium charcoal, styrofoam peanuts, treefern chunks, plus assorted granite chunks and quartz gravel on hand. My intuition was to use an even blend of LFS, coco chips, and charcoal in a 3-4" slashed clay pot. It will be in a fairly bright and airy but cool room (where it's been all winter, but I'll give it more light now that it's growing), and I have a definite tendency to underwater. I'd like to set it up so I won't need to repot for several years if possible. I know next to nothing about Catasetinae, please lend me your opinions! Thanks,

--Nat

[kavanaru]

Nat, I grow several Catasetinae. Inspired by the method used by teh brazilian growers, I decided to try them in S/H (as described by Ray, using LECA). They love this! Now, all my Catasetinae are in S/H.

Brazilians use their own form of S/H. They use a mix of coconut chips, bark, charcoal, ceramic pieces or LECA, and add a teaspoon of Osmocote to the medium when replanting, plus additional orchids fertilizer when watering.

Few things to keep in mind:

- when growing, you "cannot" overwater a Catasetum (just, don't let water stay too long between the leave!)
-when growing, these plants will tolerate (and actually like) high dosis of fertilizer (even more than twice the recommended amount! - I have never tried that much!)
- Just before going dormant, if you are growing them in S/H you should water (several times!) with only pure water, in order to wash out the fertilizer. After this, you can stop watering until the new growth withroots is there (I sometimes give a short flush with pure water, in order to avoit the PBs shrivel too much - but I do not leave any water in the reservoir!)
-DO NOT make the mistake to follow the very often recommended bosh: Catasetinae DO NOT need to be repotted every year and DO NOT need to be divided down to 1 or 2 PBs every year! - If you use LECA repot them when outgrowing the pot, if you use organic substrat, repot when this is broken.
- be proactive treating mites and thrips. I use a systemic insecticide every two weeks (this is important, especially if your air humidity is low!)


Read this thread, where I have posted some very good links for Catasetinae culture:

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ff-hc-sky.html

Adding these two new articles which were not yet available at that time:

http://www.aos.org/AM/Images/pdf/Beg...ries-Ctsm6.pdf
http://www.aos.org/AM/Images/pdf/Beg...ries-Ctsm7.pdf

[gnathaniel]

Thanks for the information, Ramon! I've got some S/H containers from when I was trying it for some Phals, I'll sterilize one and pot my Ctsm in it. Would you recommend the same culture for a Cl. Grace Dunn? I just noticed a new growth peeking out from under one of the spent bloom spikes...

--Nat

[kavanaru]

I would recommend S/H for Catasetum, Clowesia, Cycnoches and their hybrids. I am trying it also with Mormodes, and will soon also try Dressleria - I do not expect any problems with them either... So far, I have catasetum, Cycnoches, Clowesia, Cycnodes, Clowesetum, Mormodia and Clowenoches growing in S/H and they all like it a lot!

Here you can see some plants:

[isurus79]

In addition to Ramon's advice, be sure to not use the treefern. For whatever reason, it kills Catasetinae pretty quickly.

Ramon,
I've thought about using S/H for Catasetinae for a while now. In the winter do you just drain the water and leave them dry as with 'normal' media? Also, when planted in S/H, will the plants be able to stand up to wind without being blown out of the pot?

[kavanaru]

I let my plants dry out in winter (after 3 - 4 times watering with only pure water) - This only if the plant goes dormant! Some plants just don't go dormant, loosing the leave on the "old" PBs, only after the new growth has started.

whether they would stand up the wind..... I grow mainly indoors However, I think that would depend on the pot you use and the size of your plants.... The Ctsm pileatum album shown above, would not do it (LECA is too light! - I have a Cycnoches, for which I had place a stone on top of the pot, as I had used a small pot and the plant has grown too large - similar "equilibrium" porblems as with sphagnum culture!)

[gnathaniel]

Thanks Ramon and Steve! I'm going to put my sanguineum in S/H tomorrow, I think I already have all the supplies at hand. After seeing your great pictures, Ramon, I will definitely be looking out for Ctsm pileatum at any shows I go to this spring.

--Nat

[Nokomis.FL]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

I would recommend S/H for Catasetum, Clowesia, Cycnoches and their hybrids. I am trying it also with Mormodes, and will soon also try Dressleria - I do not expect any problems with them either... So far, I have catasetum, Cycnoches, Clowesia, Cycnodes, Clowesetum, Mormodia and Clowenoches growing in S/H and they all like it a lot!

Do the pots you use drain completely or does some water collect in the bottom? I grow outside and the Florida heat requires more irrigation.

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Nokomis.FL

Do the pots you use drain completely or does some water collect in the bottom? I grow outside and the Florida heat requires more irrigation.

Nokomis, the S/H pots keep a certain amount of water in the bottom. Important is not to allow the water reservoir to dry out completely, but always keep some water in it.

check this website All about Semi-Hydroponics

[Nokomis.FL]

I thought that was the case. Like I said before, the Florida summer heat dries the plants out so quickly that this might be something to experiment with now that a few of my plants are beginning to come out of dormancy.