20+years of a Cattleya

[Pep]

Good morning everyone- I have been growing the Cattleya that shows in the picture without repotting for a very long time. It was a present more than 20 years ago, and after a few pot changes without dividing, i decided to repot where you see it now.
I have divided the plant several times, but the mother is loosing vigor. This picture is from 2021, know just one or two new growth hold spikes.
I have changed part of the pottting mix (mainly bark with pieces of moss) along the years, but it seems that now i have to change procedure.
Any suggestion?
I keep the plant on a bench in fron of a northeast window, high humidity and no less than 16ºC at night.
Thanks in advance

[estación seca]

When did you last repot? Are you using fertilizer?

[Pep]

Originally Posted by estación seca

When did you last repot? Are you using fertilizer?

Since i potted this plant where it is (15? years ago), I haven´t change it. Every now and then i take out part of the medium and add new.
Also, if and when i cut a section to plant it separately, i add new bark to the pot.
Yes, i do fertilize the plant, lightly, and not always with the same, but on a regular basis.
Now, the plant is not so strong as before, but i have moved and the window where it seats is further north and lacks of sun in winter and humidity is much higher.
Do you think that it would be good to repott the whole plant as it starts new roots in next growing period?

Thanks for asking

[Waterdog111]

I would love to be able to give you a good answer but welcome to the board and is a Great specimen. I can really understand why you would want a second opinion, but can you bring the plant back into close to the conditions you had it in when it was doing its best?
That is my best suggestion,sorry.

[Pep]

Originally Posted by Waterdog111

I would love to be able to give you a good answer but welcome to the board and is a Great specimen. I can really understand why you would want a second opinion, but can you bring the plant back into close to the conditions you had it in when it was doing its best?
That is my best suggestion,sorry.

Thank you for your answer. I always try to look after them the same way, but location might be impossible to reproduce.
My plan for next growing season is to clean as much substrat as possible and fill the pot with new bark, some stones and maybe coal. If what i find is too degradated, i might try a repot. Some of the divisions i have are starting to move, but no new roots yet.

[Waterdog111]

Pic is amasing!

[Dalachin]

How about treating it to a grow light of its own? If you are further north, it may not be getting the hours of sunlight it needs. You could get an LED grow bulb and put it in a pendant light fixture that hangs over the plant, and it can blend into your decor and look just like another lamp. I did this for a specimen size plant that no longer fits in my windowsill, and it has worked out well.

Amazing specimen! Definitely don’t let it decline, it is a treasure.

[estación seca]

Most people repot Catts. in bark every 2-3 years. I agree you should repot this at the next opportunity, and remove as much of the old medium as you can without damaging newer roots.

Wait until the first new root tips are only 1-2mm long to repot. If you wait longer there is a risk you will damage them when repotting.

First decide whether you want to keep the plant as it is, or divide it.

Take the plant out of the pot and remove as much old medium as you can, without damaging the newer roots. The oldest roots don't function much so they aren't as critical, but roots on the last 2-3 year's growth are still taking up water.

If you want to divide, make divisions of the front of growths that have the most recent previous growth plus 3-4 back bulbs. Those will be 4-5 growth plants.

Set the plants into pots that provide room for 2-3 years' growth. You can tell how far they will grow by looking at the older growths. Fill with your new medium. Use a rhizome clip (look it up here with Search in the top menu) to anchor the plant firmly. If it moves it may damage new root tips.

Let sit for a day, then water thoroughly.

Catts. need bright light. If yours didn't flower well, insufficient light is probably the cause.