Cattleya-cutting

[Aleksa]

I need one quick information! In a few days I'll get a Cattleya cutting. I need to prepare everything for it, so I need to know what conditions do she like , light, and other stuff?

What do you think? Is it possible to survive? I did it with Dend, Epi and Miltonia!




Regards!

[Hoa Tony Nguyen]

The thing about cattleya cutting is that it is best if you can get them close to their root-making time, i.e. spring or early fall. The cutting should have at least 3 or more mature pseudobulbs so it will be strong enough to push out good growths. Since it is early summer, it might not be too late yet to have a catt cutting. Observe the cutting to see whether it is making any new growth and new roots. If it is already doing that, you can be in for an easy ride and a good time since that cutting will continue to grow and barely skip a heartbeat. You can pot the cutting in bark chips mixed with some perlite and charcoal. Do not overpot the cutting, aka, use a small pot, just enough to hold the cutting up straight. If your cutting has a new growth and roots are coming out at that growth point, you can stimulate the growth by placing a few pieces of sphagnum moss around the growth just to increase the humudity level around there. If your growing area is humid (>60% humidity), it will be fine. If the humidity is less, you might want either to add some moss to the potting mix or to water more often, but the medium should almost dry out before watering again. Now is their growing season so temperature on the warm side is fine (day temperature in the 70-85 F is fine), it will stimulate growths from the cutting. Give the cutting ample diffuse light, not too strong just enough to keep the leaves light green. If your cutting makes a new growth with roots all over the place, that means you have done everything right!
Post a picture of your cutting so we can see how healthy it is.
Cheers. Hoa.

[Aleksa]

Thanks on this long answer! I think that I'll need miracle with this one! This cutting will have just one bulb, with little rhisome on the bottom, and maybe, but I don't think so, few roots!

But miracle happens! Miracle was rooting Miltonia, and Phal keiki!

So, I will already start to pray for a miracle!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Good luck!

Cheers,
BD

[Aleksa]

Good luck!

Cheers,
BD

Thank you!

[Aleksa]

I decided to put my cuttings in a fish bowl! Here they are. I think that they will easier make new roots when humidity is high like in a bowl, but I have left top of it opened so that air can move inside and out! On the bottom i puted water to evaporate!

Is this way better for the Catt than putting her in moss? Is it possible to plant make roots like this just in air, without bark?

[Aleksa]

Oh, i forgot the pic...

[Shaydra]

Not sure if it will work, but it would be a really neat looking mounting for a healthy plant!

[Aleksa]

I really do not know what will work! If I put her in a moss, roots are roting, if I put it in a bag, again does not work! Grrr! I'm just trying to find some good method!

Did you mean that I should mount her?

[Shaydra]

Oh, no no no ... I meant for a different kind of plant, not this one necessarily. Did not mean to confuse.

I would not think these would have enough moisture to grow roots like this? But, I have a division I cut from a catt I repotted.. I'm trying to make her grow roots, too, but so far no luck. Just a slow, sad death, I'm afraid.