Catts needs your help

[Phyrex]

I have a few catts that have the same problem. They get a lot of new growths but they all turn black at some point before they mature. Most growths don't make it past a month. I'm not sure what's wrong with these catts and was hoping that someone here might know something about it?

[BKirk783]

Looks like rot. How much do you water them and what is temperature of your grow area? If they get too much water the younger growths will rot.

[Phyrex]

I've searched some other posts and it might be due to bad roots, but I'm not sure if I should let them dry out more or keep them wet. Temperature is 21-22C

[margo]

Richard, here is what I did and the first three are doing fine and I now have two more that need the same procedure.
http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...back-dead.html

[Halloamey]

Richard, your media looks extra dry. When my cattleyas are that small, I never let them dry to such an extent. When they are in a good airy media I make sure that the bark is always moist. Try water culture, it surely will help.

[Ron-NY]

looks like rot to me as well. IMHO...looks like you tend to plant your seedlings too deep. I try to keep rhizomes on medium surface and not buried.

Are you misting or watering so the leaves get wet? How is air circulation in the area?

[Phyrex]

Ron, they don't have too many roots that's why I bury the rhizome in order to keep them upright. I guess I won't do that anymore. I'm watering but avoid the leaves - I do mist sometimes when they are ready for their scheduled watering but I don't have time. A fan is on during the day for 1-2 hours usually. I let the skewer dry out completely before watering, maybe that's too long?

[Ron-NY]

Ron, they don't have too many roots that's why I bury the rhizome in order to keep them upright. I guess I won't do that anymore. I'm watering but avoid the leaves - I do mist sometimes when they are ready for their scheduled watering but I don't have time. A fan is on during the day for 1-2 hours usually. I let the skewer dry out completely before watering, maybe that's too long?

Richard air circulation is needed 24/7...pick up a small fan at one of the end of the summer clearances...run it constantly. To stabilize Catts when repotting I take some wire and bend it into a pin shape and pin the rhizome to the medium. This way I am not burying it.

[cindiras]

Richard, You can put those bamboo skewers to another use. Poke them down in to the media and use twist ties to fasten the little pbulbs of the baby catt to the skewer. Then you set the base of the baby catts just on the top of the moist bark.The roots will grow down in to the media eventually.

[Phyrex]

Here's a look under the hood before mounting them for the no bag-more sphag method that saved Margo's plants.

The roots weren't as bad as I expected; I sure hope it's not some kind of rot or nasty disease. The black parts are all dry and not wet (not sure if that helps).