catasetum callosum

[Dorsetman]

I have Catasetum tabulare, which is very much the same shape, although perhaps a tad more exciting in colour. That is a very good spike you have here - clearly you are getting culture just about spot on ! Can I enquire how you grow - compost etc ?
I will add that I have maybe 30 or 40 Catasetum ( and allies) species and hybrids, and whikst they grow and flower, I don't see much increase in bulb size from year to year, which means that I am nowehere near getting as many flowers as you have here ( apart from the very easy ones like Taiwan Gold , which usually double or even triple spike with 10 flowers per spike).
Currently I have a couple of plants I have taken out of their pots, and tied to branches, s0 that the bare roots can be sprayed most days- which has been recommended to me as a good way, producing very natural growths, albeit with smaller flowers than when pot grown - but too soon to say if this is a good idea or not.

[catasetum-ian]

I have Catasetum tabulare, which is very much the same shape, although perhaps a tad more exciting in colour. That is a very good spike you have here - clearly you are getting culture just about spot on ! Can I enquire how you grow - compost etc ?
I will add that I have maybe 30 or 40 Catasetum ( and allies) species and hybrids, and whikst they grow and flower, I don't see much increase in bulb size from year to year, which means that I am nowehere near getting as many flowers as you have here ( apart from the very easy ones like Taiwan Gold , which usually double or even triple spike with 10 flowers per spike).
Currently I have a couple of plants I have taken out of their pots, and tied to branches, s0 that the bare roots can be sprayed most days- which has been recommended to me as a good way, producing very natural growths, albeit with smaller flowers than when pot grown - but too soon to say if this is a good idea or not.

thanks and the Ctsm. tabularae has a more interesting labellum, especially the rhinophorum variety.

i grow mine in 100% coal media, i stay away from organic media whenever possible, watering is done once or twice a day. i used clay or plastic pots, preferred some holes on the side of it. catasetums are heavy feeders, fertilizing it as much as it would feed on during the active growing phase will assure a big healthy plump bulb (provided the rooting system is healthy).
if you observed that you are not getting increase in bulb size from year to year, it is usually either the growing condition is not favoring them or fertilization schedule can be gear up (unlikely the case). most catasetum can tolerate strong sunlight (cattleya light), i sprayed them with balance foliar fertilizer during active growth phase (21:21:21) and switch to 13:26:26 (all at 1/4 strength) when the cigar shape bulb started to take form. i also stay away from organic fertilizer, somehow my grow are do not favor the use of organic material, but i do spike in some micronutirents.

it is said those in pot will have a more favorable results compare to those mounted, but so far i had only started one mounted (not because i wanted to see the difference in the result but rather due to the pendant nature of the spike) so i guess i had no say in this.

i had seen many grower using sphag media with excellent results and i do envy them, i could never get the hand of using sphag media with my catasetums.

[Dorsetman]

Thanks Ian, that is very interesting and helpful.