CATTLEYA 911!!

[Joan]

I've been having a problem like this with one of my cattes also and haven't been too successful getting new roots to grow. I was wondering how you think it would do planted in a basket with some sphag.?

[Diane]

Moss is usually too wet for catts. You might want to try using some rooting hormone (discussed in another thread). The type dissolved in water, unless you want to unpot the plant...

[Gin]

You can use Spag. in a basket for Catts. I have several that way it dries out fast . Keeping it too wet the same as bark will cause the problem .just control the watering . Gin

[Diane]

You can use Spag. in a basket for Catts. I have several that way it dries out fast . Keeping it too wet the same as bark will cause the problem .just control the watering . Gin

Ah, but Gin - you can grow anything!!!

[Joan]

Thanks ladies. I'm really getting desperate about this catte. I have two of the same kind and even after having them outside this summer and then trying to let them go unwatered for an extended time indoors any new root that starts to grow suddenly seems to turn brown and stop growing. I've been trying to grow this for a year or so with little success. Only now they are getting worse. Starting to look like the catte in the photo on the original post!!
Soooo I thought maybe the spag in a basket.

[Mark V]

Joan, I don't know what part of NY you live in, but if your weather was anything like it was in Jersey this summer, your summering outdoors orchids might have gotten over watered, like mine. I only I watered my garden once or twice this summer. I was a dumb bumpkin and when I watered the window boxes of root bound annuals I watered the chids. too. I set a few of my plants back through overcare.

[jtlqh]

Thanks ladies. I'm really getting desperate about this catte. I have two of the same kind and even after having them outside this summer and then trying to let them go unwatered for an extended time indoors any new root that starts to grow suddenly seems to turn brown and stop growing. I've been trying to grow this for a year or so with little success. Only now they are getting worse. Starting to look like the catte in the photo on the original post!!
Soooo I thought maybe the spag in a basket.

I got a few root rot catts that I placed in busket bottom filled with rock, then toped with sphag. I waited until the sphag is cripy dry. When I water it, I just soak it in a bucket of water. The roots grow really great, much better than it was in bark.

Qing

[Piper]

I recently discovered that my Catt quadricolor was limp and really really not happy. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, so I unpotted it.

For whatever reason, the bulk of the roots were dead I'd only gotten it a coulple of months before. The new growth was just putting out some new roots, but I was worried they'd have a hard time supplying the plant the moisture it required. All the leaves were very limp.

I started to do the sphag and bag treatment, but it was a Catt, and I wanted better air exchange for the roots, then a plastic bag would offer. I did and extremely loose sphag pack into a clay pot for better aeration. I first soaked the roots in rooting hormone, and the sphag itself.

I also wanted to stick it in a very moist environment, so the leaves could help absorb moisture and relieve the roots from some of the excess load. That was part of the motivation to buy a terrarium with a fogger.

The Catt sat in a 80-90% humidity environment for a week, and is now looking really good. It still has to grow sufficient roots to handle its moisture needs, but I'm watching it closely and will pop it back into the terrarium, if the leaves start softening up in the meantime.

Ambient humidity does a lot for a stressed plant! I forgot to mention the preventative Physan sprays! I've had fungal problems the last few months with new arrivals changing growing conditions, and other stress factors. With a stressed plant these days, I spray with Physan to prevent an opportunistic fungus looking for an easy victim!

Good luck, Joan! Let us know how it goes.

McJulie

[Korxi]

Bumpedy Bump

Just a little update - a lot of growth as you can see from the picture, but they are not sending out any roots (only one new root and it's about 1/2 inch). Is this OK or shuould I stop some of the growts to promote rooting otherplaces??



Again thank you all for the help - it wouldn't have made it here without You

Christian

[Piper]

Trust your orchid. New growths are good. Never remove one. It's not like a spike, which can be removed from a stressed plant. Your plant feels it needs the leaves more than the roots right now. It knows best!

McJulie