Cattleya:- rescue

[maggs]

Maggs here, I have these two cattleya the larger one that the leaves look purple was really one plant when I bought it, then I realized that there were no roots showing at all, so I mounted it on the tree branch set in sphagnum and coconut straw,I realized that there were two plants not one so I divided it and here it is now, I have been trying to keep it from the direct sun so I have it hung on the back wall of my kitchen I have also wet it with some fertilizer diluted and am watching it with baited breathe so see when I will see a root peeping out, the other one is also a little tricky too so I have also been treating it the same way cause the root system does not look that great if you look closely there is a spot on the leaf I have been treating with fungicide just in case, I do not know what it is as I got the plant like that.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Good luck with them. The second one looks a bit healthier than the first, but only time will tell.

cheers,
BD

[BigSteve]

Yes good luck , nowadays unless i know i can pull an ailing orchid around pretty confidently i just chuck them , after having erwinia once
i do get a bit chuck happy .

[maggs]

Steve I try my best to bring them back and have gotten a very vibrant plant that even flowered, that is why I have started mounting them so that I would not have to worry about root rot and fungus and insects, Bruce I saw the flower from the parent orchid of the first one here and it is a beautiful flower I think I had posted it a few weeks back asking if anyone knew the name.

[Cjcorner]

Just a suggestion...from a person that used to kill Cattleya all the time. I use a soak or misting spray on sick plants. I put either superthrive or kln (helps grow roots) and some honey in warm water. In your case I would make up a bottle to mist them with. For an average size spray bottle I use one drop of rooting stuff and a couple teaspoons of honey in warm water. Shake really well until the honey turns the water a nice amber color and then soak the plant and let it air dry. You can use this mix on it a few times a week. Add a little antifungal/antibacterial to your mix once a week (can substitute a couple teaspoons of original Listerine) and that will keep infections away while the little things grow. And skip giving them fertilizer until you see new growth and new roots...the plant is too sick to handle fertilizer for a little while. Good luck! I love saving Cattleya. When it regrows and blooms it is so rewarding.

[phraggy]

Hi Maggs. I grow many Cattleyas and have rescued and bloomed ' chucking-out ' and hopeless looking plants. Cattleyas are very forgiving plants but if they have no roots it's of no use whatsoever to water or feed. In fact doing this will certainly and quickly bring about their demise. I would recommend removing from the mounts and propping them up in sphagnum moss. The rhizome should be half buried in the sphagnum and the plant misted and allowed to dry out before further misting. It may take months before the plants will be showing new root growth and it's not unusual to see new plant growth before the new roots. Anyway there's more than one way you can go and whichever you choose I hope will be successful.

Ed