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Cynthia
The difference in the growth of our two plants points out another need for regular repotting.
This orchid was in my personal collection rather than the commercial shadehouse. I tend to let them become overgrown and allow the potting material to decompose and be flushed out of the pot, effectively now growing them bare root in the pot. It works well for many cattleyas but not for purpurata. It is not a method of growing that I recommend to others.
That particular plant had gone four years without repotting.
Another problem with my method for any cattleya is that the growth has a tendancy to grow around the outside of the pot and if too many dead roots are left the center can become leafless. At that point it requires cutting and separating the plant.
I like large specimum plants and this method grows large showy specimums, but at the expense of having to chop the plant apart in the future (usually 5-7 years). Typing this reply gave me the idea to try just cutting the center roots on one I have now that I do not want to separate. Maybe center growth will start. I will let everyone know in about a year.
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jerry  |