Den Cathy Beck

[mayres]

I was expecting three plant forums for this project instead of names - so I will put in three posts in case it gets re-arranged?! For the time being I'm keeping my Den Cathy Beck in the same pot it was delivered in. Unless I am mistaken I'm betting it will do fine in there through the summer months and they usually like to be in tight pots - so should work?! I see there is no "paperclip" in this section to upload photos yet, so will wait until this happens until continuing rather linking to another photo site.........(Are you out there Fred?!)

[chefatplay]

I was going to leave mine in the same pot, too, but it was so wiggly in that pot. I had ordered a 4 inch basket from Jerry. Upon arrival, I saw it was too big for the dend. I figured out a way to fix it, though.

My styrofoam peanuts are flat, they come in a large square and break apart when you pull on it. So, I took two peanuts and filled the bottom in, and one peanut for each side. The basket is more shallow and smaller. I made the 4 inch pot smaller to fit my dend. I tied a piece of monofilament around it once to steady the plant. I used seedling potting mix. It is very happy and hanging on a shepard's hook as we speak.

[articuno75]

Basket bumpers. I like your style

[Normkp]

Originally Posted by chefatplay

I was going to leave mine in the same pot, too, but it was so wiggly in that pot. I had ordered a 4 inch basket from Jerry. Upon arrival, I saw it was too big for the dend. I figured out a way to fix it, though.

My styrofoam peanuts are flat, they come in a large square and break apart when you pull on it. So, I took two peanuts and filled the bottom in, and one peanut for each side. The basket is more shallow and smaller. I made the 4 inch pot smaller to fit my dend. I tied a piece of monofilament around it once to steady the plant. I used seedling potting mix. It is very happy and hanging on a shepard's hook as we speak.

I'd love to see your handiwork. Let's hope they're enabled soon!
Norm

[jerrymeola]

My first set of comments.

Den Cathy Beck came out of a plug tray, while they were blooming in the tray,
re-potting will make the plant seem to do nothing for a while. The Encyclia will be the same.

You can expect this from all re-potted plants when you move up a size. The Phals had already been upgraded in the fall so they will appear to grow faster.

Putting the peanuts in the basket will work fine. I often shorten the size of a basket by putting sphag (a coffee filter works well also) to keep the bark from falling out, and the layers of bark on top. I use a lot of peanuts in pots to make them more shallow. Baskets have more air circulation so you have more choices.

[mayres]

Okay - Here is a pic of my three hybrid project plants on the evening I got them 4/3/08 with Cathy Beck obviously on the left.

Two weeks and three days later here is Cathy standing next to one of the flowers on my phal flower that comes from my first successful grown keiki.

As far as I can tell the plant has not changed since I received it. I'm not intending to repot it for the time being.

[mayres]

Here is a little better pic of Cathy and phal.

[patticake]

What a beautiful shot! I love the contrast of the huge Phal with the tiny Den.- Too cool!

[articuno75]

Whoa! that bloom looks like it's going to eat that plant, it's that big! Love it!

[mayres]

When I look at my original picture of this plant - so sad.......
I have looked at others wonderful flowering plants with envy........great job everyone!
My poor girl lost ALL of her leaves and I feared the worst.
I repotted into sphag and crossed my fingers............
I looked at the pot to see nothing but a leafless baby cane.......(first pic).
I spun the pot around and look what I saw! New life!

[myorchid]

[solay]

What a great surprise!!! Nice looking growth. Mine hasn't grown a new growth yet either but may be spiking though.

[articuno75]

Tough little booger!

[NancyG]

Yay, you saved it.

[mayres]

Update - Five months after discovering Cathy was "resurrected" she looks like this today. Certainly not as spectacular as some blooming specimens that some of you have had - but I'm pleased nonetheless.

[patticake]

It looks good, Mike!

[mayres]

My sense was that the aclimation cycle of being moved from Florida to Oregon just took forever - she finally decided that Oregon was an OK place to live and now is on a journey of growing up. Hopefully sometime in the next few months I can post a pic with a flower or two!?

[kid a]

Once she starts takin off she just keeps going lol! She'll be there before you know it!