Fooey... Cathy Beck in trouble

[Normkp]

Darn it. I hate to make this post. You all are doing such nice things with your Cathy Becks but mine is headed the wrong way.

It came in two weeks ago. Because I was not sure how to repot I left it as it was until now. Yesterday I began to repot in a choir mix and found that in the two weeks I've managed to rot most of the roots. I must have overwatered though I didn't think so at the time. I've had it in a cool room, averaging lows of 48° and highs of 70° Maybe as cold as it was I should have drastically cut the water.

The first photo shows the roots. I don't think all of them are bad, and I decided not to cut any away. The second shows it potted up in the new mix. I put lots of peanuts around it to cut down on the extra space. The mix was soaked in worm tea.

The room now has a humidifier maintaining at 50% or better. But because the roots are weak I've bagged the pot and placed it near my Phals.

What else should I be doing? Should I unpot and cut away the worst? Anything else? I've jumped in over my head but I'm not giving up.

[articuno75]

Norm~ I wouldn't bag the pot, fearing fungus might spread. I'd let this one air out and dry completely before the next watering. This will reduce the chance of fungus.

Because these are sooo small and in tiny pots, I've been just spritzing with worm tea until just moist and then letting go completely dry before doing it again.

If anyone else has suggestions, jump in! This is all I have

[brookn]

You can pour some peroxide on the roots, it will help with the rot.

[patlee]

Hang on, Norm. We can do this I have a lot of phals, too, and am new to dens. My Cathy Beck just got her first yellow leaf, but it is on the very bottom of the cane and I am telling myself( over and over again)that it is just the natural course of growth--some leaves die and then you get new growth, right?

The nights are still a bit too cold here in Ohio (we're supposed to dip into the low forties next week), but soon I will put Cathy in a basket and let her stay outside. Hopefully she will put out all sorts of new growth then. How are you going to grow yours? BTW, as long as the canes are firm, I think we have a good shot. Here's to out success

[arleneg]

Norm, it's not too late since I see a few good roots. However, I would've cut off the rotted ones.

I agree with Jenny. Let the roots and potting medium dry out before watering again.

[berkeleysgr8]

On the bright side, the canes and leaves look plump enough that the plant will have the reserve energy necessary to grow new roots (I really believe she'll pull through just fine!). How you deal with the issue really depends on what you have in your supplies. I would cut the bad roots, do a 15 minute dip in a Physan solution to kill any fungus/bacteria and allow the plant to dry out at least overnight. Then, I would soak the plant in a KLN solution (or treat with another rooting hormone) and pot it up in fresh media. My ideas might be a little overboard though!

[butt0n]

If I can get a catt with NO roots to survive, you can do this! There's still hope, just hang in there.

[Normkp]

Hi Everybody. Thanks for all your support (much appreciated) and your suggestions. I've taken encouragement and ideas from all of you.

She's out of the bag, Jenny. I dosed the roots with pyroxide, Brook. They might be in better shape than I thought. Some of them are clearly healthier than others--lighter color and a few little hairs emerging--but the others after the peroxide did not look terrible, so again I cut nothing away. I have no Physan so I bathed the whole plant in Brookn's cinnamon solution. I added some Root Master B-1 (with Napthalene Acetic Acid) to the the potting mix, found a smaller pot, gave her my blessings and put her back with the Phals. I'm thinking I'll give her low light for a week or so before moving her closer to the window.

Here's how she looks now. I'll keep you posted.
Norm

[articuno75]

It looks really good

Now pray to orchid gods for healthy recovery

[jerrymeola]

I probably did not make it clear enough as to what to expect when a plant like this comes out of a plug tray. I mentioned when I shipped that the plugs were potted in a very heavy peat mix. Most of the dark color is from the peat mix not from rot. Your not the first to become frightened of the look.

There will always be a number of dying roots on plugs. They are baby roots like baby teeth. When they serve their purpose they fall off. Roots on newly re-potted plugs need live only a few months. The bulbs will put out new roots and these are what will take over the plants growth.

The rot if you want to call it that is not a fungus that will spread to the rest of the plant. The old roots just disappear over time.

Your photo of the roots looks totally normal. Not all young plants will live to maturity but yours looks good. It seems to be one of the larger ones I shipped.

[patticake]

Norm, It looks good! I water mine daily, but it's in a tiny pot and there's very low humidity. I give it lots of light.
More light, more water.- Less light, less water. Cold temps... Much less water!
If I have a sunny day and warm temps, I'll give it a good soak, let it drain, and bask in the sun. If it's cool and overcast, I let it rest.(Like I wish I was doing! staying in bed!)

[palito]

Originally Posted by Normkp

I've had it in a cool room, averaging lows of 48° and highs of 70° Maybe as cold as it was I should have drastically cut the water.

Maybe those low temperatures weakened the plant too.

Den Cathy Beck is a hybrid of Den. antennatum, Den. bigibbum and Den. carronii.

These species are described to prefer hot temperatures. Baker recommends for optimal culture no less than 70F for Den. carronii and antennatum.

[Normkp]

Originally Posted by jerrymeola

... what to expect when a plant like this comes out of a plug tray. I mentioned when I shipped that the plugs were potted in a very heavy peat mix. Most of the dark color is from the peat mix not from rot. Your not the first to become frightened of the look.

There will always be a number of dying roots on plugs. They are baby roots like baby teeth. When they serve their purpose they fall off. Roots on newly re-potted plugs need live only a few months.

Thanks, Jerry. That's good to know.

Originally Posted by patticake

I water mine daily, but it's in a tiny pot and there's very low humidity. I give it lots of light.
More light, more water.- Less light, less water.

Patti, I'm a little puzzled by your watering program. I thought Dendrobiums need to go dry between waterings. Mine too is in a small pot, I've got good humidity, and days are now getting into the 70s, but I'm leery of watering as much as you (particularly since I had thought I rotted most of my roots away). What do know that I don't that makes you brave with the water?
Norm

[Ron]

Hi,
I have followed the answers and you have recieved a lot of good advice.
One bit more you may consider and usually the big part of the problem.
I find unless you live in a hot and dry area with low humidity.
Is not to fill all the open spaces up in the mix.
Peanut shells are like mini sponges and hold a lot of water for a long time.

I have been through these type of mixes over the years and find my plants grow just as good on most occasions, better if I just stick to one medium. ie Coco nuggets by them self is perfect and same applies to bark.

Just use a size to suit the pot and type of plant, big fat type of roots I would use a more larger size that I would for small thin type of roots.

After all it is not a potting mix as such as you grow tomato's in but a medium to hold the developing roots and stabilize the plant.
also have the ability to hold a some water for a reasonable period
My bit to help.

Cheerio
Ron

[patticake]

Originally Posted by Normkp

Thanks, Jerry. That's good to know.



Patti, I'm a little puzzled by your watering program. I thought Dendrobiums need to go dry between waterings. Mine too is in a small pot, I've got good humidity, and days are now getting into the 70s, but I'm leery of watering as much as you (particularly since I had thought I rotted most of my roots away). What do know that I don't that makes you brave with the water?
Norm

Norm- Where I am, the humidity is LOW- The medium dries out fast because of it. When I water in the a.m.- by the time I'm home- the medium has dried completely! If we have a couple of cloudy days, I don't water as much, because they won't dry out. If you came home to a completely dry pot each day, you would water each day, too! .....

[Normkp]

Originally Posted by patticake

Norm- Where I am, the humidity is LOW- The medium dries out fast because of it. When I water in the a.m.- by the time I'm home- the medium has dried completely! If we have a couple of cloudy days, I don't water as much, because they won't dry out. If you came home to a completely dry pot each day, you would water each day, too! .....

Ahhh, I see. Very interesting. We all work with such different conditions. Depending on where we are it takes quite different approaches to reach similar goals. Here I have wild humidity swings. It will get up to 73% at night and by mid afternoon it can be 13%. I'm probably assumed you have high humidity. I would have guessed New York would have high humidity, spring and summer.

I'm sure it takes my plants longer to dry out than yours. Thanks for pointing that out, Patti. Good growing!
Norm

[patticake]

It gets pretty humid here in the summer, but unless we have a rainy day, it's pretty dry the rest of the year. We're still having frosts at night, so the heat kicks on and dries the air even more.

[PhalPal]

Patticake - define low humidity??

My Cathy Beck is circling the drain. She only had one bulb and two tiny leaves to begin with. One leaf died and she's just not looking good.

[berkeleysgr8]

PhalPal, as long as the cane is still green, there is still hope. I have one Dend that has been a single, sad, leafless cane for MONTHS. It now has a little bump of new growth starting. I have hope for your Cathy Beck!