Hi Everyone and Pic of my Sad Cattleya

[82thebar]

Hello everyone,

Found this forum with a search. I purchased a Cattleya bulb, root ball or not sure what you call it at Lowes about six months ago for my Mom. I have attached a picture of the sad little guy. I planted it in a orchid pot with Schultz orchid bark stuff. Seemed very strange potting it in this stuff at the time and thought it should have some dirt but I followed the instructions. I might of buried it a little deeper than I should of because I thought it needed to be buried. It has done pretty much nothing in the past six months except sit there and get brown on the leaf ends.

About two weeks ago, I decided it needed some fertilizer so I put some weak general purpose Miracle Grow and watered with that. Some of the green came back into the leaves and so this week I watered with Schultz Orchid food. Up till this we have been watering every week with plain water and letting it dry out. It has been sitting in a southern window in my Moms house on a plant stand getting indirect sun. I just moved it into our basement where it is more humid and 6" below edge of some flourescent plant light fixtures that are on about 10 hours a night hoping that would help and it is also by a west facing basement window. We are in the Midwest and I could put it outside at this time of the year temps go from 60-80 degrees right now.

I noticed today that it has a small bit of new growth coming out the side YAY! I tried to take a picture of this too. Anyone have any suggestions on how I should care for it from this point on. I really want it to grow and flower for her. I honestly didn't really even know what it even was when I bought it other than it would make a cool flower. She is in her 80's and loves Amaryllis and has perfected making them grow every year at Christmas. I have been looking a pictures of Cattleya flowers on the Internet and they are awesome. I don't want the little guy to die. Any help or suggestions about how best to take care of this would be greatly appreciated!

Should I leave it under the lights in the basement or put it outside or put it back in the southern window of the house? How often should I water and fertilize and how should I do it. Is Schultz orchid food okay to use for this plant? The store where I purchased it also had another kind that was blue crystals in a translucent jar but don't remember the name. If I follow the instructions on the jar of Schultz it doesn't seem like I am putting very much in the jug am I supposed to pour the whole gallon over the plant each time I fertilize? Thanks in advance and I am glad I found this forum!

[Sharyn]

Hi 82thebar. Let me see if I can help you a bit.

1. Not sure what you mean by cattleya bulb or root ball. Did you purchase this in a pot? If so, what size pot was it in?

2. Can't be sure by the picture, but looks like the pot may be a little too big. Orchids like to have their roots snug and somewhat pot bound. When repotting, use just the next size pot, or many times you may reuse the original pot (sterilized). How big were the roots when you repotted?

3. The Schultz bark is fine and it looks like you added a bit of charcoal. Catts like a media that drains well and they like to get slightly dry between waterings. Use the skewer method for testing when to water. Some of your leaves look a little dehydrated.

4. The Schultz fertilizer should be fine. Orchids planted in bark usually require more nitrogen fertilizers, so the Schultz should be fine. Use the fertilizer weakly weekly. (That is, use 1/4-1/2 per gallon if you use it every week.) Flush with plain water about every 4th watering to remove any built up salts in the media.

5. I don't think you're going to get enough light in the basement under lights on a full time basis. You probably won't get it to flower. Your South window (with a sheer curtain) will provide better light. Be careful moving it outdoors. I just did this last week and almost burned mine from the high light. I also live in the Midwest and our temps are not quite ready for housing orchids outdoors on a full time basis. (Also, you should update your profile to include your location - it helps others to give you advice based on your growing region.)

6. When watering your catt: Pour the water through the media a couple times so all the bark gets wet. Or - you can sit your pot in the sink for 10-15 minutes. Drain the pot and place your catt on a saucer with pebbles & a little water in the saucer. You'll get a little extra humidity.

7. And Yes that is new growth starting. That's a good sign.

Check out Fred's orchid culture sheets on the forum. I'm sure he has one for cattleyas. Good luck with your orchid. Keep coming back to ask questions. We all do! It's the only way to learn and this is a great forum with friendly and helpful members.

[pikevi]

Welcome to the forum, 82thebar.

I am new to orchids too and hence can't help you. I hope someone will be along soon.

I hope your orchid will recover soon, especially with the new growth that has come out.

[Sharyn]

Just found the threads for using skewers to check for water.
And also, Fred's culture sheet for cattleya.

Skewer use for watering of orchids
Cattleya Culture notes

[prisana]

Hi 82thebar, welcome to the forum ...

I have a few little tips that might help you with your little catt..
-Your pot is a bit too big for this little guy, it's a seedling and it doesn't need a pot that much bigger than the rootball..if you remember the size of pot it came in, you can use the same size pot or one size up, at the most , and that should be good for a couple of years. Big pots will hold more water than the plant can use and the media ends up breaking down much faster,becoming sour.. and that can also lead to root rot. The orchid can also be busy producing roots to fill the pot and forget to produce new growth and flowers.
-You can leave it in the pot it's in now if it's all you have, but if no new roots are growing , you can repot it ( in the same pot ) with most of the pot filled with broken clay pots or packing peanuts so that you're not giving the plant too much room to grow.
-You might have a little bit to wait before it flowers, but that also depends on the hybrid.
-If you don't see any new roots, even if it's been 6 months since you potted it , don't use fertilizer.. but the new growth that's coming out will soon produce new roots and your plant will look much better from there. ( won't be long now )
-while it's recovering don't give it too much water or light, and soon as you see new roots, that's a sign that it's revived..you can proceed with watering and lighting as usual..depending on where you live, water and light requirement might be different than mine..I grow all mine outside, in FL (hot and steamy ) and I water everyday, also depending on the type and size of pot , type of plant, type of the growing medium. But usually 50% shade and wait until the medium almost completely drys out before you water again.

Hope this helps..I'm sure other geeks will be giving you more advice soon, they are very helpful.

[Sharyn]

prisana is right about the fertilizer - hold off until you see new roots and then proceed with weakly weekly applications. Sorry about that, trying to address too many thoughts at once.

By the way, if this is your first catt, when you see new growth, it's usually green or purple/green in color and grows at the base of the last pseudobulb, just as yours is doing. When new roots start growing, they'll appear very white, usually with a little green on the tip.

[82thebar]

Hi Sharyn!

1. I think when I purchased it, it was in a long clear celophane bag with that wire thing holding the sides of the bag open. I thought the wire thing was a trellis so I stuck it in the pot. It could have been in a small pot, I am just not sure. If it was, the pot I have it in now is way bigger.

2. I honestly cant remember how big the roots were. I have never taken it out since potting it six months ago. I purchased the orchid pot the same time I purchased the little cattleya. This pot measures 5" rim to rim. Just guessing here but I think the little cattleya plant was about 2 - 2 1/2" at the longest roots when I got it or maybe a little bigger. I spread them out when I potted it and I also left some of the stuff it was packed in on the roots I think. (I am used to growing things like tomatoes and not having any dirt around the roots concerned me. I think I also washed the new pot as that was in the instructions (though I might not have washed it because it was a new pot). I at least probably rinsed it in the sink (It has been six months and my memory is terrible)

3. The Schultz bark came with those little hunks of charcoal in it and also some stuff that looks like white styrofoam. My Mom and I both thought it was weird that it has charcoal in it but we just followed the instructions on the bag. From your answers, I have not been watering it correctly, I have just been pouring some water over it until I see some in the pots built in saucer and then stopping.

4. Will start this regimen as it seems like it likes fertilizer right now. It really perked up when I gave it the first shot of Miracle Grow (all I had at the time).

5. I am in NW Missouri. I will move it back to the south window as I want it to flower.

6. Okay, I have read other references on here to the saucer trick, do you mean take the whole plant roots and all out of the pot (and bark/charcoal stuff) and put it in a saucer * or * just put the pot with the plant in a saucer so the water evaporates up around the pot?) I will start flushing the pot as I can see some white crystals on some of the leaves.

7. Awsome!

Thanks for your comments and help! I REALLY appreciate it. Have been reading the forums and will check out the other resources you mentioned. My Mom is going to love it when this flowers out (if I can get it to do that). She told me when I brought it home that they were hard to take care of. She has super green thumb but has never done anything with orchids at all. I am really liking this little plant even though it has never done much. I want it to grow some flowers so bad!

Originally Posted by Sharyn

Hi 82thebar. Let me see if I can help you a bit.

1. Not sure what you mean by cattleya bulb or root ball. Did you purchase this in a pot? If so, what size pot was it in?

2. Can't be sure by the picture, but looks like the pot may be a little too big. Orchids like to have their roots snug and somewhat pot bound. When repotting, use just the next size pot, or many times you may reuse the original pot (sterilized). How big were the roots when you repotted?

3. The Schultz bark is fine and it looks like you added a bit of charcoal. Catts like a media that drains well and they like to get slightly dry between waterings. Use the skewer method for testing when to water. Some of your leaves look a little dehydrated.

4. The Schultz fertilizer should be fine. Orchids planted in bark usually require more nitrogen fertilizers, so the Schultz should be fine. Use the fertilizer weakly weekly. (That is, use 1/4-1/2 per gallon if you use it every week.) Flush with plain water about every 4th watering to remove any built up salts in the media.

5. I don't think you're going to get enough light in the basement under lights on a full time basis. You probably won't get it to flower. Your South window (with a sheer curtain) will provide better light. Be careful moving it outdoors. I just did this last week and almost burned mine from the high light. I also live in the Midwest and our temps are not quite ready for housing orchids outdoors on a full time basis. (Also, you should update your profile to include your location - it helps others to give you advice based on your growing region.)

6. When watering your catt: Pour the water through the media a couple times so all the bark gets wet. Or - you can sit your pot in the sink for 10-15 minutes. Drain the pot and place your catt on a saucer with pebbles & a little water in the saucer. You'll get a little extra humidity.

7. And Yes that is new growth starting. That's a good sign.

Check out Fred's orchid culture sheets on the forum. I'm sure he has one for cattleyas. Good luck with your orchid. Keep coming back to ask questions. We all do! It's the only way to learn and this is a great forum with friendly and helpful members.

[82thebar]

Hi again Sharyn and Prisana,

I have the bark and charcoal stuff over the tops of the roots so I really cant see them. Should I take out some pieces until I can see them? I really don't know what a pseudobulb is but I am reading. The new growth I see is in my second picture, it is the little tiny green pointy spike sticking out at the very base of the plant.

Edited to add one more question, should I be misting this and how often? Should I spray mist on the bark, roots, or the plant leaves or all of the above. I agree that the plant looks dehydrated. I just don't know how to give it what it wants. If anyone has any ideas on a watering/fertilizing schedule for this based on my pictures then I would like to try it. Also, if you guys think it would be best to just repot it at this point with the roots more on top, I could do that. Will post pictures of my results too. If it dies, I will get her another one and try again!

Thanks again!!!

Originally Posted by Sharyn

prisana is right about the fertilizer - hold off until you see new roots and then proceed with weakly weekly applications. Sorry about that, trying to address too many thoughts at once.

By the way, if this is your first catt, when you see new growth, it's usually green or purple/green in color and grows at the base of the last pseudobulb, just as yours is doing. When new roots start growing, they'll appear very white, usually with a little green on the tip.

[Sharyn]

ok, I understand what you bought in the bag. Prisana & I both agree that the pot is much too big. Follow Prisana's instructions to repot. If you use the same pot, sterilize it first with 1 part bleach & 9 parts water. Then, you'll have to fill up that big pot with a lot of styrofoam peanuts (like you get in shipments) or broken clay pot pieces. (Be sure you use non-degradable peanuts.) Personally, unless you're unduly attached to that 5 inch pot, I'd use a much smaller pot, say 3". I know that sounds pretty small, but it should be fine. You can plant it in a plastic pot and then place it inside another decorative pot, if you wish.

The Schultz bark is usually about a medium size. The white stuff in there is perlite. For the size plant you have, I’d use a smaller bark. I know it sounds crazy, but you can use what you have, take a pair of sterilized scissors or snipers and cut the bark to a smaller size. My little catt would never survive in that larger size bark. It may also be part of the reason for your dehydration of the leaves - too large a pot and too large of potting media. You can mix what you have and add some pieces that are cut smaller. Others may disagree, but I find the little ones stay in their pots and do better with the smaller bark or seedling mix until they get bigger.

If you're going to repot, be sure to soak the bark for 24-48 hours.

My reference to the saucer was strictly for adding humidity for your orchids. I meant to water your plant in the pot, make sure it drains well, and then place it on a saucer filled with pebbles.. Make sure when you add water to the saucer, that it’s just enough to almost reach the top of the rocks. You don’t want your orchid sitting in water.

The following link will show you what new growth & new roots look like. Just beneath the purple/green growth on the left side, you'll see two little green dots - those are new roots starting. Hope this helps. I'm certainly no expert, but I had many of the same questions when I first started.

[Aniko]

I use Schultz mix for some of mine plants, it works well, but your Catt seem to be young for such a big chunks, it would be a good idea to sort out the big pieces when you repot.

Timing is very important, the best time is when the new growth start sending out roots. Otherwise disturbing the roots is dangerous, can easily kill the plant or at least set it back for months. Adding Superthrive in "diet" can help in rooting and for recovery.
We all agree that the pot is huge for this plant which looks dehydrated, soaking from time to time might help a bit, until you can repot it in proper sized pot and mix.
Good luck

[fred]

82thebar

welcome to the forum.

I hope that you enjoy your stay here with all of us orchidgeeks

happy chatting

[prisana]

Sorry to bombard you with all the info, but once you read up on general care of Catt, it will be a lot easier to take care of it. A sick plant, however needs a type of care that's a bit different from the healthy one. You've read about that here. Starting out growing a sick orchid is no easy matter, but on the other hand, it might ready you for whatever the challange you may face later . Orchids are not hard to grow at all , they just need to be understood and then from there it's almost a piece of cake. So don't give up just yet, even if it seems to be going nowhere..the recovering process could take a while.
While you wait, why not get a healthy orchid plant to take care of so you don't get too frustrated waiting for a possitive outcome of the sick one that might not come soon enough..just to pamper your spirit up a bit--heh?

[82thebar]

Haha Prisana, how did you know I was about to buy another Orchid, I went looking for a smaller pot yesterday they didn't have any 3" pots (of any kind) where I went yesterday so I am going to Lowes. I ended up looking at other Orchid plants too and was thinking of getting another one. Didn't see any that I really liked but I am sure I will find another. Some of the ones they had were blooming but looked sicker than mine! The ones they had where I went were Phalaenopsis and buried in soaking wet sawdust stuff. I also have been looking on Ebay. I am sort of stuck on the ones that look like corsages like your avatar and I guess these are all Cattleyas that look like this. Some of the others are pretty cool too but that is the kind I like the most. I have been reading a lot about these lately and I think my main problem was that I thought they actually needed to grow down into the medium but have finally got it through my head that they are air loving plants and only need the medium to hold them and provide some extra water and should be mostly planted on top of it. I am sure mine has some rotten roots because I buried it so deep. One article I read even described the wrinkled/shriveled up leaves as a symptom of rotten roots. I was also looking at the rest of my bag of Schultz potting media this morning and I think it has WAY too much charcoal in it. I think they screwed up when they mixed it up or something. I noticed on my plant that there are little hunks of charcoal embedded in the roots so that can't be good. I think it was trying to eat them so I have officially named it Audrey. Anyways, I am going to try and save this one and find a blooming Cattleya for my Mom and maybe one for me too. I don't mind waiting for this one to recover and I really like the slow growing aspect of the Orchid. It is pretty neat to keep something alive for two or three years and then have it grow a cool flower.

On a side note, one of her Amaryllis plants made a seed pod this year so I am going to try to grow some Amaryllis plants from seed too. I love growing things from seed. Did a Wave Petunia basket from seed for my mom this year and it is doing good and the sprouts are about 4". Also have several other sproutlings from the seed I got from Ebay planted in 3" peat pots that will go in other baskets after they get bigger. I also grew some cherry tomato plants from seed for her garden. We are letting the Amaryllis seed pod dry out right now. I am pretty excited about trying to grow them from seed. To me it is neat how they take such a long time to make a flower (just like Orchids). Watching a seed grow is to witness one of Gods miracles! That little tiny thing coming alive and making a living plant from nothing but dirt, water and air is amazing to me! Now that I am getting little bit of a clue, Orchids are even cooler in the way they grow.

[palito]

Hi 82bar

the shultz mix isn't that important. The real key thing is light. Did you move the plant out of the basement? Cattleyas require a lot of light to be able to bloom ( as long as you don't burn them)

[prisana]

hi 82thebar,
Most places only carry 4" ,6"and 8" orchid pots. The 4" pot should be fine if you can get it. The charcoal embeded in roots isn't bad ( and it's certainly not hungry ) Charcoal has a property to absorb nasty stuff and it's actually very good for the orchids. I use crushed up (powder) charcoal to seal the wound of some of my orchids. Cinnamon is also good for that. The sawdust you saw was probably sphagnum moss, ( they are much more widly used than sawdust ) The avatar flower is a Cymbidium, not an easy orchid to flower in the heated Florida.
Looks like you are more of a greenthumb than I am..I couldn't grow weeds before I was introduced to orchids ! I got ( rent ) my first orchid books from the library and learned a lot of basic stuff from them..see if you can find some in your area. Now all you need is another orchid ( just one more of many to come ) . We're all here if you should need any help..good luck.

[Aniko]

"little hunks of charcoal embedded in the roots so that can't be good "-
it means that the root has a good contact with the medium in order to absorb water - so it's definitely good.(The charcoal is absorbent, can store some water and feed the roots.)

[sandra]

In short, cattleyas do best in pots providing little room. They need tight growing envirornments. They thrive in temperatures higher than most orchids and need to be thoroughly dried out between waterings. If you can create an environment similar to this for them along with all this excellent advise shared, you'll be rewarded with good results.