Cattleya cutting

[Aleksa]

Here is the cutting I got today. It have roots and one new bulb growing from the base. Is it able to make her survive? I put a bag on her to increase humidity!

[Aleksa]

Here is potted and anchored with wire!

[kmarch]

Aleska,

It looks like you're doing all the right things with this little cutting. If you continue with good Cattleya culture and are patient while the plant gets back to blooming size, it should eventually bloom for you.

It is usually recommended that divisions be no less than 3 mature pseudobulbs. This is because the new growths draw on the stored energy of the older growths until they have roots of their own from which to draw nutrients. Because your division is only one back growth, the new shoot, although strong and healthy will probbly not grow to its full size. Further more, it may take 2 or 3 more growth cycles before the plant has regained enough strength to bloom.

Happy Growing!

[Aleksa]

Thanks! At the moment, bloom is not very important to me... I just want to be sure that this will survive!

[fred]

have you thought of putting the Catt into sphagnum moss ?

I think that would give the growth the best chance of growing

what do other members think of this ?

[tom499]

I would second the spag moss for seedlings or small cutting, keikeis and the like.

moss gives more water to the few roots that are there, so the plant is less likely to dry out. i have a den keikei in moss atm, its growing loads of new roots.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The reason for the moss is that it makes better contact to the tiny bit of root, and will give the plant a chance to taken in moisture at a higher rate. An alternative to moss, or something to use with moss too, is to raise the humidity for the plant so it won't have to take in moisture so fast. Cover the plant with a clear plastic baggy until it has a few more roots. However, leave the bottom of the baggy loose so that their will be some air exchange and the humidity won't be a full 100% as this may prevent some problems. When it is time to remove the baggy, you can leave a bigger openning for a week or two to acclimate your plant to lower humidity.

[Vivienne]

just repotted my Mtssa. CM Fitch and while cleaning out the old media a set of teeny tiny pups fell away. They appear to be older but undeveloped... if that makes sense. The 'pup' set was on the opposite side of all the new growths. I potted that up in a little 2" pot with 3 chunks of fir bark in the bottom and sphag moss wrapped around the roots and stuffed in for snugness. Will see what happens.

[Aleksa]

Unfortunately, I can't find Sphag here in Montenegro, but I've already done as Cynthia said, put a bag on the cutting. I tied the bag on the bottom so the humidity will be 100 %, every day I remove on a few minutes to let the fresh air come in!

[jerrymeola]

Cattleya can do quite well with minimal water.

I had a bulb break off a plant my first commercial shipment with no roots. I threw it aside but before it went into the garbage it sprouted a root smaller than yours. I left it bare and tied it to a mount. Two and a half years later it still has only a few roots but three new bulbs.

Growing a cutting this small is much slower than growing a young seeding to blooming size.

[kmarch]

I'd forgot about the sphag and bag, must hve been in too much of a haste. I typically think of sphag and bag for rootless plants and since this had some roots...

I did once have a very small weak piece of Bl. Maikai 'Mayumi' that I potted (not sphag and bag) and it grew insanely fast, branched and after about 5 years I had about a 15-20 growth plant. I think it was two growths though and did have more roots however.

I think probably either would be ok for a Cattleya-type.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Aleksa, sphag & bag is for plants with no roots. Your plant has a root, so you really don't want 100% humidity. If you use 100% humidity, the plant gets very tender, and will have possible problems acclimating to more normal humidity. Any thing that has some root, no matter how small gets less than 100% humidity in my growing area. I really think you need to open the bottom of the bag.

[Aleksa]

Well, things are like this now:

Yesterday I opened bag to check the roots! And some of them were rot! Water couldn't evaporate normally and humidity satyed high so they roted! BUT! New grpwth has grown up. Not much but it did! I have putted my cutting in a fish bowl with a water on the bottom. Plant do not touches the water. Top of the bowl is opened so the air can move. I'll wait for the plant to make more roots and then i will pot it! Here is the pic. In a bowl there is also a Dendrobium.

Problem is that plant cannot stay in a pot because it have no roots to hold her stabile.

Suggestions? Critiques?

I know I know It's my fault! But I'm still believing that this little thing will survive!

[elitebettas]

Unbelievable, lol-that is a very clever way to get them to sprout roots

[Aleksa]

Well, dunno, thanks!! I-m more interested to know is it possible?

[snowballsarebad]

Aleksa,
As that new growth matures, it will start to put out more roots. Then you shouldn't have to worry about it so much, and you can put it in a pot! I don't see a problem with your fishbowl method, though I might dunk the bottom of the plant in some water every other day or so in case new roots are starting, to give them a bit more water.

[Aleksa]

Yes, I understand that, just, that new growth need water to become mature, and water is taken by the roots, and this thing does nt have roots!

And, there is another problem, If i pot her deep in pot then it will be stabile but than this whole new growth is under soil which is not good! I thought to tie some moss on that lower part to encourage root growth!

[jerrymeola]

You can keep a young plant upright by taping a flower stake to the outside of the pot and attach the plant to the stake.

With small roots like this I would place the plant on the top of the pot not in the medium. Let the roots just touch the medium and they will start to grow into the pot without the danger of rot.

I do it often.

[Aleksa]

Thank you very much!

[Ellen]

What Jerry says. You can also just put the division in a small clay pot with no medium and mist it once in a while until it sprouts roots. I know this may sound frightening, but it works. My opinion is that techniques like baggies, terrariums and fishbowls just ask for rot. Catts need plenty of air circulation.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Well, I think the bottom line is really, what is your ambient humidity like? If you have the kind of humidity that they have in Florida, just potting up and misting often will probably work. If you live in a humidity challanged area, you really need the baggy in some form. I can assure all of you that orchids don't rot in sphag & bag, unless they enter the bag with a start of rot in them. I have atleast a couple of hundred sphag & bag expereiences under my belt, so I can say this with some authority. Many of my bagged plants were in the bag for many months. The only down side is coming out of the bag, not staying in the bag. If they have been in the bag long enough, they are sensitive to fungal attack, much like seedlings. I think it is the drop in humidity when removed from the bag that sort of stresses them if they have been in a long time.

[Aleksa]

Originally Posted by Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

Well, I think the bottom line is really, what is your ambient humidity like? If you have the kind of humidity that they have in Florida, just potting up and misting often will probably work. If you live in a humidity challanged area, you really need the baggy in some form. I can assure all of you that orchids don't rot in sphag & bag, unless they enter the bag with a start of rot in them. I have atleast a couple of hundred sphag & bag expereiences under my belt, so I can say this with some authority. Many of my bagged plants were in the bag for many months. The only down side is coming out of the bag, not staying in the bag. If they have been in the bag long enough, they are sensitive to fungal attack, much like seedlings. I think it is the drop in humidity when removed from the bag that sort of stresses them if they have been in a long time.

Humidity on my balcony is about 60-70%!

[Aleksa]

I DID IT! New growth have started to make roots! WOOHOO! I have a Cattleya now!

[Aleksa]

But the leaf on the adult bulb have softened which I consider somewhat normal...

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

In order to continue growth on the newest growth without a healthy root system to take in nurishment, the plant will have to remove material from other parts of the plant, and it looks like it may be the leaf, so don't be surprised if the leaf eventually turns completely yellow and falls off. Just don't remove it prematurely, as the plant needs these reserves.

[Aleksa]

Yes, I thought so. Orchids are really amazing plants!

On Dendrobium cutting also some leaves have wrinkled, but I think that It will make new roots soon, because also, one other dend cutting, much smaller than that, have made roots and one new shot!