Propogating back bulbs?

[tansyflower]

I recently (following instructions in an old gardening book) was able to propogate some cymbidium back bulbs, when dividing a heap of overgrown plants I rescued. The success rate wasn't great as I put them too far down in the potting mix and some rotted. Funnily enough, my two year old was "helping" and sort of half pulled some out, and they are probably the ones that survived and flourished.

However, I don't have that much interest in cymbidiums, as they are hard to get to flower in Queensland. Has anyone had any luck with propogating cattleya backbulbs, as the book also says that they can be propogated?

[lmartiny]

I can't help tansyflower but look forward to some input on this.

[tansyflower]

Thought I'd include a pic of the largest backbulb sprout, just out of interest. The other ones that sprouted are smaller.

[solay]

No advice on the Catt. back bulbs but the Cyms. will rot if kept too moist and too deep in the medium. Some people will leave them out and wait for the new growth before potting. I pot them all up and hope for the best.

[kmarch]

Yes the same or similar can be done with Cattleyas. Just take a 2-3 pseudobulb division off the back of the plant. I don't recommend taking a one-pseudobulb division like we do with Cymbids though. It sets the plant too far back.

[tansyflower]

Have you tried this?

Also do you need to remove the plant from the pot or can you sever the stalky thing between the bulbs, so you don't disturb it too much. Then if it sprouts, you either have another new lead, or you can remove it and have a seperate plant?

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by tansyflower

Have you tried this?

Yes I have had new Cattleyas grown from back divisions, but I dont' usually do this because I like the plants to grow big thus producing more leads and more flowers.

Originally Posted by tansyflower

Also do you need to remove the plant from the pot or can you sever the stalky thing between the bulbs, so you don't disturb it too much. Then if it sprouts, you either have another new lead, or you can remove it and have a seperate plant?

The "stalky thing" between the pseudobulbs is called a "rhizome." Dividing is best done when you repot, then you can see which pseudobulbs have viable roots, make the cuts and pot up the plants separately.

[Brooke]

Yes you can severe the rhizome and create a new plant (usually) from the old pbulbs if you have dormant eyes available on them.

I did this on a Catt. I needed to repot but it was the wrong time so I experimented with the technique. Once the new growth appeared I could pop the new growth out of the pot.

Brooke

[tansyflower]

Is there a best time of year to do this-sever the rhizome? I'm in Australia, so the seasons are reversed to the northern hemisphere.

[rodcuda]

You will get the best growth in the spring when the plants are in more active growth. If you are going to repot the backbulbs after they start new growth it is best to do it as they are just starting new roots. I have also found that using a liquid root stimulator or Superthrive seems to help. I you can safely take a division off of a plant without removing the whole plant from the pot, the back bulb will be much more successful. But you should be sure you do not sacrifice your new division to do this.

[LouisW]

The Rhizome is the Important part of a division. Roots and new growth arise from the rhizome. If you cut a bulb off the rhizome and plant it, it has no way to grow and will die. Take this into consideration when doing almost any orchid division.

[Brooke]

My Catts start new growth from the dormant eyes at the base of the pbulb. The eyes start to swell and elongate and then grow roots.

I've also taken old cut off pbulbs, place them in a pot in Prime Agra, whisper the word water to them on occasion and gotten new growth from the REALLY dormant eyes. There are secondary, really deep dormant eyes that sometimes can be initiated to sprout - sometimes - not always but always fun to try.

After I'm successful I wonder why I did it since it will be years before they are big enough to bloom The only answer I can give is - just to see

Brooke

[kid a]

Originally Posted by kmarch

Yes the same or similar can be done with Cattleyas. Just take a 2-3 pseudobulb division off the back of the plant. I don't recommend taking a one-pseudobulb division like we do with Cymbids though. It sets the plant too far back.

With catt's too! I might take a small chunk off mine and see if someone else can get it to bloom lol. I know Soaly does that with her old cym backbulbs. She live in California a bit different waether though.

[digitalgate]

this was a back bulb cutting. then it decided to bloom in 3 months. Weird stuff

[kid a]

Droooling... So Pretty.... is it a species what the name?! I love it

[digitalgate]

it is a local cymbidium. They grow quite large.

[kid a]

Wow! I would love to be able to a local orchid here! I have yet find one I realized was an orchid when I saw it.

[solay]

That's a very pretty Cym. The plant grows large but the flowers are small? It's still beautiful.

I have to agree on the backbulb propagation being very slow. I have yet to get blooms from the backbulbs I started 2 or 3 years ago. Better to make a division and leave the backbulbs on if possible. Of course sometimes you just can't avoid getting lose backbulbs. Some will just toss them out. I just hate throwing them out so I pot them up and wonder where the heck I'm going to put them all for the next several years.

[tansyflower]

Thanks for the pic, Digitalgate, thats a beautiful orchid. And it flowered only three months after you divided it? Wow!

I think I will leave the decision about Cattleya backbulbs until spring (ages away here).

Has anyone tried any other types of orchids- oncidiums maybe?

[digitalgate]

Originally Posted by solay

That's a very pretty Cym. The plant grows large but the flowers are small? It's still beautiful.

the adult plant ,

[digitalgate]

since you ask
Aranda


Dendrobium, over grown back bulb Dendrobium

Vanda

Brassvola

Ondidium

Catt, 1 month old cutting , going to bloom next week

[tansyflower]

Wow, great pics Digitalgate.

I am really interested in how people get new plants from old ones.

The last one of the Cattleya (Catt, 1 month old cutting , going to bloom next week), is it a very quick growing one?

[digitalgate]

eh, i just showed you. All those pictures are some back bulb giving new leads and grow into new plant. The last one however are new leads. So i cut 4 bulb a along the rhizome tie it up and wait for a while the plant grows.It is that simple nonthing magical about it

It is a hybrid ,very free flowering thus seem fast in growing.

[benetay]

I'm wondering are bulbos easy to propagate from back bulbs? e.g. bulbo barbigerum?

Cheers!

[LouisW]

Bulbos should be no problem, just make sure you have about three or four old bulbs in your cutting for fastest comeback. Not sure about your specific bulbo but i have a division of B. medusae.

[benetay]

Thanks LouisW, i think i manage to have a few bulbos back bulbs that survive, just wondering for the particular species.

I have a bulbo frostii that has 4 bulbs 3 of which are leafless and 2 of them are brown and shriveled. Hope it can make a recovery! The 1 remaining bulb that has a leaf, has not shown root growth for months!

Cheers!

[digitalgate]

Originally Posted by benetay

I'm wondering are bulbos easy to propagate from back bulbs? e.g. bulbo barbigerum?

Cheers!

I was afraid you are going to ask. You can mount this anywhere you want.

[benetay]

I think some easier growing bulbos are really hardy and grow quite well with back bulbs. I'm still suffering with bulbo. frostii. Doesn't seem to do anything for months already.

Cheers!

[FLBob]

I'm a saver, I try and keep everything going. When ever I repot one of my catt there is always a back piece that gets cut off the main plant. I know that I should just toss it out, but if I see an eye on one the the psudobulbs I try to get it to continue live.

I mount the back bulb on a piece of bark or tree fern and try to keep it hydrated.
Here's some examples of what happens

On this one I've gotten 3 new bulb grows happening



This one has one new bulb and if you look to the left you'll see a plump root growing alongside the old dryed out ones. I attached this bulb using gorilla glue


This one I had a three bulbs and rooted quickly, it just started pushing out a new psudobulb. You have to look closely but it's there

[benetay]

Ah! I see all of them! Great growing, now i can be sure to save all those bulbs when i repot or re-mount.

Cheers!

[solay]

Great pics. everyone. It's amazing what something that looks dead will do after a little TLC. Thanks.

[trinigirl]

I love the idea of getting more plants from backbulbs. I have some sinle bulbs that have started new growth, but I am going to have to try multiple bulbs, which will hopefully have better growth.

[Danelady]

I just divided and repotted my first cym. It was crowded in the pot w/a few old psuedobulbs. I took 3 of the old bulbs, put them in a shallow layer of lightly misted spag.
Should I keep the container somewhat covered to keep in the humidity or leave it uncovered for air flow?

[tansyflower]

I left mine uncovered, but where I live it is pretty warm- and I did mine over summer.

The main problem is rotting. I put my first lot too far down in the mix and some rotted.

Good luck!

[Danelady]

Thanks.
I may uncover them if it looks like they're too moist. It's clear wrap w/holes in it. I was worried about keeping the humidity up. What I had read about this procedure said keep them at 70-80% humidity.

[tansyflower]

I subjected mine to a fair bit of abuse and neglect and 3 still sprouted!! (I actually stuck them over the back of a heap of pots I had cuttings and such in- and forgot about them and they were sitting in water for ages)

And out of the ten or so I put in there is a couple I still have out there that may still sprout (apparently some can take up to a year- if you have the patience).

I just potted up 3 bulbs of a local growing cym to see if they sprout, as I would like to stick them all over a tree out the front.