Wacky growths

[BGGraham1]

Good Morning, all! I have a question about sideways growing p'bulbs today. These little buggers are taking up more than their fair share of space, so I was wondering: what can I do about it? I thought about trying to stake them, but they seem pretty set in their ways. Any suggestions / advice?

[Dendian]

Who? What? Species even? Pictures maybe?

I have a stubborn Catt growing sideways over a pot - same problem - how to repot with a 45 degree angle... and I have no clue how to "solve" your question....

[hera]

Depends on how big it is. If it's overgrown, you could prune it down a few bulbs. Take a picture so we can advise.

[Forever-mango]

For dendrobiums I usually use a hard plastic tag (orchid tag) and put it against the pot right next to the new cane what grows. It then natually pushes the cane upwards. Make sure the tag is hard enough, or it wont work. I have tried this mainly on Australian Dendrobiums. If I get canes that comes out side ways, i usually remove those canes with rooms and replant them in other pots. Or worse case just remove them and throw them.

[BGGraham1]

Ugh, I'm a bonehead. Here's the pic I i tended to include. Sorry.
Its a Blc. George King 'Serendipity'. There are a couple more Blc, Lc, Catts like this.


They are all seedlings, by the way.

[Daethen]

Really good question!! I have an onc. that is doing this and it is the largest and very healthy pbulb that is being a hog.

[phalaephila]

Would this be due to the direction of light the plant is receiving? This happens to me quite a bit because I am a windowsill grower; if there were lights overhead, the pseudobulb would probably want to grow up instead of sideways.

[BGGraham1]

I'm not sure what the sun orientation was in relation to any of the Catts. I just received them a couple weeks ago. What I could try is positioning them with the sideways growths away from the sun to see if they will right themselves. That is, if its not too late to make a difference.

[orchidaddict789]

My catts do that all the time, and I grow on windowsills too. One of my catts actually had a downward growth! I noticed that when the growths are young, they are very flexible and pliable, so I stick bamboo stakes into the potting mix, and tie the growths to the stakes. There are also circular plant wires that can be tied around the entire plant to keep them neat and tidy.

I have two catts like that and they are both having sheaths that are sideways...I must train it on a stick to right itself or the flowers will be too heavy for them blooming sideways...

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by orchidaddict789

My catts do that all the time, and I grow on windowsills too. One of my catts actually had a downward growth! I noticed that when the growths are young, they are very flexible and pliable, so I stick bamboo stakes into the potting mix, and tie the growths to the stakes. There are also circular plant wires that can be tied around the entire plant to keep them neat and tidy.

Would that be kind of like a tomato cage, or just a single ring? I will try to find that online.

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by Anky

I have two catts like that and they are both having sheaths that are sideways...I must train it on a stick to right itself or the flowers will be too heavy for them blooming sideways...

Do you have a photo that shows how you are doing that, Anky? I could use some inspiration.

[11Orchid126]

Your plant is potted to the side of the pot with the new growth pushed against the rim with no where to go and the old growth with all the growing room. Perhaps if you repotted with the old growth planted against the opposite side of the pot and the growing tip of the rhyzome with the growing room then you may be able to retrain the bulb as others have mentioned above, or the next bulb may straighten out.

[Dendian]

Aaah, much better - now I know who, what..

I had a few plants that the pbulbs grew like that - and it was because they were growing towards the light they could receive (blocked by another plant). I was able to partially correct them by repotting at a slightly different angle (sideways growth more upright - upright growths more sideways) and then putting a big stake in the middle and tying everybody up with that stretchy green plant stuff. I kept adjusting the tension, and letting it grow - and after awhile they were straighter. Not straight - but straighter. I found if I tried to push it up - it usually crunched the bottom but when I just put tension on it - it allowed it to correct itself.

[dounoharm]

pruning is my solution....at the proper time to repot, i prune off the first 4 psuedobulbs and make a new planting...always start with the cut edge against the side of the pot, and placing the cutting at the correct angle to make the next growth come straight up...works like a charm....and the back bulbs grown new plants for you too....usually straight....gl

[Phalkiller]

Hey everyone!

I grow my chids out doors thus i have not experienced this phenomenon but if the psbulb were growing over the edge trying to get more sun, could you spin the pot in the opposite direction and see if it would straighten itself to try get at the brightest light?

[kmarch]

I disagree with dounoharm. I'd never cut off a good healthy growth. It only reduces the plant's ability to generate and store energy/nutrients for itself. I have had a few cattleyas that did this, I have one now that's like this. I think light is a factor. When I give my cattleyas enough light I don't' see as much of this.

[dounoharm]

well, i must admit, i would never do that to a small plant....which is why i said trim off 4 (or more) psuedobulbs to straighten up a plant....most times such a mis-shapen plant is severly overgrown in the pot....which necessitates pruning.....you have to have a large plant to do any such pruning....

[BGGraham1]

Thanks for all of the input. Since they have only been in my possession for a couple of weeks, maybe they were in a situation where that is how they grew. I will do my best to provide optimal conditions, and maybe they will correct a little.

[orchidaddict789]

Originally Posted by BGGraham1

Would that be kind of like a tomato cage, or just a single ring? I will try to find that online.

The ones I've seen are just single rings, like these:

orchid wire ring stake - Google Search

Or you can just use wire to make your own rings.

[bearded orchid]

I have two Catts that had this problem. I just took a couple wire coat hangers and cut/bent them into a clip-on ring support. You can also order them if you don't feel like messing with making one: Charley's Greenhouse & Garden 6 inch Clip-On Rings 10 per pak

[plucker]

I find this happens a bit with cats. Since I hang all my pots, I tie the new growths in to the hanger. This helps guide them the right way.
If it is older psudobulbs from a plant that you have purchased, then you can train it in similar way, but only do it a little at a time or the psudobulb will crease, and die.
Generally I train the new and forget the old.