Cattleya Root Grow

[Summerglow]

Hello,
I have a pot of cattleya which was repotted 6 months ago (after it bloomed last christmas). I did my very best everyday taking care of the repots, but none of the plants grow new roots. The old leaves are still green and stay the same condition as six months before.

What could go wrong? Has anyone experience this problem before?

Thank you.

[Vivienne]

My initial question back to you, summerglow, is the amount of light your cattleya are receiving. I am really new to cattleya however, new growth has not been an issue thus far.

Anyone else?

[Orchid664]

Generally, you should wait to repot Cattleyas (unless there is a severe problem with the plant or medium) until the newest growth has some roots, then you know that the plant is making rooting hormones. Since it sounds like your plant is doing OK, you need to be patient and wait for it to make a new growth, then you should start seeing root production.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Thanks 664, exactly what I was going to say. For Catts, rooting is often very seasonal. If the leaves and pseudobulbs are not shriveling excessively, then the roots left after the repot are doing an adequate job and no need to worry. If you are seeing unusual shriveling, you could do something to raise the local humidity like use a baggy over the plant. BUT, since you are in Singapore, I am sure the humidity is already more than high enough. I think patience is all that is needed.

[Summerglow]

Hi Cynthia,
Yeah, the humidity is quite high and I believed there are plenty of lights in my place. The plants are green, but no signs of new root grow... Kinda weird...

[Maxxreps]

Hey Summerglow!

Another issue to consider is the dry rest period post flowering. Many catts are from areas of the world that experience a very dry season and they time reproduction accordingly. I make a point to set the just flowered catts in an area where they are not watered much for about a month, then place them back with their friends and roots start like gangbusters. Only then do I consider repotting.

Hope this helps!

Mike in Charleston

How big is the pot you put the plant into? The pot should be just big enough to accommodate the roots and a tiny bit more for growth. Any bigger and the plant won't be happy. Orchids like snug shoes.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Has the plant produced a new growth in the last 12 months? This is the only question I would have. When rooting starts relative to new growth can be anytime, when the new growth is a couple of inches long or not until the new growth has matured and bloom, in other words, just before starting another new growth. And each of these types of rooting times will be perfectly normal for that particular plant. If you have had the plant less than a year, you will have to wait a full year to find out how this particular plant arranges its schedule.

[Summerglow]

Hi Mike, Cynthia,
The re-potted had some new grown roots on the first few weeks of the repot. For some reasons, they stopped after that and no new growth on the plants. Is this normal?

Cynthia, What is the typical growth cycle of Cattleya?

[Maxxreps]

Summerglow,

I find some of my catts doing the same thing. It freaked me out at first but after a while I've just come to view it like a decidious tree loosing it's leaves (just a seasonal thing). I think they are thinking, "OK, it's the dry season now... let's wait til the rain comes"

The pseudobulbs are great energy reserves as they store lots of moisture in the wet season to get the plant through the dry periods. I have forced catts out of this dry dormant period, but then they don't bloom (or at least not as well).

I would set that plant aside and only splash it a couple of times for the next month... when you see green tips on the roots place it back in the general population for regular watering

Hope this helps!

Mike in Charleston

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The pattern for most Catts is one new growth per year on the previous years growth. Sometimes an older growth will produce a new growth, and sometimes the most recent growth will producce 2 growths at one time. This is pretty common for most Catt species, and most Hybrids that have mostly standard Catts in them, not SLCs and the like. The time of year the growth starts is all over the Callendar, depending on the herritage of any particular plant.

However, there is no standard when it comes to rooting. The time of rooting relative to the start of the new growth can be anything, for any given plant, from a couple of weeks from the start of a new growth, to a year later. So I can't help you with the pattern for rooting. I was just telling Maxxrep that I have a C. maxima backbulb in sphag & bag that has a 4" new growth, but no roots yet. Maxima may be one of the very late rooters, and the plant may need to stay in the bag for many more months to come.

[Summerglow]

I see... thanks for the advise

[jerrymeola]

Also remember that each species or hybrid has its own genetic characteristics.

One of my aggressive growing Catleya is Little Stars x Maikai.



I have one that is growing 7 yes seven new pseudobulbs at one time (a 2 inch pot repotted to 4 inches in the fall.) and I have another that looks like yours doing nothing yet. With patience it will start again. Be careful not to over water when it is at this stage

[jerrymeola]

A couple of things I forget to mention.

Light has nothing to do with roots or leaf growth (unless it horribly bad) you will get more root growth in low light just less flowers.

I re-pot Cattleya year round. As with all commercial growers I can not
re-pot thousands of plants in the same month. Sometimes the plant just stops growing for a while.

[Summerglow]

Hi Jerrymeola,
WOW! Nice plant you got there... How often does it bloom?

Regards,
Summerglow