3:30 am... why not post a few pics?

[slippery_biscuit]

I was about to write and ask why a couple of my plants have been sitting seemingly dormant for most of this year. (As I had recently asked about a big paph). Apparently, as is common with the human species, they respond to threats.


You can see two new growths at the bottom of this B. digbyana 'Mrs Chase'. Or is that Rhycholaelia digbyanan? I can see the similarities with the following laelia with regard to plant structure.


New growth on this Laelia purpurata var. werkhauseri.

Further question with the laelia is that after this new shoot does its thing (hopefully show some color), what about splitting the plant? Say four of the newer bulbs and balance of the older ones as a second plant? Would the older bulbs be stimulated to produce new growth?

And now it's time for a big, fat latte.
cheers, jeff

[fred]

can I ask you the question why would you want to split the Laelia ?

I would not split the plant in the pic

[digitalgate]

split. You are too tired. Go to sleep

[slippery_biscuit]

Hi Fred. Well, still on the learning curve, my line of thought is that the newer half of this plant would press on with not much of a set back and the older section might yield a nice second plant, after some time. Hmmm, this answer is sort of morphing into another question... what about pot size with this type of plant growth? Bumping up size to accomodate the older backbulbs? Perhaps too soon to dividethis one ...?

[fred]

yes it is too soon to divide this plant
the plant looks well enough in that pot its in now.
the medium looks good I would leave that in there for at least another 12 months
you can how ever go to the next size pot up if you wish but I think it looks fine.

[pikevi]

I think fred's question is appropriate digitalgate. slippery_biscuit was asking about splitting

[Orchidflowerchild]

If you would like the plant to fill out the pot a little more, you can knick the rhizome about halfway through four or five bulbs back. THe plant's response to damaged rhizome will sometimes be to break an eye or two behind the damage. Meanwhile, I find that Cattleya types bloom best when the new growth is over the edge of the pot (e.g. they are quite crowded).

Also, I have an abject bias toward larger plants.

-Cj

[jay]

Orchidflowerchild, What do you mean

'you can knick the rhizome about halfway through four or five bulbs back. THe plant's response to damaged rhizome will sometimes be to break an eye or two behind the damage.'

Do you actually mean cut it with a blade?

Jay

[Orchidflowerchild]

Originally Posted by jay

Orchidflowerchild, What do you mean

'you can knick the rhizome about halfway through four or five bulbs back. THe plant's response to damaged rhizome will sometimes be to break an eye or two behind the damage.'

Do you actually mean cut it with a blade?

Jay

Yeah, just take a notch out of the top of the rhizome between a couple of bulbs. I use a clean, fresh razor, cut just a wedge out of the top of the rhizome, dust with cinnamon, keep it dry for a day or two, and sometimes, the back eyes will break. I did that with my Hadrolaelia perrinii that is growing down the side of the pot. The older bulbs in the pot just marched right across in a straight line. Now it has two new growths popping out back there, and the four new front growths are chugging right along.

-Cj

[jay]

Orchidflowerchild,

I am interested in this. I have a noid catt that has two active growths right now and 4 previous. This particular catt was a $5 rescue from Lowe's and is now in S/H and doing great.

Is there a better time of the year to do this?
Are there any cons or problems that could occur by doing this?
It is a little difficult to let it dry out in this culture, is that absolutely needed?

Sorry for all the questions, I just have not heard of this before.


Jay

[slippery_biscuit]

I haven't heard of this either. Cj, have you done this more than the one time mentioned? Did you have a reference for this action, or were you "thinking outside the box"?
j

[Orchidflowerchild]

I have no idea where the idea came from...someone suggested it, I think. Actually, the recommendation was to do so before dividing, so each division had active growths, when you are ready to make them. I've done it plenty of times, yes.

As for the dryness, I have just always made sure that the wound was able to dry out entirely, before getting any water on it.

-Cj

[WIB]

Your Rhyncholaelia looks great. Mine suffered in a pot but is now thriving in a small basket with some charcoal and sphagnum in it. I thought the thing was going to die and was on the verge of giving it extreme unction and a short trip to the compost pile, when I transferred it to a basket as a last-ditch effort to resuscitate it. Perhaps my single best rescue. -- Bill

[kmarch]

Let me share a little story from my earliest days of orchid growing:

I was once an out of control, enthusiastic newbie, I wanted to try everything there was to try, I wanted to know why my orchid hadn't grown this month and should I repot it or should I mount it or should I change it's fertilizer, would dividing spur more growth, etc., etc and I wanted to do it all and know it all right now. Every few months I was wondering if I should change something or wonder if what I was doing was havign an effect or not. i didn't have very many orchids at that time, maybe 12-15 or so.

A gentle but firm and very experienced fellow orchid society member finally essentially said to me (I'm paraphrasing a bit here), "Just stop messing with your orchid, leave them alone and let them do what they do. Watch them and see what they do, learn their growth/bloom cycles before trying to manipulate them."

It's one of the toughest orchid growing lessons to learn because it requires something I have very little of....patience. But in the long term, it is one of the best bits of orchid growing advice I have ever been given, just leave the thing alone and let it grow. Orchids do not need our constant fussing and fiddling.

[fred]

don't be sorry for the questions jay that is what we are here for
if you do not ask you may never know

[Orchidflowerchild]

Kevin raises a very valid point. Sometimes, you have to just learn to let it go and let it grow. If you want something to futz with all the time, go bonsai.

-Cj

[slippery_biscuit]

Interesting points brought to light here. Of my orchids, I am most looking forward to the blooms from these two, and since I was just testing the water, so to speak, might be best to let nature run its course with the laelia. Am interested in the "nicking" procedure, and might have a go with some lesser valued plant. Curious, if nothing else.

Good job, Bill. I been trying to have the patience Kevin mentioned and one thing I read (more than once) about these was that the roots were sensitve to too much moisture. This one came in lava rock and I moved it into a bigger pot keeping most of the lava rock around the roots intact and adding mostly rock and charcoal at the perimeter. I have another large Rhyncholaelia seedling and have it mounted on a small bit of tree fern... and it is putting out a few roots and a new growth also.

[Orchidflowerchild]

I had one mounted on a large bark plaque, and another one on a piece of juniper. They hung high in the GH, with the vandas. Magnificent blooms, though. I'll be looking for a new one, come spring.

Originally Posted by slippery_biscuit

Interesting points brought to light here. Of my orchids, I am most looking forward to the blooms from these two, and since I was just testing the water, so to speak, might be best to let nature run its course with the laelia. Am interested in the "nicking" procedure, and might have a go with some lesser valued plant. Curious, if nothing else.

Good job, Bill. I been trying to have the patience Kevin mentioned and one thing I read (more than once) about these was that the roots were sensitve to too much moisture. This one came in lava rock and I moved it into a bigger pot keeping most of the lava rock around the roots intact and adding mostly rock and charcoal at the perimeter. I have another large Rhyncholaelia seedling and have it mounted on a small bit of tree fern... and it is putting out a few roots and a new growth also.

[pikevi]

Thanks for the story ,kmarch.

I can relate to the mindset that you would have been in at that time.

I think I am meddling with the orchids too much too. The 'pink panther' in me is always restless and I think with the best of interest at heart I may be disturbing the plants.

Your story tells me that I should back off.

Thanks again.

[jay]

Kevin, Thanks for the story and great advice. I am definately someone who likes to tinker with things. I am very interested in learning as much as possible and could easily find myself doing too much. I think I w