repotting Cadetia taylori to stimulate growth?

[dipasquo]

I have this Cadetia taylori that put out two flowers this year but has not put up any new growth since the keiki (4 o'clock position with roots visible) over a year ago. I have heard that repotting can stimulate growth in an orchid and am considering repotting this guy to see if I can do just that. Any thoughts on repotting to stimulate growth? Thanks,

Dan

[bkim]

Have you tried a rooting hormone? KLN and superthrive are commonly used for encouraging root growth in orchids.

[patticake]

I've never grown this one... I think it looks good where it is, though. Some orchids don't like to be in too big of a pot, because they like to dry out between waterings. A bottom growth isn't usually considered a keiki- It's just a new growth!- Good luck with the new growth... I think it looks good,

[dipasquo]

The picture doesn't show the keiki growth very clearly. There is a better picture in this older thread:
keiki? try to remove or leave alone?

I hadn't planned to move up to a bigger pot, simply to repot into new medium in the same sized pot. Looking at the date of that thread, it's really been nearly 18 months since there was new growth. :/

[solay]

Maybe it's the light? Looks like the leaves are dark. I'm no expert, just a thought. Maybe someone else will have some advice. Good luck.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by dipasquo

I have heard that repotting can stimulate growth in an orchid...

Hi Dan, I'm afraid what you heard was a gross overgeneralization. While it is true in some (many?) cases, other orchids resent repotting and can sulk for a year or more as a result of it. It really depends on the orchid.

We should be asking for repotting recommendations specific to Cadetia, whichis in the Dendrobium tribe. Does anyone out there grow many Cadetia? I used to have 2, one in a small pot which got repotted about every 2 years and the other was mounted.

[dipasquo]

I've had this plant roughly two years and haven't repotted it. It might be due for a repotting anyway, and since there hasn't been any new growth for such a long time things could only get better, right? :/

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

If a plant wants to keiki and is well over due for new growth, the eyes at the base may be all dead, so don't be too quick to give away your keiki. I recently had a similar problem with a favorite Den hybrid. I gave away the first 2 keikis, and then noted the plant was over due for breaking dormancy, and had started 2 more keikis. By the time I took off the keikis, one with a lot of old stem, I found rot at the base of all the old bulbs. Burning off the eyes due to fungal growth near the base is fairly common in a large collection, and will happen occasionally in a small collection, especially if one is new at orchids.

[dipasquo]

Thanks for the feedback. I am relatively new to orchids and haven't before heard reference to the "eyes" of an orchid. What is this a reference to?

Considering this, repotting would give me a chance to see what's going on and check the health of roots, etc. Sounds like the way to go?

Thanks,

Dan