Coelogyne division

[Aleksa]

Last year I took a few rootless Coelogyne pseudobulbs from one large plant... The 'division' has 2 old pseudobulbs and one new, and also, It has no roots. Now, 8 months later, the plant still gives no sign of dying or growing... It is just the same as when I brought it. Should I throw it away? I was really patient but this is too much... Is there any chance for this thing to start growing?

[patticake]

Don't give up!! If it starts shriveling or shows other signs of dying... then maybe. I would keep holding on. I'll bet it starts putting out roots soon.

[Aleksa]

This is definitely one big patience-test.... Come on, 8 months? And still no shrivelling, yellowing, neither growing!
Grr! I've wrapped it in the moss and I threw it into some glass jar, maybe she will do something when I forget her!

[fred]

Coelogyne's divisions are very hard to get to grow
its looks the same 8 months later... what medium is the division planted in ?
also what type of Coelogyne do you have a species or a hybrid ?

with Coelogyne's Patience is needed as none of the psbulds have shriveled up and you do have a new psbulb, myself I would not throw it away.
Can you see any roots forming ?
can you post a pic for us ?

.

[kmarch]

Coelogyne dislike being disturbed. And by dislike, I mean they resent it and will hold a grudge. The more severe the disturbance, the greater their resentment and the longer they'll hold their grudge. Case in point: I have a fairly big Coel ovalis which I bought in February 2007 (almost 16 months ago). It was shipped to me bare root (read: major disturbance). I potted it up but since then it has not budged a bit, It hasn't died, but neither has it grown even the slightest bit. Another case in point: I have a Coelogyne ochreacea, also shipped to me bare root almost 2 years ago. It is just now starting to recover form a downward spiral resulting from that disturbance. In other words, 8 months of sulking for a disturbed Coelogyne, especially one disturbed as bad as your was (no roots), is nothing. Keep taking care of it. As long as it's green and not dead and brown and dried up, there's hope. It's just payback time for it being disturbed.

[Aleksa]

Oh dear.... Year or two? I'll just forget about it...

Soon I'll get healthy Coelogyne cristata so I hope I'll have more luck with her!

[fred]

why forget about it ?
To me that is also a part of the challenge of growing orchids Aleksa
You can still purchase a Coelogyne cristata and continue to grow this one

[kmarch]

Your rootless Coel (I presume it is cristata) isn't necessarily unhealthy....though no roots certainly isnt' ideal....it's just been disturbed is all. About 3 years ago a kind orchid friend gave me a fairly large Coelogyne cridtata in a large hanging basket. It sulked for a full year then the next year it grew vigorously and flowered nicely, nearly 50 flowers. The year of sulking came not from root loss or a rough trip through the post, or a rough repotting, the year of sulking came from the plant being moved form one growing location to another (mine). They just don't care like to be disturbed. Jovial personification aside, for whatever reason they just don't care to be messed with. I've got probably 25 or so Coelogyne and I have only ever repotted one of them, a fimbriata. And I didn't even really repot it, I just potted it up. And since we moved about 2 months ago, it has stalled, completely, it was right in the middle of a growth cycle (and fimbriata grow pretty fast) and it hasn't budged since we moved. I wouldn't throw it away, just stick it in the back and forget about it and one of these days you'll see some growth on it.

[janet_a]

just saw a note on another forum from someone who's had a plant for *eight* years; it's finally bloomed for him. don't know how long it sulked at the front end.

patience, grasshopper.

[Aleksa]

Originally Posted by kmarch

just stick it in the back and forget about it and one of these days you'll see some growth on it.

This is what I thought when I said I-ll forget about it... I really hate throwing orchids, especially Coelogyne which are extremely difficult to find here.