This one's got me stumped - help!

[katrina]

I got this Bc Little Stars x Maikai ‘Hawaii’ early summer sometime. When I repotted, I discovered what I thought was one large plant in an 8" pots was in reality 2 smaller plants put together and there was significant root loss. Cleaned it up...removing dead roots and dead tissue...potted into 2 small pots.

Since then the plant continues to decline. I've unpotted...removed dead tissue and repotted 3 times since getting the plant. It keeps producing new growths but it also continues to lose the older growths. When I unpot there is significant root loss and dead tissue even though I am not keeping this one in a state that would create root rot. The other 'half' of the plant has been disposed of because the new growths started turning yellow/brown and falling off. This is the last piece I have.

It's progression is very slow but consistent.

I don't believe it's root rot because the dead parts are not turning mushy...they remain firm...just turning brown. I dealt w/root rot last winter and those plants...everything turning yellow went mushy.

I'm stumped. I'd like to save the plant but I'm starting to think it has some disease that could potentially infect my other plants and that there is no cure for. As far as cultural practices...up to this point, I've treated it as though it has root rot...my first diagnosis. Now I'm not so sure.

Has anyone ever had something like this happen? What do you guys think the problem might be?

[digitalgate]

i think you need to increase your light level. when there is insufficient light most orchid
produce keiki.

[katrina]

Good thought but it's w/my other catts and many of them are producing spikes/buds so I don't think it's a lighting issue. ?? It's probably the poor pic but these new growths are not keikis...just normal new growths this type of plant produces.

My other brassavolas and B hybrids are all doing great so this one is a mystery. I really think it's something pathological in nature.



BTW -- I just noticed that whole plant pic shows one of the browned canes really well and it sort of has that reddish-brown appearance of a rotted cane but that one is as firm as the green ones.

[kid a]

eh.... I have a tough time with mine too. Mine is even smaller than yours. It took a long time for it to even grow any new roots. I'm starting to think either they are really picky or tey takea while to adjust to new environments if its different than where they came from? Just don't give up mine was rootless for about two months!! But it has three roots now and one new growth.

[digitalgate]

i dont know may be try fungicides and see it improve the result.

[articuno75]

Truth is I'm wondering if you didn't get a division and this is the "older" growth areas of the plant. What you are witnessing is the natural die off of the older leaves, Hence what looked like one plant was actually two, but was an older part and younger part of the plant.

[kid a]

That makes sense, Katrina i bet that is what is happening there.

[janet_a]

i'm thinking if it's not actually mushy, leave it on the plant (both roots and caes). it may be a natural discoloration?

if it's still trying to grow canes and they grow roots, then leave it be for a good 10-12 months and see what it does.

[jerrymeola]

I have had about 400 of these and they have several characteristics.

They do not like as much light as other Cattleya which is surprising considering its parentage and terret leaves.

Yours was damaged from too large a pot. The current 4 inch pot is still on the large side but OK. Two of these in an eight inch pot was bad. I have one with about 40-50 pseudobulbs and it is just starting to outgrow the 4 inch pot.


Check out the photo on this page about pot size. The plant is Little Stars x Maikai. The plant in the middle is a 3 inch pot and the plant is larger than yours. The right 4 inch pot is about double the size of the photo now and still in the same pot. I will probably move it to 5 inches after it flowers again. Flowering season is just starting for this plant.
Re-potting orchids

The oversize pot caused the roots to rot and as it grows it will shed the pseudobulbs that were supported by the roots that no longer exist. What is happening to you now is normal.

I find many Cattleya rot a lot of roots over the winter and live off the new growth. This is the beginning of growth season for this orchid so it should do OK for you. Just general care now. Water heavy when you water and let it dry well between waterings. I would not worry about fungus. Even my seedlings which fungus easy only had about 2 of the 100 show any fungus this year while other Cattleya hybrids were as high as 15%.

[Brooke]

Kat if this were my plant and I thought it was struggling, I would take it out of the pot and either mount it or put it in a clay pot sitting on clay pellets, charcoal or damp sphag. In the pot it will need to be misted daily but so would the mount.

Good luck with it.

Brooke

[katrina]

Ok...so my original suspicion of root rot is probably right but now it's gone into a sort of normal shedding.


I appreciate all the input guys!! It's helping me get this thing figured out. Thanks bunches!!

[Hummer344]

Jerry, great explanation, as usual.

[myorchid]

I think the same thing was happening to mine! I pulled it out of the pot and put it in a smaller one and took it to my office where it can grow under lights, but not too close!

Hopefully it will be OK. Good luck for yours Kat!

[katrina]

I decided to put this guy into the smallest slat basket I had (4") w/just a teeny tiny bit of sphag. This is probably as close to mounted as it can get w/out actually being mounted.

Unpotted, trimmed up the dead stuff again. Soaked the poor thing in the worm tea, companion and essentials mixture for about 20 minutes. Popped it into the little basket. Fingers crossed this does the trick.

Thanks again everyone...your input and experience is much appreciated!

[jerrymeola]

Katerina

It should do well in a slot basket as I have mounted many of them. It seems to dry faster than other Cattleya when mounted and a basket is the same. Keep an eye on it and give it more water when it needs it. It should eliminate the rot issues when in a basket.

[11Orchid126]

I found that my Brassavola Little Stars liked a very tight pot. I suspect it allowed the roots to dry faster. I stopped moving it up as it grew and letting the roots climb out of the pot and it began to bloom well. Watering heavy and then letting it dry as Jerry suggests, and western light on a cool windowsill. The tighter the pot the more it bloomed.

[katrina]

Fingers crossed!

So here's a question for those of you far more learned/experienced than I. What is it in this plant that makes it a bit more...should I say...temperamental? Which part of the parentage is responsible and/or might be responsible for this characteristic?