New cattleya

[Nancy]

My husband brought me a mini catt the other day. I potted it into two divisions. One thing that was quite evident about it is how thin the roots are. The plant had overgrown its pot and was growing these thin roots over the side of the pot. When I potted the plants I put the roots in with the potting mixture. Has anyone encountered roots like this? Also, what should be my aftercare of this orchid. I watered it once to settles the mix but I'm thinking now I should just mist it until it starts to grow again. They hybrid is SLC. Red Delight.If anyone has any information on it's care, please let me know. Thanks.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Nancy

...how thin the roots are....They hybrid is SLC. Red Delight...Has anyone encountered roots like this? ...If anyone has any information on it's care, please let me know. Thanks.

Yes some of these hybrids have very thin roots. I have a Wendy's Valentine which has very thin roots, only about a couple of millimeters in diameter. If I understand my species correctly the thin roots come from the Sophronites (someone correct me if I am wrong). Also because of the Soph. in the background it will probably be able to tolerate cooler temps (and may even prefer them) than most other Cattleya intergenerics. They also may like to be kept bit more moist than most Cattleyas. My Wendy's Valentine is grown outdoors here in Melbourne Australia where winter temps can get around 5C (about 40F) at night. I'd use general Cattleya culture with slightly lower temperatures and possibly kept a little more moist (watch the plant to see if it needs more or less watering).

Originally Posted by Nancy

My husband brought me a mini catt the other day. I potted it into two divisions.

I'm curious as to why you divided the plant.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Nancy

The hybrid is SLC. Red Delight.

Nancy, I've been trying to track down exactly which plant you have. Some species in the Cattleya Alliance have been re-classified which is making it difficult to figure out precisely which cross you have.

1) Does the tag list the parents?
2) Could the spelling be Red Delite instead of Red Delight?

[Nancy]

Thank you for the advice. There are no parents on the tag but following Red Delight is #20. I guess that's the clonal name. I only have one spent flower on it, but it appears to be possibly a blood orange color with yellow inside the lip, which is slightly ruffled, and at the base of the sepals. I doubt that helps much. I think it will be a pretty little thing when it blooms. I guess there are too many mini catts to keep track of. Please keep me posted if you find something.

[Nancy]

I didn't answer one part of your question, sorry about that. I divided the plant because it had obviously been in that pot for a long time and the center of the plant had died off, just leaving a back with one little root and a front that had divided several times. I just worried it was going to deteriorate further if I left the soft, mushy inner pb's on the plant. So far both divisions seem to be doing well.

[Nancy]

So far the divisions seem to be doing fine. The smaller one has started to grow roots. I don't think it likesthe same light as my other cattleyas. This is the only catt with sophronitis in it. Is this something to expect whenever I get a catt with a sophronitis background contribution?

[kmarch]

Nancy,

A couple of things: 1) I dont think Sophronites requires as much light as other Cattleya-alliance plants. A few years back I visited Andy's Orchids in CA and went into his cool house where he grew his Sophronites cocinea. It was very shady in there yet every plant was in bloom, almost all of them with multiple blooms. 2) Sophronites is capitalized as are all generic names (genus).

Cheers.

[Tobi]

Catts. with a Sophronitis cross are usually smaller in size and since the
the genus comes from high altitude habitats some tolerate slightly cooler
temps. Sophronitis do like high humidity (around 70-90%) and like plenty of
fresh moving air. If anything the should be able to handle other type Catt.
light or even higher.

[Nancy]

I was asking because I left a few of the rootless backbulbs on the larger division and since I increased the light in the window, both have turned yellow and one leaf has fallen off. Should I just repot and remove all the rootless backbulbs? I left them on because I thought they would provide some nourishment to the plant as it was trying to get reestablished. It wasn't in very good shape when I got it. The center of the plant had died out and it practicully feel into two pieces. What should I do with a newly potted cattleya? I exposed it to the light immediately after potting it up. Thanks for the help. I'm sorry all of my questions lead to more questions.

[Nancy]

Since I last replied I've down-sized the plant some by removing more of thebackbulbs. I've potted it into a smaller pot as well. It is in the process now of growing roots and is looking much better. Unfortunately the other division has not fared as well. It lost the two roots it had andis now in a bag with some sphag. Oh well, you can't win them all.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

It should be standard practice to put the plant into a little lower light after repotting if roots were damaged or if it is clear as you repot and can see the condition of the roots that the plant is clearly short on roots. I like to give plants a month or two, but it really is something to decide on a plant by plant basis.

[Nancy]

I wish I had done just that, too. I just wasn't sure what to do with it. I'm really greatful that the larger division is thriving despite my haphazard care.

[Nancy]

How much light is too much? The leaves are a light green and the new growths are very dark red, almost a hot pink color. The plant does not seem to be growing well. The growths are remaining short and not expanding as they should. The plant has a lot of Sophronitis in it so I have made it a point to grow it on the cool side. Any thoughts will be a great help.