HELP--Newbie Cattleya owner in need of assistance! - Orchid Board

jaxy86 · #1 01-03-2013, 11:05 PM

Hello all.

I purchased a Cattleya (Sanyung Ruby "Tweng Wen") from the Atlanta Bot. Gardens on Oct. 25, 2012. I live about an hour away from Atlanta, Georgia USA. Here's my problem:

SUNLIGHT: I reside in a basement apartment that has only ONE East/Southeast facing window. We only get sunlight on clear days, and only in the early morning hours because we're heavily shaded by a deck, trees, and the rest of the house. Though shrouded by trees in the distance, we see the sunrise every morning, weather permiting. Though I've been putting her on the window sill the last few days to see if her leaf color brightens up, I have had no success due to the cloudy/rainy winter weather we're currently experiencing.

HUMIDITY: I did not mist/watering her regularly for 2 months (Nov-Dec of 2012) because I heard they don't need a lot of water, just humidity. I admit I have been negligent in this regard, but I honestly didn't know how much water was the right amount, and I heard that it's better to err on the side of "too little" than "too much". I have been misting her this week with a spray bottle day and night and check the mixture to see if it's moist/dry daily.

TEMP: I have little control over the climate in our basement as I do not have my own thermostat. To compensate for this, I move my Catt to a storage room at night because it's cooler than in the main space, and move her back in the morning where it's a little warmer. I know that this method no where nears the 10* temp. variant requirement, however. I use a heater in my bedroom, and I'll gladly share it with my orchid if the experts deem this appropriate?

ROOTS: Some are hard to the touch, not squishy, and brownish in color. The layer around the actual root breaks in certain areas, but it doesn't come off. The roots closest to the rhizome that I can see from the top are still green in color and intact. I suspect the root rot is traveling upward?

REPOT: My Catt came in a plastic pot, and a clay pot came with her as a bonus for purchasing her. I have not repotted my Catt after her blooms fell because I heard that you're only supposed to do that in the spring (?), but now I fear that my Cattleya is dehydrated and suffering a bit of root rot. I know I should repot it to get a good look at the roots and clip off any that are dead, but I'm scared I'll do it wrong. I also don't know if the clay pot will be good for her (it only has one 1-inch hole at the very bottom).

I'm very afraid (and may be over-stressing) but I love my orchid very much. Experts please help.

Thanks