Very small cattleya orchids dry

[jorged0712]

Hello recently while at Home Depot I saw that they sold little orchids (no flowers) in a little pot in a bag, Better Gro brand. They don't sell cattleyas in the nursery and I've always wanted some so I decided to buy the healthiest one I could find. The problem is that the medium was very dry and they had very bad/dry roots so I had to cut almost all of them off. I re-potted them in Miracle Gro orchid medium and watered them about 2 days ago but their roots seem very dry and white. I was wondering how can I keep them from dying. I've never had cattleyas. How often should I water them? They're very small.

[WhiteRabbit]

I would just take care of them appropriately - water when the potting media (mix) is just about dry. Baby orchids can be a challenge - less room for error than more mature plants.

[Calbears]

I'm a novice too so take this with a grain of salt (experienced growers feel free to correct me). It looks to me like your small cattleya is over potted. Eventhough it might mean more frequent watering, I would've used a smaller container. They do like to dry out relatively quickly.

[Brooke]

I second Calbear's advice, he is spot on. My other suggestion would be to let the rhizome skim the top of the media or you run the risk of rotting off any future growth.

Brooke

[tucker85]

I agree with the previous posts. In nature Cattleyas grow attached to trees where their roots are open to the air and dry very quickly. They should be grown in a very small pot with chunky media so they'll dry fairly quickly after watering and air can get to the roots.

[Purple_phal_gal13]

Going along with the small pot with chunky media like fir bark, when does it become time to repot into a larger pot?

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[Calbears]

I would repot when the media breaks down or the rhizome climbs out of the container, whichever comes first. If the current container can accomodate a year of growth, no need to upsize.

Waiting for visible new root growth would also be ideal.

[james mickelso]

Leave it in this pot and water once a week if temps are below 80*f. Above this 2 times a week, This pot is too lrage but it is not the time to repot this. Orchids, especially when this young, are potted when they have new growth which is putting out new roots. You've already potted it so just leave it alone right where it is and just water it. Some Superthrive once a month will help this to grow roots a little better. This needs some good light. Not direct light but fairly bright. Keep us posted.

[jorged0712]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Leave it in this pot and water once a week if temps are below 80*f. Above this 2 times a week, This pot is too lrage but it is not the time to repot this. Orchids, especially when this young, are potted when they have new growth which is putting out new roots. You've already potted it so just leave it alone right where it is and just water it. Some Superthrive once a month will help this to grow roots a little better. This needs some good light. Not direct light but fairly bright. Keep us posted.

I know this pot is too large but it was the only one I had. I live in Miami so everyday is around the 90's. If I see any change (good or bad) I'll post back with pictures.

[Corsetière]

I bought some of the same Better Gro catts in similar condition. I'm doing the bamboo skewer method of checking for moisture and they do seem to need watered fairly frequently in my environment. I just soak the entire pot in water for a few minutes and it seems to do well. I occasionally add a drop of Super Thrive to the water as well and am doing weekly, weakly fertilizing. They are doing quite nicely now.