Trying to save this cattleya

[Chris35rt]

Need Help..This one is in bad shape and I'm trying to save it. As you can tell all but maybe three roots are dead and those three roots will not grow almost seems like its gone into dormancy. Can you all give me some tips to get it back to growing. Right now I have taken it out of all media and placed it in a pot will a little spag moss in the bottom to keep a little humidity around it. Anymore suggestions?

[rosalie]

I normally end with pieces like that when I repot my cattleyas. What I do is carefully remove the brown sheets to expose dormant eyes. Then I repot using medium sized bark and limestone pieces to allow for quick drying. Make sure the dormant eyes are above the potting mix. The ones I repotted last May have new growths now. Good luck!

[Chris35rt]

Thanks rosalie

[james mickelso]

Excellent advice. Those pbulbs with dried sheaths on them have buds that will grow when this comes out of it's dormancy. I would even consider putting this in your pot with some sphagnum moss "loosely" wrapped around this rizome. The moss will keep it humidified while the old pbulbs support the new buds. The only thing here is the new buds. The old pbulbs are just storage vessels. Their leaves will slowly turn lighter and lighter and eventually fall off. The new buds will not get roots until minimum half matured. But this will pull through just fine. The first couple pics are a very old dessicated catt which was going to be tossed by a friend. I put it in a clay pot and stuffed spagnum moss around it. Just loosely and watered it when I watered everything else. This is the new pbulb. It is pretty much matured and is just now throwing roots. So you can see that just be patient and it will push new growth and will survive nicely untill new roots push out. The second set of pics is of another old pbulb with nothing on it but as always I know there is potential so I pot it up with the dormant buds at the surface of the media. I always strip the old dried sheaths off so that there is nowhere for bugs to hide and the dormant buds can see light. The third is a three, then two pbulb catt which had no leaves at all. I just wrapped the thing in moss and watered it when it was crispy dry. Now it has two nice pbulbs and another on the way. So don't fret. Yours will do just fine.

[Chris35rt]

Thank you James...

[vjo]

You probably will not see any new roots untill you get new growth. At that time you will see them above the medium so dont keep pulling it out to see....Jean

[nutgirl]

[quote=vjo;589494]You probably will not see any new roots untill you get new growth. At that time you will see them above the medium so dont keep pulling it out to see....Jean[/quote

As the above from Jean says and James' pictures show, secure the plant well and don't disturb it.

Maureen

[james mickelso]

Some orchids put out roots when the new growth starts but most put out roots after the new growth has become anywhere from half to completely mature. And there are a good number who don't put out roots until after they flower. Depending on what species or cultivar your catt is it may be awhile until you see roots. And roots will come from the lowest segment of the new pbulb. And yes fasten the rizome into the pot so it doesn't wiggle. Can anyone explain why?

[Island Girl]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Some orchids put out roots when the new growth starts but most put out roots after the new growth has become anywhere from half to completely mature. And there are a good number who don't put out roots until after they flower. Depending on what species or cultivar your catt is it may be awhile until you see roots. And roots will come from the lowest segment of the new pbulb. And yes fasten the rizome into the pot so it doesn't wiggle. Can anyone explain why?

So it doesn't wobble and break off the young roots/root tips, so it can get established faster & easier (Which applies to any genus, not just catts)... If they keep breaking, it would not have many new roots, just broken short ones, which on a rescue (esp. one without any roots at all), is not good... It only has but so much energy to give to roots/shoots before its got nothing else to give.

[nutgirl]

Maybe the plant doesn't want to waste time and energy if there isn't something secure to attach too?


Maureen