Dormant catasetum

[Farstar]

Does anyone know what the low temperature range for catasetums is when the plant is completely dormant? Thanks.

[Roberta]

First, Welcome!

I grow my Catasetinae outside during the growing season (they take up lots of room), but I keep them in the greenhouse when nights are much below 55 deg F. Even when they're dormant they don't want to be cold, just dry. Conveniently, the "cold" time when they get crammed into the greenhouse is the "leafless" time when they don't take up much room (mostly). If you don't have a greenhouse, they will be fine in the house, put someplace where they will be totally ignored. While they're dormant, good light isn't important either.

[Farstar]

It is my understanding that they respond to the length of the photoperiod when dormant. And that the length of the photoperiod prior to dormancy and during dormancy associate with its duration. Thanks for your response.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Farstar

It is my understanding that they respond to the length of the photoperiod when dormant. And that the length of the photoperiod prior to dormancy and during dormancy associate with its duration. Thanks for your response.

I don't know what the "trigger" is, and I don't think anybody else really does either... many of these come from equatorial areas where the photoperiod is pretty much the same all year. Somehow they "know" when the rainy season will be coming, they produce new roots and growth in anticipation. As far as what they need in our "civilized" environment, I keep coming back to the story told by Fred Clarke (Sunset Valley Orchids)... He had a customer in New York, who tossed the "dead" dormant pseudobulb behind her in disgust... and it fell behind the couch. The next spring, when she was doing her spring cleaning, she found it - with a lovely new sprout. This is not a recommended treatment of course, but it is evidence that these really don't care about much while they are dormant They must be responding to some internal clock rather than environment in deciding when to wake up.

[camille1585]

I've heard of people keeping the bare root bulbs in shoe boxes under their bed during dormancy, so I would guess that photoperiod is not a trigger for these...

[Subrosa]

The first year I grew Catasetum I kept the dormant plants in the darkest corner of an interior room that had no windows and they were fine and broke dormancy a normally in the spring.

[Farstar]

Thank you for your experiences.