Some catasetinaes - Page 3 - Orchid Board

Sandy4453 · #1 10-19-2008, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike714

Hello Sandy,

I assume your Catasetums do not grow so well, may I ask what temperature and light you grow them? How many backbulbs do they have and do you repot every year?

Mike, thanks so much for these questions. This is my first year (trying) to grow them

but I did repot them when I got them home in early spring, this year. One of them is now resting and there are about 2 back bulbs that are totally spent/shriveled. Should I have cut them off? Should I take it out of the pot and keep it unpotted till Spring? I'm in Fla., growing on a screened patio and they were getting eastern light (the best I can offer) all summer, very, very hot until recently. 2 of them are now growing (again) more stalks, if that's what they're called so I'm watering about every day.

dvespertilio · #2 10-20-2008, 03:32 AM

Very nice hybrids, Mike714. These are of the type that I particularly enjoy. Where did you obtain your plants? I have a small collection of catasetinae, mostly obtained from Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids here in the US. I have two Catasetum Donna Wise, Catasetum Crown Fox Voodoo and two Catasetum Portagee Star crosses. All are seedlings and have made good growth here in Northeast Florida this past summer. I had them on a porch, but I moved them outside and repotted them into net pots in sphagnum. I watered very heavily, and fertilized several times a week dilutely. Also the weather was superb and we had regular rainfall here for the first summer in several years. The result has been new pseudobulbs that are larger than the previous years growth. I don't know if any of the seedlings will bloom this coming winter, but at least two are large enough that they may. I also have two Cycnoches, Jean Monnier and Cycnoches barthiorum. I posted a picture of my Jean Monnier here on the Orchid Board a few days ago. My barthiorum has just begun to bloom and I hope to post a picture of it, if I can, in the near future.

Again, congratulations on your beautiful blooms.

Michael

mike714 · #3 10-20-2008, 01:25 PM

Dear Sandy,

Catasetums are actually easy to grow, in growing season give em all you got ragrding to water and fertilizer, in dormandperiod give em (almost) nothing. If the air-humidity is high they don't need anything, just let the soil in the pot dry-out when leaves are getting yellow and fall off; you don't have to take them out of the pot. As long as the leaves are green they can handle water without rotting the bulbs. Regarding the backbulbs which are shriveled let them stay and take them off when you repot again in so you won't hurt the plant and rootsystem.
!!! Very important if you grow Catasetums outside: when new sprouts are coming, don't let water drop in the new sprouts or they will be killed definately!!! So be sure they won'get rain or something but water the plants on the soil.
A lot of Catasetums like hot so that won't be a problem, and give them good light; no direct sunlight here in Holland in summertime between 11.00 and 15.00 hour; I don't lnmow how that is in Florida, but maybe thesame.

I hope you will succeed in flowering!!!

Bruno De Toni · #4 10-19-2008, 07:13 PM

Mike, congratulations for such a nice plants. I was pretty wrong when I thougth that this plants cannot be cultivated in Europ.

isurus79 · #5 10-19-2008, 07:46 PM

Mike,
You've got some very nice Catasetums! Ive also enojoyed your website for quite a while. Im glad we have another Catasetinae fan here on the OB! I look forward to seeing more of your plants and discussions as well!

mike714 · #6 10-25-2008, 05:36 PM

Does any one have a Catasetum Fdk After Dark in collection, or does any one know where to buy one of these? Concerning I live in Holland/Europe I guess it will be hard to get...

isurus79 · #7 10-25-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike714

Does any one have a Catasetum Fdk After Dark in collection, or does any one know where to buy one of these? Concerning I live in Holland/Europe I guess it will be hard to get...

I know of 2 American sources. The first is from Fred Clarke himself (Sunset Valley Orchids - Grower and hybridizer of quality orchids, Vista CA) and the other is from Hawaiian Orchid Source (http://www.hawaiianorchidsource.com/). Though not yet listed, I got a copy of his new list recently and I think I remember seeing the Fdk being offered again. I know for a fact the Hawaiian Orchid Source has had them fairly recently as well, as I got 2 from them a few months ago. As for European sources, I dunno!

dvespertilio · #8 10-25-2008, 07:27 PM

Fred Clarke just sent out a special list with Fdk After Dark 'Black Pearl' and Fdk 'Sunset Valley Orchids' on it. He should be listing these and other hybrids on his website any day now. The first Fdk is all black and is $100 for a 3" pot mericlone. The second is the spotted one at $75 for a 3" pot mericlone. I don't know if he ships overseas, but I think that could be arranged. His ordering info is on the site.