The Cattleya "Cut-Divide-and-Conquer" Multiplier Method

[Slipperhead]

A new story entry has been added:

The Cattleya "Cut-Divide-and-Conquer" Multiplier Method

"Chat" Chatfield was 96-years old when my wife and I met him at a small orchid show in southern California in 1990. He told us all about his orchids and invited me over to see his greenhouse and help with some repotting. I stopped by his place that following weekend and went home that evening with sore fingers after helping to divide and repot about 50 specimen-sized orchids! I also took home three healthy, newly-potted Cattleya divisions for my efforts! That was the beginning of my orchid indoctrination and addiction!!! Over the next few years, Mr. Chatfield taught me everything I would need to know about growing orchids. Orchid-growing fads come and go, but the basics he taught me have never changed!


One of his many lessons involved a handy method of dividing plants when your Cattleya has 7 or more pseudobulbs or is nearing the edge of its pot. This can be especially helpful for those plants that seem to prefer to grow in a straight line and only have one blooming lead at a time. Also, this method gives your back bulb divisions a head start with a new lead prior to repotting instead of repotting the back bulbs with NO leads and lots of stress!

Here?s what you do...

Start with a plant that has at least 7 growths of any size. Count 3 or 4 growths from the lead growth and make a cut all the way through the rhizome with a clean cutting tool. Do not disturb the plant in any other way!

Write the current date on an old plant stick from one of your dead plants and place the stick all the way through the cut as shown. The purpose of the stick is to simply identify the location and date of the cut, not to keep the cut from healing itself.

Return the plant back to its shelf and continue loving care; nothing different than before.

With luck, you'll get an extra growth or TWO fairly quickly from dormant eyes located on the back bulbs. If the plant is not in active growth, you probably won?t see results until it returns to life so BE PATIENT!!! This method works almost every time on a healthy plant!

[Tindomul]

THanks!!! I'm dreaming of multiple blooms and multiple leads.

[jim blanford]

That sounds like a great way to divide plants, can't wait to try it. Thanks Jim.

[orcdfrk]

Just keep in mind that the new growths on the two plants you've now made will be much, much smaller than the newest growth since before you cut it up. Trust me, I've done exactly this and that Catt is still far behind what I believe it would be had I left it alone.

[thakshila smith]

This news reached me at the correct time. There is a plant to be divided. I will try this method .Thanks a lot for information

[Slipperhead]

Keep in mind that a back division with a small growth (now 6" tall BTW) is going to get a better head start than one you tear off during repotting with no growth, right?

When the rhizome is cut, sometimes the lead division will continue to throw one growth, sometimes, as in this case, three. Did my cut induce the front division to do that or was the plant finally mature enough or finally happy enough to put out additional growths? Regardless, don't multi-growths often mean multi-blooms in the future? Isn't that a good thing?

[Orchonubee]

Timing is everything, and your timing of this post will help a lot more than just me. With spring just around the corner and a few that need divinding, I will be putting this very informative and easy to read post to good use. Thanx

[Slipperhead]

I cut 20 or so plants over the weekend as described. Most of the plants have just finished blooming. I'll generally see new growths about the time I see new roots on the front leads.

I cut one plant in four places. I'm going to let it go a year to see if I can get a mega-bloom next winter.

Good luck!!!

[Tindomul]

I actually ended up dividing my Slc. Mini Beau three ways. All three are putting out roots like crazy, in my terrariums. One bloomed a few months ago, and all have new growths!!!! I love Catt types!

[hamizao]

Very informative indeed. I usually banish the back portion as they usually look like not having much hope. Now I know better ..........