Cattleya Questions

[Nancy G.]

Planning the attack on transplanting and dividing. It's been 2 to 3 years for most of them. They were divided into 6" pots, planted into a CHC, perlite, and charcoal mix. It's gotten to the point of moving them up or dividing and staying in the same sized pot.

Has anyone planted in a hanging style wilre basket lined with coco-mat? Has it worked for you? Would it be better to plant in them or mount the plant on the outside? I have one that is growing on a bare cocoliner. Stupid I know, but it was failing in a regular plastic pot. I put it on the cushion before any more roots could die, they grew to the the thing while waiting to replant in something that I thought they'd like.

I have 30 of the 12" welded and dipped baskets with mats. They were on clearance last fall. I bought them with my larger catts in mind. That is almost enough to drop on my most aggressive growers. Now I'm not sure.

I will have to make some mods to my area due to the larger size. Some will hang, either tilted or flat, some will go back on the bench with a ring under to keep them from rolling. The bottoms are round, not flat. Now that's a picture, a bunch of orchids set on little do-nuts or whoopie cushions so they don't roll around on the bench.

I just thought that the catts that like more drainage or air around the roots would benefit. I don't know whether the CHC has stayed a little too wet or they don't like plastic, but the roots haven't gotten and stayed really mongo until they go over the edge of the pots, or in a couple of cases the pots blew over spilling abut half the mx. The humidity in my growing area is high, maybe a little too high. I think I've only really watered in there 3 or 4 times in 2 months. Nothing seems to be shrivelling. Roots are growing and the new pseudo bulbs are starting, just separating from the rhizome to about 3" tall. I guess I have about a month to decide, but want to have the job done in March. Probably will be time to start feeding by then, if not sooner.

Oh well, just a couple of questions and thoughts.

Nancy

[Nancy G.]

I'm dealing with 2 extremes. The winter has turned out to be better this year. Heaters keep the minimum at 60 F, the room keeps the humidity at 65% to 75% humidity. Fans (tower type) are at opposite ends of the room (roughly 20 ' apart). One is set on a table and forces air at 5 to 7' level, the other on the floor at between knee and waist level. It seems to break up the thermal layering and keep the air movement okay except in the opposite corner behind the fan. They are on 24 and 7. During the autumn and spring windows and doors may be openned as light and temperature dictate, but the fans remain. It's much easier to water when needed. Walk through and decide. Too cloudy, late,cool, not today. As said before, hasn't needed much water for any of them, little more for the paphs, phals, and phrags.

The past two summers have been brutal. The orchids were outside. The catts partially shaded by trees, but the temps were in the 100's. It was also regionally dry, so natural humidity was low from Missouri norms. I had sprinklers on timers for 2X a day. Early morning, early evening. Any feeding and spraying was mid afternoon after the tables were shaded, would override the program and sprinkle before feeding, about 3 hours before the evening sprinkler. The sunnier end of the zone would get dry, the shadier end would stay wet in plastic. The mounts, baskets, and clay pots (only have 6 in clay now) were in the shady area.

I'm looking for a way to buffer the roots from the elements (mostly summer). Ammending the mix is no problem. Currently in 4 parts medium CHC, 1 part #4 perlite, 1 part coarse charcoal. Easy enough to shift to a 3-2-1 or 2-2-1, or use black lava in the place of perlite (it isn't much larger) or some other aggregate. I can perforate the liner and intend on washing it anyway to help loosen the bonding agent that was used in the manufacture. Right now time is in my favor. I don't have to commit to all 30 baskets either, try a few and see how it works.

I've got some phals, phrags, and some other misc in PA S/H. Some love it, some are so-so, some are going crazy with aerial roots. I probably haven't gotten it right yet. Should make a list, take pictures, and ask you. Then again, maybe there is just no good way under the extremes I'm trying to grow under. Too cold, too hot, hard water, you name it. Usually I flush with rainwater, last summer, no rain. Artificial plants and cacti were dieing. The rainwater collected was used exclusively on Paphs and phrags, and I still ran out. Carried water from the lake for them in 5 gallon buckets. When it finally rained, everything perked up considerably. Cooler, wetter, cleaner.

I started in ignorance with orchids 8 years ago. Now I don't know whether I'm still ignorant, stupid, or crazy. Sometimes in spite of me they bloom and I do know that I still get a rush when that happens. I may need to break out some cheese to go with this w(h)ine.

Thanks, Nancy

Ray B wrote: