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Avatar for ilonaalicja123
Oct 26, 2018 8:11 AM CST
Thread OP
Baraboo, WI
This is second year that does it. The bulb is super skinny with skinny leaves and it has tiny roots, that don't grow. Any advice?
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Oct 26, 2018 8:56 AM CST
Name: Big Bill
Livonia Michigan (Zone 6a)
If you need to relax, grow plants!!
Bee Lover Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Orchids Region: Michigan Hostas Growing under artificial light
Echinacea Critters Allowed Cat Lover Butterflies Birds Region: United States of America
Pictures are a must!
This post really belongs in the Orchid forums but I can help you anyways.
It is not a Catasetum, properly it is a hybrid called Fredclarkeara After Dark. These are warm growing orchids.
When grown in cooler climates, they go dormant and drop their leaves. They do not do much for anywhere from 2-6 months. The new growing season starts in the spring and then the plants need warmth, water, good sun and fertilizer. I grow mine in sphagnum moss, clay pots with slow release fertilizer. I water them twice a week over the summer. In the winter, they don't get much water at all.
Your plant is probably just going dormant. But when they "awaken" in the spring they really put on nice growth if you follow my above directions. But if you don't provide good culture they fail to put on serious growth and don't do as well in dormancy.
I repot them every single year! Their roots die back quite a bit when they go dormant and they rot and make a potting mix go sour and it causes roots to die back. If you don't repot, you won't have much success growing them.
Orchid lecturer, teacher and judge. Retired Wildlife Biologist. Supervisor of a nature preserve up until I retired.
Last edited by BigBill Oct 26, 2018 8:58 AM Icon for preview
Avatar for ilonaalicja123
Oct 26, 2018 9:31 AM CST
Thread OP
Baraboo, WI
Thumb of 2018-10-26/ilonaalicja123/e90d00

Ok thanks for a fast replay. I'm going to follow that.I did not know that it likes sun. am going to place it on south window. Does it like also direct sun during the summer? Although it looks like the summer for it is during the Wisconsin winter. Thank you again. Not sure if you received the photo.
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Oct 26, 2018 10:03 AM CST
Name: Big Bill
Livonia Michigan (Zone 6a)
If you need to relax, grow plants!!
Bee Lover Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Orchids Region: Michigan Hostas Growing under artificial light
Echinacea Critters Allowed Cat Lover Butterflies Birds Region: United States of America
Winter sun is weaker then summer sun. I would grow it outside in the summer where it could get 3-4 hours of direct sun.
For the winter put it in a sunny window.
If you go to the American Orchid Society web site www.aos.org, there is a pull down window with printable pdf files of culture sheets. Print the one for Catasetums.
Orchid lecturer, teacher and judge. Retired Wildlife Biologist. Supervisor of a nature preserve up until I retired.
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