# Fdk.After Dark"SVO BLACK Pearl "FCC/AOS



## ehanes7612 (Mar 13, 2013)

i bought one of the clones ..my question is ..how the hell do i grow it?


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## Paphman910 (Mar 13, 2013)

Looks nice! When new growth comes out with new roots, better repot it!

I would give it sprays of water in the medium to keep the bulbs plump and it doesn't need to be watered during the dormoncy. In a few months it will produce a new growth and require more watering, fertilizing and more light.


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## ehanes7612 (Mar 13, 2013)

Paphman910 said:


> Looks nice! When new growth comes out with new roots, better repot it!
> 
> I would give it sprays of water in the medium to keep the bulbs plump and it doesn't need to be watered during the dormoncy. In a few months it will produce a new growth and require more watering, fertilizing and more light.


thanks!!, also just realized that Fred Clark also has a culture sheet on his website


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## Paphman910 (Mar 13, 2013)

Good info on culture:

http://www.sunsetvalleyorchids.com/htm/culture_catasetinae.html


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## NYEric (Mar 13, 2013)

I have an 'After Dark' and some catasetums and chysies! This dormant bulb thing is very worrying.  Yours looks to be a nice size one, good luck.


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## ehanes7612 (Mar 13, 2013)

NYEric said:


> I have an 'After Dark' and some catasetums and chysies! This dormant bulb thing is very worrying.  Yours looks to be a nice size one, good luck.



its starting a new growth and the roots are about 2 cm long..i will repot and wait a minute for the roots to get 3 to 5 inches


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## Rick (Mar 13, 2013)

One thing I didn't see in the culture sheet is that Catesetum produce separate male and female flowers, which appears to be light level related.

Should double check, but I think bright light for female flowers and lower light for male. (????). I only have one Catesetum species that I've had for about 5 years, and have moved it around high/low light areas to get the different flowers. (And it works).


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## wjs2nd (Mar 13, 2013)

Their care is very easy. Just follow the culture sheet from Fred's website. I haven't had any trouble following Fred's culture sheet.


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## Ozpaph (Mar 13, 2013)

keep us updated and the plant dry for now.


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## ehanes7612 (Mar 13, 2013)

thanks everyone..i repotted in dried sphagnum(as i could tell thats what it was were repotted with before) and is sitting at the top of my greenhouse ...away from anything that will get watered


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## goldenrose (Mar 14, 2013)

Hmmm.... if it's dormant why was there a need to repot it? Lightly mist is OK but NO sprays of water. I know someone who unpots them, puts them in a shoe box, then when they start coming alive, repots.


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## ehanes7612 (Mar 14, 2013)

goldenrose said:


> Hmmm.... if it's dormant why was there a need to repot it? Lightly mist is OK but NO sprays of water. I know someone who unpots them, puts them in a shoe box, then when they start coming alive, repots.


i seem to rememebr saying on this thread that its new growth is starting and the roots are 2 cm long


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## SlipperFan (Mar 14, 2013)

ehanes7612 said:


> i seem to rememebr saying on this thread that its new growth is starting and the roots are 2 cm long



I think Fred Clarke says 3 inches -- would be 7.6 cm.


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## cnycharles (Mar 14, 2013)

yes; roots reaching the bottom of the pot before watering, is a quote from our meeting


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 16, 2013)

So basically grow this almost exactly like a catasetum? Do they need light when they lose leaves? I've been thinking about getting one of these but they're pricey and I've never had a catasetum before. Is Sunset Valley Orchids the only one that has this clone? Is the price $100?


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## ehanes7612 (Mar 16, 2013)

The Orchid Boy said:


> So basically grow this almost exactly like a catasetum? Do they need light when they lose leaves? I've been thinking about getting one of these but they're pricey and I've never had a catasetum before. Is Sunset Valley Orchids the only one that has this clone? Is the price $100?


Sunset Valley made these ...i believe he is the only one ..the price is 100 and includes shipping..read their cultural sheet on the website before you buy to see if you can grow them..seems you can do it even on a south wndowsill


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## Rick (Mar 16, 2013)

The Orchid Boy said:


> So basically grow this almost exactly like a catasetum? Do they need light when they lose leaves?



I wouldn't put them in a closed dresser drawer if that's what you mean, but they do fine if you leave them on the same spot on the bench where they bloomed and grew the season before too.

Looks like my plant is starting to break dormancy too.


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 16, 2013)

I know I can provide enough light and such. How tall do they get? The distance from my shelf to my T5s is exactly 24".


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## Rick (Mar 16, 2013)

The Orchid Boy said:


> How tall do they get? The distance from my shelf to my T5s is exactly 24".



I think you can stuff most Catesetum under 24" (barely:wink


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## Greenpaph (Mar 16, 2013)

I just got back from California a couple of weeks ago. I spoke with Fred regarding these plants. He said wait for the growth to be about 4 inches tall. Then water and fertilize from there.


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## Leo Schordje (Mar 17, 2013)

Frdklra After Dark 'Black Pearl' FCC/AOS - yep, this is a Sunset exclusive, from Fred Clark. BUT he wasn't the first or the only person to breed near black flowered Catesetum Alliance hybrids. Jean Moniere in Florida had done quite a few crosses before he closed up shop. And others have done some also. I believe Fred Clark himself had sent After Dark 'Black Pearl' FCC off to be tissue cultured. I bought several mericlones of After Dark 'Black Pearl' in bud for $22.50 each from Hausermann's Orchids, you might check with them. So the tissue culture plants are out there. Fred might want $100 for blooming size divisions, but he also makes money if you buy the smaller mericloned plants. A number of growers in Hawaii are cranking these out for the potted plant sales. Check H & R's catalog on the web. Also Pete's website, he is a slipper talk member. These are around. 

And there is a number of other hybrids that will throw some percentage of 'black flowers', so you don't need to drop a fortune to get a blooming size hybrid. Just shop around. 

I unfortunately did not keep any of the 'Black Pearls' FCC/AOS for myself, I picked them up at the request of a customer from Michigan and sold them all 2 days after I bought them. (made a whole $ 2.50 profit on each, but I never had to water them, so that still counts as a profit).


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