# Catasetinae question...



## Yoyo_Jo (Jan 16, 2011)

So, following Fred Clarke's instructions, I have dutifully reduced and now completely stopped watering my Catasetum pileatum and my Cynoches barthiorum and Cycnoches loddigesii.

The other day I noticed that the pileatum and the loddigesii both have new growths coming. Is this normal? Makes me want to give them a drink, but I know I'm not supposed to, so I haven't.


----------



## Shiva (Jan 16, 2011)

Not all catasetums and cycnoches are the same. Pileatum has a very short rest period if any. And you have to remember that in their habitat, they may have water available from fog or ample humidity even in the dry season. In my case, and I'm not an expert grower of catasetums, I don't let them dry up to the point of shrivelling. I will spray them or give them just a little bit of water to keep the pseudobulbs plump enough. Whenever new growths appear, I wait until they're about four inches tall with roots before I start watering and feeding normally.


----------



## Paphman910 (Jan 16, 2011)

Don't water it until you see new root production.

Paphman910


----------



## NYEric (Jan 16, 2011)

Man, these might not be for me!


----------



## Ernie (Jan 16, 2011)

Paphman910 said:


> Don't water it until you see new root production.
> 
> Paphman910



Fred says to wait until roots are an inch+ long. Only mist if you see severe pseudobulb furrowing. This works for us.


----------



## Shiva (Jan 16, 2011)

I've found misting is not enough in the long cold winter up North. When temps go way down, heating sucks the humidity right out of the plants and it's pretty hard keeping it up where it should be all the time. It's easier in the g/h but can still be a problem. In the past, I used to keep my catasinae dry and mist them as recommended but the plants would end up losing one backbulb after another until they died. Now, every once in a while, I drop the equivalent of two teaspoon of water at the base of the plant and let it dry up good. I only start regular watering when the new growth has good roots and is about 3-4 inches high and that works for me.


----------



## SlipperFan (Jan 16, 2011)

Are you sure it's new growth and not a spike? I was fooled.


----------



## Yoyo_Jo (Jan 16, 2011)

SlipperFan said:


> Are you sure it's new growth and not a spike? I was fooled.



Well, that's a good question, Dot. I never thought of that. I'll try and take a couple of photos and post them...


----------



## cnycharles (Jan 16, 2011)

shiva's experiences have been similar to one of the members of a local society, and we have outdoors/indoor heating situations similar to his; they found that if you let them dry completely the plants did much worse than very slight watering as shiva describes. it may be a humidity thing as winter indoor heating dries the heck out of our air and if you had much higher humidity then you might not need to do any watering.... all depends on where you are and your conditions


----------



## Yoyo_Jo (Jan 16, 2011)

Interesting....

Here's another question. Don't the roots on catasetinae all die during dormancy? If they do, how does the water help during dormancy? How do they take up any water?


----------



## Ernie (Jan 16, 2011)

One grower here insists one leave the papery, brown covering on the pseudobulb to help conserve water buy slowing transpiration. Seems logical and gives a good reason to be lazy (but I'm not convinced the p-bulbs transpire). Just make sure bugs don't go un-noticed there.


----------



## Yoyo_Jo (Jan 16, 2011)

Okay, here's some photos of the new little growths....


----------



## smartie2000 (Jan 17, 2011)

I had to force the Catasetinae from Fred into dormancy, not all of them went dormant (still one will not drop its leaves even though the medium is dry). I am also inexperienced with this very interesting group of orchids


----------



## Shiva (Jan 17, 2011)

Yoyo_Jo said:


> Interesting....
> 
> Here's another question. Don't the roots on catasetinae all die during dormancy? If they do, how does the water help during dormancy? How do they take up any water?



I would guess that enough roots survive, if only to help keep the plant alive if the dry season were to last longer than usual. And since they are epiphytes, the roots still need to be strong enough to keep the plants attached to their branches, which also means they have to be alive. Maybe the old saying arose because too many people watered them too much in their pots in the dry season and the last good roots rotted away.


----------



## SlipperFan (Jan 17, 2011)

Yoyo_Jo said:


> Okay, here's some photos of the new little growths....



They do look like growths, Joanne. But as I said -- I was fooled!


----------



## W. Beetus (Jan 17, 2011)

Those are new growths. It's my first winter with a Catasetinae plant (Cycnodes Wine Delight), and I am just trying to refrain from watering it! Seems so wrong not to water it! LOL.


----------



## Yoyo_Jo (Jan 18, 2011)

W. Beetus said:


> Those are new growths. It's my first winter with a Catasetinae plant (Cycnodes Wine Delight), and I am just trying to refrain from watering it! Seems so wrong not to water it! LOL.




I know!! We must be strong.


----------



## NYEric (Jan 21, 2011)

Haha. I have a couple of poneorchis coming out of dormancy that I didn't water so you all should have no problem!


----------

