The Orchid Garden

Cat needs some help!?

Question:

My wife and I are somewhat new to orchids so this is probably a simple solution,  We have a large Catelaya (8" pot) that bloomed in Nov/Dec and then dropped all blossoms.  We recently moved to a home with a greenhouse  and our Cat has developed browning and yellowing of the leaves….We don’t know if it is due to light overload or watering.  Any and all help would be appreciated… Newbies in Ohio Bill & Kim

Sounds like a root problem. If it has been two years or more in the same pot it probably should be repotted on general priciples. Check the roots. Any that are muddy brown and soft should be cut off. The lighter colored ones that have some spring to them are probably OK. If your roots are OK repot. This time of year is a good season to repot. Good Luck, Bill in the Florida Keys

Response:

My wife and I are somewhat new to orchids so this is probably a simple   solution,  We have a large Catelaya (8" pot) that bloomed in Nov/Dec and then dropped all blossoms.  We recently moved to a home with a greenhouse  and our Cat has developed browning and yellowing of the leaves….We don’t know if it is due to light overload or watering.  Any and all help would be appreciated… Newbies in Ohio Bill & Kim

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife and I are somewhat new to orchids so this is probably a simple solution,  We have a large Catelaya (8" pot) that bloomed in Nov/Dec and then dropped all blossoms.  We recently moved to a home with a greenhouse  and our Cat has developed browning and yellowing of the leaves….We don’t know if it is due to light overload or watering.  Any and all help would be appreciated… Newbies in Ohio Bill & Kim Sounds like a root problem. If it has been two years or more in the same pot it probably should be repotted on general priciples. Check the roots. Any that are muddy brown and soft should be cut off. The lighter colored ones that have some spring to them are probably OK. If your roots are OK repot. This time of year is a good season to repot. Good Luck, Bill in the Florida Keys

I agree with Bill that you should check the roots. However, if the leaves are brown and yellow it may be due to too much light. Does the greenhouse have any shading? The cattleya will do best with 40-50% shade. More than about 60% light and the leaves will turn brown if burned or yellow if the damage is not that extreme. Ususally if the roots are destroyed the plant will shrivel and appear dehydrated. The leaves will become soft and the formerly plump pseudobulbs will also shrivel. Often this occurs while the green color is maintained. I’ve been growing orchids for thirty years and still kill some. If you don’t make mistakes you can’t learn. Good luck. Alan F. Bachrach, Nashville, TN

Response:

Filed under: Growing Orchids

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