2. European Orchid Project & Catasetum Update - great lemons

From Douentza Garden in Wexford, Ireland.
Here is an update on my orchid project plant and my other catasetum types.

Orchids mentioned, in order of appearance...
Catasetum charlesworthii x ornithoides (project plant)
Cycnoches loddigesii x Catasetum pileatum 
Catasetum Penang Jumbo Sweet Heart
Cycnodes Wine Delight
Catasetum Golden Horizon
Catasetum incurvum x Ten Dragons 'Night Wasp'
Thunia marshalliana

And please buy my book, Journal of an Irish Garden, for sale here...

[desertplantsofavalon]

LOL! when you said at them sitting there like great big Lemons haha! this made me giggle so much :-) I bet they will soon be growing as fast as lightening soon :-) thanks so much for the update on the and for sharing Rachel and sending you heaps of love and tons of happiness from Waterford to Wexford and have a MAGNIFICENT sunny filled Bank holiday ahead <3

[newchidondablock]

I absolutely LOVE your channel.  You are so cheery.  As my name implies, I'm a novice orchid grower, however I'm an expert orchid lover.  I started growing catasetums this year too.  So many unknowns.  With all my research though, it sounds like you are doing everything right.  I was shocked to see so little growth.  It totally scared me, but it put things into perspective.  This process can be challenging to even those with experience and you must learn YOUR way.  Please keep us updated.  I'm hoping your little lemons make you lemonade this year.  Happy Growing.

[johnbenedictorchids]

You sound so happy, Rachel... and that's good. Otherwise, there is no way I would ever be able to keep any of those alive for more than a week or two, :) but they do amaze me how they bloom. Best of luck flowering them.. :)

[MiracleOrchids]

They look ok, except the ones on the glass table...catasetums start to grow fast only after they have a good amount of roots and they kind of love temps above 20 to 30 C (with proper watering of course ). So glad the catasetum from me is doing good 😊

[andrewusher]

I was having the same problem all I di was gave it high humidity in a space and it grew roots now it's rellay quick I find that if you spray very little water around it even if roots are absent it helps but I would suggest making a tent out of cling film and bamboo skewers to kick start the growth cycle

[bretfurgason]

i grow Catasetums in full sun and very strong fertilizer. they love it. The temp was 85 and UV index 9. all 5 of mine were smiling [0;

[helleasc]

Omg, they really don't do much. do they. Mine didn't either until we had a really warm season here in Denmark. That made them hurry up and grow quite a lot, - except for Cycnodes Wine Delight, it aborted the new shoot. I hope for another one instead. I keep my fingers crossed for yours ;)

[TDMoorethanjustORCHIDS]

thanks for sharing Rachel...i need my Galeandra to do something...at least yours has a small growth..i'm waiting patiently..

[OrchidudeBcn]

Hey Rachel, I'm somewhat relieved by your update because my project plant is pretty stagnant as well. It had started showing signs of growth and roots, but after the first watering the roots rotted and I almost lost the growth. I attributed this to the reason it was now progressing so slowly, but now I'm wondering otherwise. In total I have about 12 catasetinae types, but it seems the only vigorous growers, apart from the Monn. Mill. Magic witchcraft purchased here in the EU, are the ones from the US, namely from Sunset Valley Orchids. It could just be a coincidence, but doesn't seem that way...

[FrugalHomesteading]

Beautiful plants thank you for sharing drop by to visit, watch like and leaving a comment God bless ❤❤❤

[GIVMI_more_W]

I am also a Catasetum novice, but what I can see that especially the Ten Dragons look dessicated - try spraying the roots - if they are still turning green, pot them up and spray the moss slightly. They are begging for humidity!
That's what I did with mine, and it has now a shoot that's almost twice as tall as last year's bulb (including the leaves). And the growth was tiny and had no roots, too. Think about it: The plant "notices" there is nothing to feed at around it - no water, nada. Why risk using its stored nutrients to grow roots etc.? As I understand it, Catasetinae in the wild experience a rain season and a dry season, but the dry season still having a humid touch to it - so it's nothing like a dry desert climate, so a little bit of moisture (like slightly sprayed moss around not-cut-off-roots) should be very welcome to them, as long as you don't overdo it. At least, that is how my logic works, it can be completely stupid, or I am misinformed.

I don't mean to put down your way of growing, you are far more experienced when it comes to gardening - maybe I am in for a nasty surprise, it's just I experienced that fast growth without a sign of the plants lemoning about.

[marygorchidsmore]

may be it's a bit colder than they like so they haven't woken up yet.

[Andrea-orchidsadutchy]

I'm sorry to hear your catasetums are not doing much at the moment. Recently I was talking to an experienced orchid grower here in Finland (who doesn't have catasetums), and she thinks that our weather and short summers are not the best for catasetums. We see amazing catasetum videos from our American friends in South Carolina and other nice and warm places, and their weather is so much better than in Finland or in Ireland. The spring comes earlier, and they have so much warmth and humidity. Maybe the light is a key factor. Would your catasetums get more light at the greenhouse? Or would they prefer to be in the house where it's warmer? I don't know. Also, could they be a little set back after moving from the nursery and adapting to a new environment? All I have are theories and questions, and a lot of guessing, because I never had a catasetum and cannot speak from experience. Maybe there could be some things that could help to speed up their growth. Maybe a humidity tray with a heating mat below it, to make it more warm and moist, and some grow lights. Or maybe all they need is more time. Good luck with them. I hope soon they will wake up and start growing like mad. :)

[dimitrikeller]

How about your temperatures? we've had a really cold week here in Switzerland with temperature just a bit over 10C and I noticed all my orchids stoped growing!!

[crazyamazondude]

you over potted them...it's better to plant in medium sized pots.