Good Day Orchid Friends,
Many of you purchased Catasetums from us this year so I want to share this most recent newsletter from Fred Clarke at Sunset Valley Orchids. Fred and his associated created the Catasetum hybrids that we carry at EZ Greens Orchids. Fred typically devotes 3 or 4 of his newsletters to Catasetum culture (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall). I find his guidance and words of wisdom helpful and perhaps you will too.
Thanks to all of you who stopped by EZ Greens Farm and supported us this weekend during our big sale and throughout the year. It was great seeing you all and getting to chat with you while you were shopping for your orchids.
Happy Orchiding,
Tom and Win
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December 2025 Catasetum Growing Tips
Now that winter has really set in, your Catasetums and Cycnoches will have matured their growths and for the most part finished flowering, there are always a few late bloomers that should be on their way to dormancy soon. Mormodes will be finishing up their bloom season, and now it’s time for many of the Clowesia hybrids to flower. The onset of dormancy is caused by several factors: the maturity of the pseudobulb, shortening day length, cooler day/night temperatures and a reduction of root zone moisture. The yellowing and dropping of leaves signal the beginning of dormancy. By now you should have stopped fertilizing and cut back on watering frequency, simulating the end of the wet season in nature. This change in culture will cause the pseudobulbs to harden off in preparation for the upcoming months of dormancy. When most leaves are yellow/brown and have fallen off, cease watering altogether. This marks the start of the dormant period. Those of you in Florida and the southern states will have dormant plants now, and it’s possible that some of you may start to see the first beginnings of new growth. If this is the case, watering resumes once the new growth has new roots 4-6” long, which will take a couple months… |
These six plants illustrate the progression of Catasetinae into dormancy, from left to right: 1) leaf tip yellowing, 2) leaf yellowing, browning and abscission, 3) more yellow leaves, tip die back and leaf drop, 4) obvious missing leaves at base, 5) two leaves remaining, 6) leafless plant. Some Catasetums, Cycnoches, Clowesia and most Mormodes begin their flowering season at the end of the growing season, coinciding with the changing environmental conditions, and the onset of leaf yellowing and in dormancy. In these cases, it is natural for the flower inflorescences and blooms to begin while you are reducing irrigation frequency. Some plants don’t even start to develop inflorescence until well after all water is stopped and the plant is totally leafless! The gradual backing off of watering frequency and an increasing longer dry interval is accepted by the plants without complaint, of course there is the exception. If your plant pseudobulb shows signs of shriveling during late season usually one or two watering’s will quickly plump it back up. |
A shriveled pseudobulb |
After one watering and a day later, it’s plumped back up. Not all plants lose all of their green leaves when dormant, and it’s not uncommon for some to hold a few leaves well past the point when irrigation has stopped. By late December, it’s important to get your Catasetinae into the dormant stage and provide them with an adequate rest period so that they will “wake up” early in the spring to a long growing season that will help them to develop big bulbs and lots of flowers! The onset of dormancy generally occurs naturally; however, when plants are cultivated in consistently warm growing areas, such as in the home or under lights, dormancy sometimes needs to be encouraged. I have found that managing irrigation is one of the best tools to trigger dormancy. If you still have plants in December with a full complement of green leaves, it’s time take a more aggressive approach. Allow the media to become dry, regardless of the number of green leaves. Let the media stay dry for 5-6 days then water sparingly, about one or two ounces of water. The water may flow right through the media, and that’s okay. Then let media to dry and wait 8-9 days before following the same stingy irrigation procedure. Repeat this process, increasing the dry interval between waterings. This will trigger dormancy in plants that are resisting the transition. It is best to keep the plants in nearly the same light levels as in the growing season: target 2000-2500 foot candles. When the plants are cultivated in the home or under lights do your best to give at least a 10-15 degree day night differential. If you’re growing under lights, you do need to adjust the day length throughout the year, as all Catasetinae experience seasonal changes in the daylight hours per day. This adjustment is important for all your orchids. |
I shared this idea with the last newsletter, and it’s worth sharing again. If you’ve had challenges overwintering your Catasetinae plants, due to excessive dehydration, perhaps caused by long periods of low humidity. Here is a solution being used successfully by some ingenious growers in locations with low winter humidity. |
Set the pot in a jar with water, making a snug-fitting seal with the rim of the jar. The water should not touch the bottom of the pot, for best results it should be 2-3” away. The water reservoir will maintain high humidity around the roots, while the plant remains dry during dormancy. This innovative technique produces great results! We have had lots of positive feedback from growers using this method.
As my Catasetinae go to “sleep” for the winter I am reminded of the words of Shelley: “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”
Good growing and Happy Holidays! Fred Clarke & Carlos Lopez Sunset Valley Orchids, Inc. (760) 310-0778 |
