MY CATASETUM IS IN BLOOM AGAIN!

@ 07-09-10

I had bought my only Catasetum at an orchid show some years ago. A small variety no doubt but it was what I could afford! It has given  me many blooms and in time I have managed to have  four pots through  splitting of the fleshy pseudobulbs (recommended at the start of a new growth) and  patiently tending them  At times they did not survive!

 Repotting

Three of the pots have  produced spikes since a couple of weeks ago and I reckon I would be having an interesting Hari Raya this year observing and admiring them develop. 

 Catasetums With Spikes

When I first had the Catasetum, I just hung it under my orchid stand where it received quite an amount 

of light. It had been producing female flowers that look bulbous much like the bishop's hat! (See pic #5). My first spike produced only two or three blooms of green and brown hue. I have never seen such flowers and I thought they were rather strange looking. 

 Catasetum - Female Flowers

Catasetum is the most interesting of the deciduous orchid genus. There are over 100 species which are native of  Mexico to Argentine and Peru. It is a sympodial, epiphytic plant. I grow mine in pots with broken bricks and charcoal as medium. I do not know it's species but it does have a strong semblance of the Catasetum expansum. The interesting thing about Catasetum is it produces separate spikes of male and female flowers. It is seldom hermaphrodite or produce perfect flowers. The male flowers can eject pollina up to 8 ft. 

 Catasetum Spike

The fleshy pseudobulbs are deciduous inferring to a need for care in watering and it's dormancy requirement. It will lose it's foliage, usually about 6-8 leaves, after completing the flowering cycle. New pseudobulb will grow from the base. Regular watering and weekly fertilising with 20-20-20, N-P-K content  is recommended. Note that different medium may require different type of fertilizer. For example, if a tree bark is used it is recommended to use 30-10-10  fertilizer. While brighter light produces more vigorous growth and better blooms, it tends to produce female flowers. A shadier environment would produce male flowers.

When the spike is about 4" - 6" it may be staked to avoid breakage and  encourage good flower arrangement and it is recommended that it face the same side during the inflorescence development.

In this article  are images of my Catasetum spike at various stages of development. Enjoy them.

Note : I have had confirmation that the above orchid is actually Catasetum pileatum.