Catasetum type orchid care update! 

Fred Clark!!!! From Sunset Valley Orchids I LOVE HIS nursery and lucky to be around 2 hours away from where he's located. Thank you Mathew for all the information!!!!

Jeepers Matthew! I have never been brave enough here in the Cape but since we have the same climates ……….? We expecting 5C minimums this weekend !! I also grow everything outside so that why you’re always on topic for us here in the cold wet Winelands 🍷

I personally have a dozen Catasetums living with me, and it has always struck me how reliably they bloom and how tolerant they are, so, quite a surprise to hear someone has a hard time with them! About their natural habitat, since I live in it(Brazil, amen), we do often see Catasetums within rotting trees, but I wouldn't say it is their only home; they're sometimes even seen growing in the forest floor, but way more oftenly in perfectly healthy trees! One thing that differs between those growing styles is, as I've noticed, the amount of 'hairs' their roots grow.

Would love a tour of your orchid collection. You have an amazing collection.

I grow Catasetums in south Louisiana and use the PET method. We stop watering at thanksgiving and do not resume watering until memorial day. If I see new growth after dormancy will repot only if there won’t be room for the new bulb. We do not water until new growth AND the roots are 3-5 inches long. Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis has a great You-Tube video on repotting in the PET method

🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 It looks a lot like a flower spike👏👏👏. Matthew, are you a teacher? I always learn so much from your “amateurish” grower’s knowledge and, always, in such a fun and interesting way. Thank you very much😍

they absolutely love blood and bone too

Looks like a flower spike to me... They have a mesmerizing/addictive/indescribable fragrance.

Hi Matthew, love your channel. Glad there is someone else who gets super excited with small successes. Orchid are wonderful & a fun interest. My collection is growing. Cheers Sandra - Sunshine Coast Queensland

They can certainly produce new growth without going into dormancy. Mine pushed 2 this year while the newest pseudobulb still had its leaves, took me by surprise, but, apparently, it's not uncommon.

My fave catasetum is called midnight special black pearl.❤

To get the best flowering you will need to get the plants much bigger..the bulbs should be at least 300mm tall and 50+ mm thick.. they can get quite large. I had a good grower visit recently and told me mine weren’t near big enough. I am going to add dynamic lifter pellets to the mix this year and also mycorrhizae fungal mix. We are lucky in Central Queensland that our climate is fantastic for Catasetenae, however, some species are still difficult to grow here. Love that you are having a go..well done👍👍👍

I hope it's a flower spike for you. My SVO catasetums tend to produce spikes while losing their leaves or even once all leaves have dropped so still time to get them for you. :)

I have been checking my two remaining Catasetum for signs of dormancy I thought my skills were enough to get a few of these plants then killed two seedlings and one division please do more updates I live in northern NSW

Hi Matthew. I'm glad that you still have some catasetum in your collection. I have been entrusted with my sister-in-law's catasetum and cycnodes that she inherited from her aunt 😂. So..... Im having a hard time trying to figure out how to care for them and she lost the tags so I'm clueless atm. I have been scouring my favourite YT channels but they only have basic care , Winter dormancy and summer blooming. I live in Sydney and they are only starting their flower spikes now😮, i have ID one as a possible Cycnodes wine delight. Will they go into winter dormancy at all???? I will be interested to see if you get a flower spike on your Catasetum midnight lace!!❤ Good luck to us both 🤞🤞

Mine has flowered the last 2 years in a row. This year it won Grand Champion among 3 other awards at our recent Autumn show. I am in Adelaide. No special treatment except for light levels. When in spike lower levels gave me male flowers (this year) and last year with higher light levels gave me female flowers. Mostly lives in my shadehouse (not fully enclosed) with other plants or under the verandah. Does mover to our small greenhouse when the spike appears simply to protect it from insects. No water May to Sept then lots of water and feed. I was told the leaves would drop - they did not last year and currently not showing doing it yet again.

Matthew love your videos! You’re inspiring me to document my struggles with these plants haha. Would you mind sharing what mic/camera do you use?

🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

You need more ferilizer with high N

I had a hybrid named after me with my last names and I killed it! It was SVO 8091 Valerio Padilla : SVO 8091 (Ctsm. Melana Davison 'Hoorah' x Ctsm. Isobel's Sunshine 'SVO'). I am hopeful because, last year when I spoke to Fred Clark, he said he may be able to replace it for me this summer. Great information on Catasetum. 👏👏👏🌸🌞🌷

Hi Matthew I'm in Central Qld and my FDK after dark 'black pearl' is now in flower. Do you have any lycastes, I'd love to try one but they're so hard to buy up here

Hello Matthew. I am visiting Melbourne next week. I will be staying in the CBD area. Could you please recommend any good nursery to visit? Many thanks😅

Very bright light, but not direct sun, is that it?

Are you watering it still