Mormodes Seasonal Culture Sheet

Watering: Catasetinae begin their growth with lengthening days in the spring. Watering should begins after the new growth develops new roots at least 3-5 inches (7.6-12.7 cm) long.

Temperature: Ideal day temperatures should be 75–95 oF (24–35 oC) with nights of 60–75 oF (16–24 oC)

Humidity:  Should range from 40-75%

 Fertilizing: Starts when watering begins. The fertilizer type depends on water quality: for hard water use 20-20-20 and for pure water use 13-3-13.  Use at half strength, about ½ teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water with each watering.

Watering: Plants enter a period of rapid growth and development. The new pseudobulbs are growing and maturing quickly.  This is the rainy season in nature, when it is raining almost daily. This is when you should water your Catasetinae frequently so the media does not completely dry out.

Temperature: Ideal day temperatures should be 75–95 oF (24–35 oC) with nights of 70–80 oF (21–26 oC).[RK1] 

 Humidity:  Should range from 50-95%

 Fertilizing: The fertilizer type depends on water quality: for hard water use 20-20-20 and for pure water use 13-3-13.  Now is the time to increase fertilization to full strength as the plants are putting on new growth and forming pseudobulbs quickly. Use 1 teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water with each watering.

Watering: Catasetinae will have fully developed their pseudobulbs by now. The days are shortening, and in nature the wet season is coming to an end. Catasetinae have completed the season’s growth, and the pseudobulbs are beginning to harden off in preparation for dormancy. Now is the time to reduce your irrigation to about half of what you provided in summer. This is the start of the blooming season.

 Temperature: Ideal day temperatures should be 75–95 oF (24–35 oC) with nights of 60–80 oF (16–26 oC).

Humidity:  Should range from 40-75%

 Fertilization: Now is the time to stop fertilization.

Watering: The blooming season continues through early winter. In nature, this is the beginning of the dry season. Dormancy begins, and the plants respond by dropping their leaves. The first signs of dormancy will be yellowing leaf tips on the lower leaves. Shortly thereafter, the whole leaf will turn yellow and drop. This leaf abscission continues up the bulb until all are gone. By late December, most leaves should have yellowed or fallen off, and irrigation will be concluded for the year.

 Temperature: Ideal day temperatures should be 60–75 oF (16–25 oC) with nights of 55–70 oF (12–21 oC).

Humidity:  Should range from 40-75%

 Fertilizing:No irrigation and no fertilization

Catasetinae prefer high light, and they grow best with 3000 to 5000 foot-candles. In the home, a south-facing window with 4 or more hours of sun daily should be sufficient . Plants grown under artificial lights need the day length managed to simulate seasonal changes, as in nature:

April – October: Day length should be 15 hrs.

November: Reduce day length to 14 hrs.

December: Reduce day length to 13 hrs.

January: Reduce day length to 12 hrs.

February: Increase day length to 13 hrs.

March: Increase day length to 14 hrs.

April – October: Increase day length back to 15 hrs.

There should always be air moving around the plant. This helps to warm or cool the plant, depending on the season, and to dry off the plant after watering. Air exchange is equally important and is usually not a problem for greenhouse or outside growers. For indoor growers, a fresh air inlet to your growing area, allowing for some air exchange, will benefit your plants.

The onset of dormancy is caused by several factors: the maturity of the pseudobulb, shortening day length, cooler day/night temperatures, a reduction in irrigation, and finally no irrigation.  When Catasetinae are grown in a greenhouse or outside year-round, dormancy will occur naturally.

For plants grown in the home or under lights, dormancy needs to be managed for best results. This is achieved by following the instructions above for light, water and temperature.

The process of changing conditions during the year is important, because these plants need dormancy as an important part of their growth cycle. The sooner the plants go dormant, the sooner they will begin new growth in the spring. It is beneficial for new growth to begin as early in the spring as possible to provide a long summer growing season and the best flowering.

Potting media and pots: For seedlings and mature plants, New Zealand sphagnum moss with the bottom 1/3 of the pot filled with Styrofoam peanuts works well as it holds moisture and also provides some air space.  Plastic pots are cheap and easy to acquire, but clay pots and baskets also will work well. Catasetinae don't like to be overpotted, and it is important to select a pot size that will allow space for no more than 2 years of growth. 

 Repotting and Dividing:This is best done as the new growth is just starting to develop and before the new roots are starting to show. Remember not to water until the new roots are well established. Unlike most orchid plants,Catasetinaedo well when separated into 2-bulb divisions. Divisions may be made by cutting with a sterile tool or by pulling the bulbs apart

Catasetinae are generally pest free with one exception - spider mites.  These typically appear for the first time in early summer and are easiest to observe on the undersides of the soft leaves. Spider mites are quite small and may require a magnifying glass to be seen.  They live and feed on the chlorophyll in the cells of the leaves. Check for them as the new growths are leafing out and control them quickly before they cause damage.  Mites can be treated with a miticide from your local garden center.

Further information can be found on the Mormodes genus page.

Best orchid care practices are also provided for watering, repotting, and fertilizer types. There are also detailed discussions of growing orchids indoors, outdoors, or in greenhouses.

For more information on genus name changes, see Taxonomy.