- Determine the back bulbs from the front bulbs.
- Find any new active eyes that need special care.
- Separate 3-4 healthy pseudobulbs on each side.
- Cut and treat the rhizome.
- Place your Cattleya division in its new pot.
Cattleyas produce several new pseudobulbs that rise vertically from a horizontally extending rhizome. Within a year or two, they begin growing out of the pots, so it is important to divide them into clumps of at least three pseudobulbs. Pot each cluster into separate orchid pots, pointing the oldest growth towards the edges of the pot and the newer growth towards the center.
To divide a Cattleya, cut through the rhizome between the pseudobulbs, leaving three to four bulbs per division. Try to untangle some of the roots for each division. You may have to cut some of the old media from the cattleya roots.
This repotting and dividing orchids guide will work for splitting Cymbidium orchids, Miltoniopsis orchids, Oncidium orchids, and Cattleya orchids, to name a few. Follow the steps outlined here to repot and divide any orchid.
If your newly potted plant is wobbly, use a ring support or rhizome clip to secure the plant. Divide the orchids into sets of about 4 canes per division, cutting with a knife or secateurs. There is no need to divide your Cattleya orchids unless you want to share them or they are too big for any pots or your space.
With sterilized secateurs, cut the rhizome 3 mature growths back from the front, cut through the roots, and separate the divisions.
📹 How to Divide & Repot Cattleya Orchids | Easy Repotting Tips for Beginners
00:00 Intro 0:40 Removing Cattleya from Terra Cotta Pot 1:41 Removing Old Media from Cattleya Roots 3:38 How to tell if roots …
📹 How to divide a Cattleya Orchid
Today I’m dividing my cattleya orchid to share it with my friend. I usually take my time and try to make as less damage as possible …
Just like media, choice of pot is exactly that–a choice. Clear pots are helpful for beginners to see what is happening with their plant. But terra cotta is useful for heavy waterers or us Southerners who can put some orchids outdoors. I loved perusal the division! Very helpful since I have a massive plant that needs some downsizing. Thank you!
Explanation of cutting rhizome was clear. What I do is only partially (mostly), cut the rhizome when planning to divide in the future. That way there is still some “communication/moisture transfer” from the newer rhizome until a new eye begins to grow roots. Not sure that makes a difference, but it works for me.
Im so happy that i saw your article today very much information on my cattleya . I see your cattleya has some of those brown looking leaves and some stems are wrinkles like mine, i was told it had black rot, But i see you just cut it off, called it old plant. Thanks very much 😀 for the great article i learned alot, new at this 😀 😄 👍
It’s ironic the biggest lesson you probably gave here is you don’t have to keep everything you buy. Our time and energy is finite. Try out lots of stuff but after you know how the plants are like, keep the ones that get you excited and happy. Share and give away the rest. Don’t get hung up on keeping stuff just because you bought it or even if the plant is nice, just keep what makes you happy in your collection. Started doing that and it feels so much more enjoyable.
Hi Nicole, I have a Burana Beauty which was meant to be flowering size but in over 12 months has done nothing but grow new bulbs. I decided to repot it and found it is actually 2 plants (probably to make the pot look fuller). So rather than put it back outside the 2 plants are now living under grow lights. Hopefully that will now give me some blooms. Thank you for showing us this lovely little orchid, I’ll be looking out for updates.
Ordered 12 new cattleyas from Akatsuka, Krull Smith, Hausermanns, and Waldor’s today. First time ordering from these popular places and I got a couple of Richard Mueller hybrids like Bc. Rustic Spots ‘H&R’ and Cattleya Small World x Bc. Richard Mueller. I figured now is a better time with the warmer temperatures starting and it’s my Mom’s birthday next week. I just need to order some new plant stands to make space. 😅
Had to go back and repot my first cattleya mini hybrids today after one was getting mold. 😒 My fault for up-potting newly purchased orchids. 😕 I added sphagnum moss this time with slow release fertilizer and was able to put one in a terracotta pot for the first time. All of them still had a decent amount of roots left. I wish I could keep the rhizome above the pot level, but it’s almost impossible. ZZ plants and lilies also have rhizomes. I can still smell that vinegar like smell from the old roots! 😫 I recommend a mask to anyone repotting next time! 😷 Hopefully they’ll benefit from the nice weather the rest of the week! 🌞
Good article Danny. An experienced grower here told me that to minimise shock, he cuts his plant about 2 months before he is going to divide it ( usually divides in spring). So here he cuts through his plant, in June, (there maybe January) while it is still in the pot and puts cinnamon powder on the cut. When spring arrives, there are new growths on both sides and he can separate the 2 and re plant them!!
Another really experienced Cattleya grower (a friend of mine) cuts the rhizomes on a routine basis. That way she has stunning displays of flowers every year, as each division stays in the pot. She cuts the rhizomes just as the new shoots start growing. This is very important. She also makes sure to have at least 5 or 6 pseudobulbs on each division in the pot to make sure, they’ll flower well. When cutting she uses a garden tool – it’s designed for roses, I think. When the rhizome is cut, she seperates them with a tiny stick and powders them with lots of cinnamon. Otherwise they just grow back together. The advantage of this is of course, that instead of just one new shoot each year, there’s lots of new shoots and lots of flowers as well. I’ll advice against cutting the rhizomes if the plant is smaller than 8-10 psb, but my own huge Iwanagara Village Chief Parfum with at least 20 psbs is just right for it.
Hey, Danny, I purchased a NBS Cattleyas. It has 6 Pseudobulbs and is very healthy. Do you know if I divide it or use the hot iron to create new growth it would go to the very beginning, like half way? I’m wondering what maturity of Cattleyas is related to: time, number/size of Pseudobulbs, etc. Thanks a lot 4 your website and hugs from Brazil!
Am postat acelasi lucru in alt article, dar se pare ca nu s-a pus. La Kaufland poti gasi, daca te vei dori, recipiente sub forma de cos de plastic dreptunghiular cu sau fara gauri, colorate si transparente de 20 cm latime/28 cm lungime/11 cm inaltime la pret de 4,7 lei, la standurile acelea de reduceri, din mijlocul magazinului. Sunt Roarke din forum.
Hello Danny I got a young Cattleya dormaniana a few days ago and wanted to know if you think i can mount it or if this would be bad for the orchid.The plant is around 1 1/2 years old and has about 4 bulbs and good roots(as far as I can judge this with my experience with phalaenopsis hybrids and natural types of phalaenopsis).It´s my first Cattleya that´s why I have no experience with it There´s also a little bit of moss growing near and on a root.I would be pleased if you could answer my question .