Hey Ray -
Many of my catasetinae have growths like that right now. Me, I'd err on the side of caution - fear of the dreaded rot!
No water until 2-4" of visible new root. I have a couple that bloom several months into dormancy, but they do it without anything from me except the moisture from my drooling/panting.
Cheers - Nancy

Ray, I'm with Nancy. Wait for those roots. Here's hoping it's a spike. Whitecat8

Thanks Whitecat & Nancy! So I will just let it happen & wait for new roots that are at least 2-4" long to form before i put it into new medium. Another question, should I leave the old root in tacked or cut them off?

-Ray-

My saccatum is growing the exact same thing right now. It's also putting out lots of new roots too. Last winter I tried to force this plant into dormancy and failed miserably. It didn't want to. This year, I've just let it grow all winter long and I'm sure what I'm seeing now is a spike.

I started a couple of threads about this one some time ago, but I don't think they're available any more.

Kevin

Alright!! It feels good to get good news! Thanks Kevin! Yes, there were a couple threads about this topic made several years back, but garden web is still having issues with its search engine & I was unable to open & view any of the information in the threads. Do any of you grow your mounted? I was thinking about mounting it this year for a new look. Do you give it any special treatment that your other mounted cats, brassavolas, dendrobiums, etc get?

-Ray-

I would be VERY surprised if that turned out to be a spike although I admit having experience only with Mormodes and Cycnodes. These push spikes right from the p-bulbs themselves and not from so far down near the roots. In potting up my dormant Cycd. I chopped the old roots down to just over one inch as I needed something down there to give the bulb some purchase in the new mix. Even though I potted before the new roots started growing, I did not water until the foliage of the new growth reached the height of the tallest of the existing p-bulbs. IMO it would be very difficult to grow these mounted. They need to be literally drowned during the growing season. Their thirst is incredible when light is good, and it should be. In fact, some recommend a very dense, water retentive mix, when growing in sunny, warm environments like yours, Ray. FWIW

Here is a link that might be useful: Cat Care

Thanks Howard!! That link was super helpful! I did not know that I am supposed to separate the bulbs. Right now the plant has 2 smaller P.B.s growing off the main bulb, so I will separate them tonight! As for mounting it, I will skip the mounting project for this year & maybe come up with something for next year that will involve a rock & flowing water. Last year I grew it in sphagnum moss that was always damp or soaked & it thrived! So it might be suited to grow in such a way.

I will keep my hopes up that it will turn out to be a flower spike. If you guys check back here in say 1 week (next Thursday 1-31-08) I will take a new picture & post it. By then it should be pretty clear what is happening.

-Ray-

Ray

If you do that, I suspect the spike or possible spike will abort. Maybe wait a week or so to see what it really is. At least that's what I would do. It's up to you.

The reason I believe mine is a spike is the shape. As it grows, it's the same diameter all the way up and also appears segmented. From my experience, most new growths are wider at the bottom than at the top - kind of like a pyramid.

Kevin

Yes, you are absolutely right about the way the spike is growing Kevin! My hopes are now even higher =0) I will hold off on splitting the bulbs up. Now a question... LetÂs say it is a flower spike. If I should leave the bulbs connected until after the flower is finished which is in maybe 2 months or so, would it still be okay to remove them before repotting? Of will I just have to leave them attached to the main P.B. until the next season?

-Ray-

Hi Ray -
I don't want to rain on anybody's parade...but, after we read the C&H page years ago, my friend and I very enthusiastically divided all of our catasetums into single growths. The result over the next year was nearly 100% fatality. i.e., only one out of about 30 divisions is still alive.
IMO, you shouldn't divide unless you have about 8 growths, and then just halve the plant.
Some people do have luck with separating into single growths, but the only ones I know have commercial GHs and ideal conditions re: temperature, moisture, humidity, pest, fungus, etc. control.
The actual *people* that I know who do this tend to lose almost all of the divisions.
My two cents.
I grow a half-dozen or so catasetinae on mounts of either grapewood or those flat slatted mounts (look like basket bottoms?). They do fine - I do fertilize the bejesus out of them when they are in growth, potted, basketed, or mounted.
I think they are very attractive mounted. I do not un-mount or un-pot or root prune during dormancy, so what do I know.
Cheers - Nancy

OUCH NANCY!!!! That must have really hurt! Thanks for the warning! And thanks for the ideas you had about mounting them. I tend to use feather rock (very porous & slices your fingers to pieces, but orchids seem to love them!) grape wood, or mopani wood. I am going to the W.O.C. tomorrow; maybe I will look for a new plant & use this one as an experiment in mounting!

-Ray-

I actually agree about not dividing. I posted the link because it addressed the issues of potting mix and watering frequency. Glad Ray decided to hold off.

H