| Catts and sunburn
Kenny,
Cattleyas are actually some of the easiest orchids to grow. They can take full sun in the early morning and late afternoon, but full California sun in the middle of the day could cause sunburn. A mild sunburn shows up as a dry light colored patch on the leaf, a bad one as a black patch. In my experience, the occasional sunburn isn't fatal, but your plant will have an ugly leaf for a long time, and its growth will be set back. Prolonged exposure to way too much sun would eventually kill the plant, but I would think most growers would notice symptoms and move the plant before that happens. In my south-facing solarium what I do is put up a sort of awning over the shelves where my orchids grow so that they get direct sun in the AM until about 10:00 and in the PM after about 3:00. I use lacy fabric for shade because it mimics the light-shade patterns of leaves overhead - it looks funky, but if the plants like it, who cares? If you're growing outside, just put the plants under a mid-day shade source like a tree or shrub.
Good luck with your Cattleyas!  |