| A few more things about Cattleya sheaths.
A Cattleya can form a sheath and it can dry and whither without ever forming a bud. This is very common on young plants too young to support a flower. It can happen also on mature plants that are stressed from lack of water or food, although, this is not common. It can easily happen on plant divisions, so if you buy a bare root division that is in sheath, you should realize it may not flower the same year.
The speed can also be slowed by lack of water although the shortage of water has to be extreme.
The time in sheath can also be genetic. Some Cattleya form their sheats as much as 6 months before their flowering season. Blc George King is one that develops sheaths in early summer but blooming is Dec-Feb. Others like Blc Golden Tang flower 3 or 4 times a year.
So the sheaths on George King take 6-8 months and the Golden Tang usually does not produce a sheath but flowers every 3-4 months.
After the first two flowers you will begin to know your plant.
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jerry  |