my first Cattleya

[greenboy]

I had bad "luck" with orchids even when I am a well known "green thumb" with my friends. I got my first Cattleya orchid, and I planted in an orchid clay pot I bought in Miami and orchid "media" and moss. I wonder if you guys have any suggestions for me, this plant is going to my office to a Window facing East no direct sunlight whatsoever. Well thats the extension of what I am doing with my cattleya. Please give me suggestions.

[mehitabel]

Your catt does need direct sunlight. Not hot overhead summer sun, but slanting morning and afternoon sun.

I'm sorry to say your situation isn't right for catts. Even if it survives, it probably won't bloom.

Check out the American Orchid Society website for culture notes for catts.

AOS | Cattleya

[terry_sealey]

I have to agree with mehitibel, catts need lots of light to bloom and i don't think an east window will do it.

[kmarch]

the first step I'd take would be to get a good culture sheet form the AOS (AOS | Members Only Area) or the one in the Orchid Care section of this forum. Give them a good read and let us know if you have any questions.

[greenboy]

I wonder is I place it under a green light a couple of hours a day, is going to help her? what you guys think? on the other hands my "phalas" are doing well on the same windowsill. and is blooming I am so happy. I am going to read your suggested site. Thanks for your time.

[patticake]

While Phalaenopsis would love those conditions, Cattleyas need more light. A fluorescent light over it much of the day would help, but depending on the specific plant, It still may not be enough. Does the plant have a label with a name? Good luck!

[solay]

Catts and Phals need very different conditions. I keep my Phals. indoors and my Catts in the greenhouse where the light is very strong. Watering is also very different. Good idea to read the culture sheet on both. Love to see some pics. of the orchids you are growing too. Good luck.

[PhalPal]

Originally Posted by greenboy

I wonder is I place it under a green light a couple of hours a day, is going to help her?

I dont know what a 'green light' is, but any type of grow light would need to be on 12-16 hours a day to benefit your Catt. Office flourescents need to be within inches of your orchid to be of any benefit. Phals make great office plants because they can grow in such low light, but Catts need a very bright window.

BTW - if you have a green thumb at all you will be able to grow orchids. They really are not that difficult; it is just a matter of finding out what they want and then finding an appropriate place for them. Sometimes their needs/wants don't fit well into our decorating plans which is a sacrifice we must make as orchid growers!

[jdmatthew]

The frustrating (and fascinating) thing about orchids is that growing different varieties is like growing two totally different plants. Phals and catts are very different in their requirements (and don't look much alike either) yet are both of the same family.

I have found that, unlike many houseplants that will survive (possibly marginally) under the conditions you impose on them, orchids will not bloom if you don't give them what THEY want. And although the greenery is nice, the bloom is the goal.

[greenboy]

She does, I figure there are a lot of them, right?

Originally Posted by patticake

While Phalaenopsis would love those conditions, Cattleyas need more light. A fluorescent light over it much of the day would help, but depending on the specific plant, It still may not be enough. Does the plant have a label with a name? Good luck!

[greenboy]

My friends at work we just call florescent light, "green lights" I guess because it keep things green. I don't know who started using it but we started three years ago, when we started doing "window gardens" , Agreed the blooming is the target. Let's see what happens with my catt, she is doing well tho.

Originally Posted by PhalPal

I dont know what a 'green light' is, but any type of grow light would need to be on 12-16 hours a day to benefit your Catt. Office flourescents need to be within inches of your orchid to be of any benefit. Phals make great office plants because they can grow in such low light, but Catts need a very bright window.

BTW - if you have a green thumb at all you will be able to grow orchids. They really are not that difficult; it is just a matter of finding out what they want and then finding an appropriate place for them. Sometimes their needs/wants don't fit well into our decorating plans which is a sacrifice we must make as orchid growers!

[sunshine]

Catts do need a lot of light to bloom. The catt in my sign line started out as bareroot I bought 4 yrs ago. I didn't think it was ever gonna bloom. Found the geek squad and they helped me to get it bloom. All I had to do was move it so it got more light. Mine does sit in a sunny east window. It gets good direct sunlight until about noon time the indirect. Once I found this forum I was off and running. The culture sheets are excellent on here. I do beleive Brooke has a thread on here for repotting a phal with great step by step pics. I have used this for a guide for repotting all my orchids.

Oh, and btw, paphs will make a nice companion with your phals

[11Orchid126]

Remember that phals like to stay moist while cattleyas like to dry out. The plant will probably stay alive in the east window right up against the glass, but not bloom unless it gets supplemental light. And if it's a slightly east/southeast window, all the better. However, come April/May you can put the cattleya outside and let it sop up as much light as it can take, and it may bloom for you eventually.

[greenboy]

You mean to get her to the sun, is to get her to direct sunlight? or to direct sun light? sorry I am confused.

[PhalPal]

Catts like 'bright light'. I would be careful putting her in the sun because we often leave them in soft morning sun and then forget about them - bad news. Orchid leaves are very easy to burn.
Think of bright light as if you had her on the beach. If she is sitting out on a towel on the sand with no protection, is direct sun. (obviously!) Take the same beach but put her under an umbrella toward the edges, and that is 'bright light'.

[11Orchid126]

You're in PA, I'm in NJ. In the summer I have my cattleyas outdoors where they get sun from early morning til about noonish. The rest of the day they get very bright light. This summering outdoors seems to help tide them over for the winter, and bloom. The leaves should be a bright green, not a dark green. (Sun light and sunlight are a matter of semantics).

In the fall and winter I have them in a south facing window, right up against the glass, in our weak winter sunlight here on the east coast.