Cattleya or Oncidium?

[patreynes]

Help! I bought a bunch of orchids in Hawaii last year and they are doing great. One in particular (Epc.Hilo Delight) is now about 2 feet tall and still growing - - but no flowers. Even though it was identified as a cattleya it looks much more like an oncidium.
It has lots of new growth but is about to topple over. Any thoughts on how to get it to flower and whether to prune it?
Thanks from a 'newbie'

[God.Jr]

hi there i'm also kinda new i heard of people havin this problem....i have not yet had this problem as i have not owned an orchid for to long...... but i have read several articals about this situation and wat they all seem to say is you need to shock your orchid ........ now i'm not to sure on the tech's used to do this but it's something to do with changing they temprature and humity i think it was something like -5 degrees of wat ever it is in now for two three days *i think* and then return it back to the tempratures your had it at......

i'm am not 1000% on this i would maybe wait till someone either supports this or can tell you the specifix....... good luck, hope i could help in some way

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Pat, your EC is 3/4 reedstemmed (RS) Epidendrum, that explains the tall growth. RS orchids need a lot of light, maybe full sin during cool weather, and 50 to 75% during warm weather, but move it to more sun gradually. RS's will keep growing taller and taller if not given enough light. When they finally have enough leaves to support blooms, they will finally bloom on the top of the cane. Because your plant has some Cattleya in it, it will much more likely be a seasonal bloomer, which slows down the blooming even more. Pure RS's are often perpetually in bloom. Since your plant is 3/4 RS, it may be a continual bloomer if large enough and given enough light, but those plants that are only 1/2 RS and 1/2 Catt have proved in my experience to be very seasonal, so you will just have to wait and see which genes dominate. The plant should probably be kept on the moist side.

[greg_s]

Easy way to tell if it is a cattleya or oncidium: If the plant is putting out bulbs along a single rhizome then it is a cattleya. If the bulbs are more round and seem to be growing en mass like a cluster then it is an oncidium.

In my research, the two things that usually kick off blooming are light and temperature. There does need to be a temperature change to kick off spike production. I am not sure how drastic the change needs to be. The light is also very important in the sense that if the plant is not getting enough light it will grow very well but just not bloom. Check your light levels for the kind plant and make sure it is getting enough sunshine.

[agarrat]

I have to agree with cynthia, reeed Epidendrums are sun lovers... they would not bloom until given the correct amount of sunlight

[jerrymeola]

I have to disagree. I raise a lot of Epi-Cattleya and I treat them exactly like cats not Epis, the same advice you got from the grower.

I have mentioned before that a good grower knows his orchids and will give you good advice. If you do not feel you can trust the advise of the person, then you should not be buying from them.

Hawaiian growers raise a lot of Epc and I do not know of any that do not treat them like pure cats.

Light level of 3500 foot candles of light to flower and most flower only once a year.

If you are trying to raise this indoors a lot of supplemental lighting may be necessary.

Also when moving an orchid from Hawaii to the US (and you do not list where you are located) it can be a huge change in growing conditions. The change alone can set back blooming a full season so 18-20 months to reset buds can be normal.

Also was the flower in bloom. If this is the first blooming for the plant you can not determine when it will happen.

Also too much Nitrogen fertilizer can produce leaf growth at the expense of flowers.

If you re-potted that could have set back flowering.

Balance fertilizer and light levels (I guess your problem is mostly light leveles) to what is required for Cattleya and you should get good results.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Well, I am glad you generally agree with the need for more light. I won't argue with the difference between Catt light and a little higher, tho I have one EC, a miniature reedstem that refuses to bloom without loads of light. Trust me, I have pieces of it scattered all over my greenhouse (good grower over many years), and the only piece that blooms is the one hanging in the brutally bright south end of the GH with the Myrmechophilas(Schomburgkias). Also, please remember, the OP's plant is 3/4 reedstemmed, which could push it into the higher light catagory. But then, Reedstem Epis bloom OK in Catt light too, it is just a question of height of the plant before blooming.

[patreynes]

Thanks for all the great advice! I'll put it in a place with more light and see what happens.