My very first cattleya orchid! =O

[englandfx]

Ok, well I am a phal kind of person lol.

However, today I have decided to try something different. So I purchased My very first cattleya orchid.

Can someone provide a link to the catt. culture sheet.
Also, do catts need a drop in temperature to initiate spiking? And can catts bloom more than once per year?

I'm a total catt. newbie lol

Here are the pics!







The whole plant.





There you have it, my very first cattleya orchid
Oh can catts be grown indoors?

[sunshine]

What a beautiful catt. To answer your catts can be grown indooors. Need a lot of light. Read the culture sheet on how to take care of them.

AOS | Cattleya

[LauraGR]

Looks like your catt took a walk around your house, sort of like the travelling gnome! Here's the AOS culture sheet for Catts:

AOS | Cattleya

[englandfx]

Damn, accidentally snapped a leaf >_>

The leaves are so hard and stiff, it is like easy to snap lol

[englandfx]

lol yes i was taking pics of it all over the place xD

[patticake]

It's very pretty! Congratulations on your new addition!

[kid a]

So pretty! Does it have a name?

[Breezy79]

So pretty.. Congratulations.

[englandfx]

Nope no name.

[lmartiny]

That is a pretty one. I have been leaning toward Catts lately. They seem easy, but they have their challanges too. I think I like the ones that pop out buds, rather than sheaths. The sheath thing has been iffy for me.
Most Catts like bright light and dry out between watering. We are having daily rain so I've been trying to be careful with all the water.

[englandfx]

Ok, I have a few catt. questions:

1.) On average, how long do catt blooms usually last?
2.) Is it normal for there to be lots of wrinkles/ripples on the psuedobulb/sheath things.
3.) Do catts need a drop in temperature to initiate spiking?
4.) Can certain catts bloom more than twice a year? Or is it the average for most catts
to bloom once a year?

[Yiu Lin]

Hi Fx, though I'm no expert, these are my findings from my catts:
1) Blooms last between 1.5 to 2 weeks.
2) Wrinkles on the older pseudobulbs is normal. Though the new psedobulb should be plump. If the new one is wrinkled, it's probably because of insufficient watering
3) No, catts don't need a drop in temperature. They do need lots of sunlight, though be careful for sunburn (learnt today, when I burnt one leaft om my newest catt)
4) I think catts can bloom 2 or even 3 times a year. Though I've never managed to get this to happen

[berniep]

G'Day Fx

Very nice catt I have had blooms last up to 3 months, depends on individual plants. I grow under 50% shade in spring/summer - clear plastic during mid-autumn/winter. Never hot midday sun. If you are not sure whether it needs watering leave it a day. Loves humidity and air movement/ventilation.
This seems to work for me hope it is of some assistance.

Cheers
bernie

[syndywindy]

You chose a very pretty catt for your first one. I have had my catt's outside since May. They get a couple hours of early morning sun, they are very shaded with a little filtered sun the rest of the day and maybe an hour of sun very late. they are still out and our temps here drop down to the 50's at night. Haven't decided when to bring them in for good, but I do have just about all mine in S/H and they seem to love it! They like bright light and I use fert maybe once every 3 weeks. I have several right now that are in sheath or spike, so I'm hoping for alot of blooms down the road. they really are pretty easy to care for, and I'm willing to bet this will be the first of many for you!

[cassier]

very pretty. i like the touch of purple and yellow. congrates on your new addition.

[englandfx]

I am definitely going to repot my catt. and I was wondering if catts can be repotted in the same things such as phals are repotted in.

And by that I mean will it be ok if I repotted my catt in fine-grade fir bark with some green moss at the top?

Oh if pseudobulbs on a catt have wrinkles on them, will the wrinkles go away? Or will it be permanent?

[syndywindy]

The couple catt's I have not in S/H are in a combination of medium bark, perlite and charcoal and they too are doing well. Just yesterday I bought from repotme their catt mix which is with coconut chips. I have one catt that needs repotting badly and thought I would try this. After seeing I beleive it was from Bernie, a site talking about the value of coconut chips in growing orchids, I thought I would try it myself.

[mehitabel]

Very beautiful catt. Lovely, delicate colors. Looks a little Laelia in the shape, which is my favorite shape of catt BTW. Very graceful.

Can they bloom more than once a year? Some can. Some are very tied to season, eg the blue C bowringiana there's a picture of today. Bowringiana blooms in fall. Others bloom on every new growth as it appears, many of these are what are called mini-catts. Yours could maybe bloom twice a year, but no way to be sure without the name and ancestry.

Should you put it in fine fir bark? I think fine fir bark will be too wet for it. Use a larger bark. The sphag on top is good, just a little near the growing nodes at the base of the pb. This is where new growths and new roots form, and I've always found the roots love the sphag, seeking it out and growing right into it. Wet the sphag when you water, but let it dry out as the bark dries.

Wrinkled pbs? I have had wrinkled pbs on catts rehydrate and plump out some as the roots improved. Not always, tho.

[solay]

Beautiful. I think you'll find you like Catts. very much. They are just so beautiful and many are scented. Keep us posted on how you do with it.

[englandfx]

like omagad! lol

I was cleaning the leaves this morning in the bathroom...

and..

I found out that my catt is scented lol

[englandfx]

ok, how does this work out,...

if a catt has pb for storing water, and the potting material dried out in 2 days, does that mean I have to water it? Cuz technically, the pbs should have water for the catts...

So um, wouldn't watering depend on the pbs instead of the potting medium for catts?

[mehitabel]

Originally Posted by englandfx

ok, how does this work out,...

if a catt has pb for storing water, and the potting material dried out in 2 days, does that mean I have to water it? Cuz technically, the pbs should have water for the catts...

So um, wouldn't watering depend on the pbs instead of the potting medium for catts?

IMO, orchids aren't interested in logic puzzles, they just need what they need. My guess is they might find it a little boring

I would water if the potting material is dry. The pbs store water for emergencies. I don't think it's too swift to be deliberately creating emergencies every couple of weeks for them. However, the water stored in the pbs means they will be forgiving of the occasional lapse in watering.

The smartest thing you could do is read and follow the suggestions on the AOS sheets two people kindly provided the links to. But it's your orchid, so treat it however you think best.

[berniep]

G'Day Fx

I see your point about the pb and the water, unfortunately I have found the roots are very susceptible to rotting so drainage is paramount. I always fill the bottom of the pot with polystyrene chips, and use a mixture of medium coconut chips and perlite.

Cheers
Bernie

[dounoharm]

cats like big airy chunks of medium....and being potted tightly....dont let it rock around in your pot, and dont pot it in too big a pot, just leave enuf room for a years growth....let it get good and dry between waterings....gl and enjoy your catt, they are fabulous plants!

[lmartiny]

FX. All good potting recommendations. A bark mix and they like to dry out in between watering. A bit less watering than for a Phal.