Catt species question

[rcb]

Hi all,

I've got something odd going on with my Catt species. The ones that need more of a winter rest, to bloom come spring, have all decided to put out new leads in the last few weeks.

I'm guessing it's due to the weather here, we go from nights in the 40s for a few days to nights in the 60s for a week, and so on.

Specifically, skinneri, and auriantiaca I'm most worried about. Especially one of my auriantiacas which is in a 10 in pot, and matured about 15 new leads this past summer, I do not want to miss these blooms come spring.

So, should I continue their rest? and if so, should I remove the new leads? Or should I water and fertilize to encourage the new growth?

Just to clarify when I speak of a winter rest for these, I don't mean a complete one like some of the Dens, but I do significantly reduce water and fertilizer during the winter months, and this has always worked for me in the past.

Also, even more confused are my loddigesii and intermedias, and a guatemalensis, which are budding now! These have been spring bloomers for me before.

[Ray]

I don't know if it's necessarily the best thing to do, but I follow the plants' lead. If they are growing and blooming, they need the water and nutrition to go along with it. I don't know about you, but the watering and feeding of my plants are usually limited by the lack of sunny days anyway, this time of year.

You're not alone in having plants active "out-of-season".

[rcb]

Ray, yes that makes sense. But if I do so, will it inhibit my blooms come spring? On the auriantiaca at least?

Oh, and we still get quite a bit of sun down here this time of year. Been cloudy the last couple days, but they are forcasting for the sun to return tomorrow and stay around for a while.

[syndywindy]

I agree with Ray, if they are putting out new growth and/or blooming, I'd water them. You can probably let them dry out before giving them their next watering and then don't soak them. If it's the guatamalensis I sent you, I never really gave it a winters rest. I just increased the time between watering from a week to about every 10 days or so..

[Brooke]

Renee I'm with Ray. I let the plant tell me what to do and in the winter I get sooooo many days of ugly gray weather, nothing gets watered.

I don't have the auriantiaca but I do have the skinneri. For me it falls into the if the sun is out and it needs it, I water it. I looked it up on OW for you and the key statement in the "rest" section "increased light helps cure the new growths and induce flowering". It also says it never wants to dry out for long because of the heavy dew in the area. I interpret this type as it needs some moisture during the rest period.

My loddigessii and x Guatemalensis are both blooming now. My Guatemalensis always blooms about this time. The loddigessii bloomed in February last year and I don't remember the previous year I never give it a big rest because Mother Nature gives me so many ugly days and it is another never wants to stay dry for any length of time.

It has been a strange year - my labiata was a month late, some are early and some are right on schedule. I blamed the early labiata because we added extra shade cloth this year but the earlies and right on schedule bloomers - it's a mystery to me.

Brooke

[rcb]

ok, I'll start the normal watering/fertilizing regime. lol But I better get my flowers come spring

When I lived up North, I was the same way, not much sun through the winter. But here, we do get a good amount of sun. And these plants are actually put in greater sun these months - mostly because they can take it now. In the summer, it gets so hot, I shade them more, but now with days in the 60s and 70s, they are loving the sun. Even with these lower temps, my pots are drying out in about 3 - 4 days. Slower than in the heat of summer, but still relatively fast.

My Dens are the same way, they actually get more light in winter, but I just put them under the overhang of the house, so they rarely get any rain.

Speaking of rain, it just started POURING outside.

[kmarch]

Can you explain to us what you mean by "winter rest" for a cattleya? I've never given my cattleyas what I'd call a "winter rest." I just give them a slight reduction in water when ti is cooler but that's it, no other changes.

[rcb]

Kevin, I mean I significantly reduce watering and fertilizer during the winter months - for those species that like a rest. In other words, I let them completely dry out for a few days to a week at a time during the winter. I watch their p'bulbs. If too much shriveling, increase the watering. During their active growth, or spring/summer/fall they are watered and fertilized more often, just as they are drying.

And again, this is for the ones that i've found are pickier. Almost none of my hybrids need this treatment to bloom.

I know that corresponds to other growers that it happens naturally to, because of dull winter days, but here, we have bright winter days.

[lmartiny]

I can't remember when you moved. Is this your first winter in FL? Its north FL, but probably still warmer than Carolina. Maybe that has something to do with it. And yes, that rain is headed our way, along the temps down into the mid-40's.

[rcb]

Lynne, It's our second winter here, hard to believe we've been here over a year already.

The rain was nasty, yesterday morning we woke up to 70F. This morning it's 40F.

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by rcb

The rain was nasty, yesterday morning we woke up to 70F. This morning it's 40F.

ahhh, it's a balmy 60F at dawn this morning with nasty rain here in tropical Maryland....with temps expected to be below freezing in 24 hours!

--Stitz--

a mere 5 hours later, the temp dived to 39F !

[Brooke]

Kevin the mossiae and dowiana are two species that need a very dry winter. Today is the day I tag all my 'chids that need to be dry starting in Dec. to keep from over watering them. The list includes the mossiae and dowiana plus several Dens and a couple of Bulbos plus some odds and ends.

Renee I use that old stand by called my gut feelings to decide when I need to spritz them and when to ignore them. The g/h makes it easier to control but growing outside if you gets days of rain, you might have to drag some back inside.

Brooke

[Stitz]

To expand a bit on Brooke's previous post,

I was fortunate to travel in the region of Merida, Venezuela which is "home" to Cattleya mossiae. Conditions can change very rapidly/drastically there. While driving, on one side of the mountain the conditions were warm and lush. After a huge turn on the road which put us on the "other side" of the mountain, the conditions were remarkably cooler, stark, dry yet with very heavy fog! Cactus were the prominent plants! I learned that the heavy fog is quite common on the "dry" side of the mountain.

Sometimes, experienced meteorologists (as we find on OrchidWiz) cannot give precise details on the conditions to grow particular species.....based only upon longitude/latitude climate data.

The point of my story is to trust experienced growers, like Brooke.

--Stitz--

[rcb]

Originally Posted by Stitz

The point of my story is to trust experienced growers, like Brooke.

--Stitz--

Oh believe me, when Brooke talks, I do listen.

Sometimes, I just have to convert it to match different growing conditions. That's the hard part.

[katrina]

I don't have anything to add as far as culture goes. Just wanted to let you know that my Guate is just starting to bloom...it's also blooms around June. I've only had it since Dec of '08 but it's followed the same trend...Dec and June (or thereabouts) blooms.

Oh, and both of my intermedias are getting ready to bloom too. One of which also bloomed this past Summer.

I don't reduce the watering on these BUT I grow under T5's and they tend to be very drying. I don't have the others that have been discussed.

[Brooke]

Brooke

[Eric Ellenburg]

I have 2 Catt walkeriana that have nearly expired under my care. Can anyone give me some info on how best to deal with these plants? The 2 are hanging on, but only just. What can I do to ensure their survival? They are small plants. Also, does anyone know a source for them? Eric

[Brooke]

Eric it would be best if you describe how you grow them and how much light you give them.

Brooke

[jcaesar1310]

Originally Posted by rcb

Also, even more confused are my loddigesii and intermedias, and a guatemalensis, which are budding now! These have been spring bloomers for me before.

I'm in South Florida and the same thing happens to my Cattleya species (also Catasetums, Nobile Dens, etc). I continue to water-feed my plants year 'round, but cut back by 1/2 in winter. I guess to get true dormancy, we would need an extended period of cold which we don't quite get in S. Florida. Most of my species bloom well regardless. My nobile Dens. look nice with green leaves and flowers sticking out amongst them.

You mentioned that your Catt species normally bloom in the spring. Are you having a warmer winter than last year? If you are growing in a heated greenhouse, did you raise the temp a bit which I guess could keep them from going dormant?

Good luck with them.

[rcb]

Jcaesar - yes our winter is warmer than last year, but that actually turns into cooler temps for these. I grow outside most of the year, and I leave these ones out to 40F. So since we haven't had as many freezing nights as last year, they have been out with 40F nights more often.

[jcaesar1310]

Originally Posted by rcb

Jcaesar - I leave these ones out to 40F. So since we haven't had as many freezing nights as last year, they have been out with 40F nights more often.

Do you get a year 'round day/night temperature differential there? Down here during most of the year it's hot during the day and hot during the night. Its only we we get an extended period of cold, like we did last year (almost 3 weeks) that some of my Catts slowed down.

I noticed in an earlier post that you said this is your second winter here. Your plants could still be adjusting.

[rcb]

Yes, the plants and me are still adjusting. lol

On average, we do a 15 - 20F difference in night and days. Now, in the middle of winter we have average 40F nights, and about 50 - 60F days. In the height of summer we have 70+F nights and 90+F days. Fall and spring in between. Of course, there are always deviations, but this is average.

What it almost seemed like, was the longer warmer season than in NC, the plants put out the new growth in the spring, matured them in late summer, and then started a new flush of growth. This change I'm mostly relating to the Catt species. If that is what they are going to do, ok, but I just want them to still bloom.

My Den species, except for a couple exceptions, behaved as I'm used to.

My Catasetum plants, again except for a couple exceptions, behaved as I'm used to.

[Eric Ellenburg]

They are in a sunny east window. I had a small collection that was in a hobby greenhouse that I set up one overcast day --- the next day the sun came out with a vengeance and almost 100% of the collection was lost due to overheating. The somewhat large specimen of walkeriana Manhattan just barely survived. The remaining pseudobulb is putting out a very, very small lead. The other, an alba seedling, I guess I overwatered. The small "leaves" are very dessicated, but it does have some white roots. I have a large, outdoor greenhouse where the humidity and temp are controlled (70% hum, 70 degree nights, somewhat warmer days) -- but I have the ailing walkerianas in a window sill where I can keep better watch over them. Should I just place them in the greenhouse and hope for the best? They get more regular watering in my window. Should I perhaps let them dry out a little? Should I just give up on them (they are at this point tiny)? I hate to fail with a plant.

[Brooke]

If they have viable roots and you don't want to throw them out, water when they are dry. These can take a lot of sun, particularly this time of year. They will dry out fast with no media and but slower if potted and really slow if the sun isn't out.

My walkeriana's are all growing new leads now so are growing roots. The coerulea just quit blooming and my alba is currently bloom. My other two are seedlings but are also growing roots.

Brooke