Cattleya dowiana

[heroutdoors]

Hi,
I last wrote about my Cattleya Dowiana in 2007 - Well it is now 2011 and still no blooms,
We are in the throws of early winter here in the UK, When / how much should it be watered over the winter months, Leaf tips are brown in places - must be doing something wrong - any ides anyone?

[Shannara]

I have found that since I have moved, and my orchids subsequently introduced to a new growing environment, that most of my orchids were not blooming due to lack of sun exposure. Most Catts need high light exposure. I would give it some partial sun starting out in the morning and then slowly increase it a bit each day watching out for any signs of burn. You want to give your Catt as much sun as it can handle without burning it. Most of my Catts tend to get a purple/pink tinge when I have them in high light. I have a downiana out there somewhere but it hasn't been in my collection very long.

Brooke had a pic of a stunning dowiana a few months back. Maybe she can tell us how she is growing hers and what kind of light levels it receives. That photo of hers was what prompted me to get one. They are gorgeous.

The brown tips could be over or underwatering. Have you checked the roots recently or repotted? Depending on your orchids growing conditions, and potting medium, watering frequency can vary. Any pics of the plant in question?

Edit: Check Brooke's comments on her thread about the dowiana and its winter watering needs:

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...oming-now.html

Shann~

[Brooke]

The link Shann provided and her information sums up everything I would add. The only other piece of information needed is how old is your plant? If it was a seedling in '07, it might not be old enough to bloom yet.

Brooke

[heroutdoors]

Yes it was a youngster back in 2007
Measuring it today shows it is 69cm x 69cm
I am including a picture of it for you
Its brown leaf tips are also a worry
Thanks for the emails

[Brooke]

The brown leaf tips could be either a water issue with high TDS or a fertilizer issue.

The main problem I see is the plant is not getting enough light. If grown in catt light the growth is very up right. You should have very distinct large pbulbs with the leaf coming straight out of the top of the pbulb.

Brooke