What to do with a subborn Catt?

[jsehorn]

I've got a BLC Fatari 'Carmela' that I've had for about three years. I know it has previously bloomed (before I bought it) because it has the remains of a flower spike on one of the older growths, but it has never bloomed for me. I grow it alongside all my other Catts, so I'm certain it gets plenty of light, water, and fertilizer. It grows fabulously and is a lovely plant, but the previous two growths haven't even produced a sheath, much less a flower (and I know it's not one of those Catts that bloom without sheathes, because there's dry sheathes on older growths) so I'm kind of at a loss.

Anybody got any tips for what to do when a Catt just doesn't want to bloom, even when cultural conditions seem like they are ideal?

[Reg22]

Threaten it!!

[jsehorn]

Hahahahaha, I'm very near that point! I don't have room for plants that don't bloom, so if it doesn't get it's act together, it's either going to get traded, and if I can't find anybody who wants a plant that won't bloom, then I guess it's the compost heap haha.

Oh and for the record, I realize that too little light is the most common cause for a plant that grows well but doesn't bloom, and I am certain it is getting enough light.

[rcb]

You state that you are giving it the ideal cultural conditions, but it won't bloom. Sorry to be blunt here, but if you were giving it ideal cultural conditions, then it would be blooming.

So you most probably are missing something. It may be light, although people tend to group all Catt alliance plants as needing the same amount of light, that is simply not true.

Or there could be a trigger of some type that is needed that you are missing in your conditions.

So, basically two choices, either try experimenting with it and see if that works, or as you wrote, give it away. Either in my opinion are equally valid choices.

[jsehorn]

In all fairness, Renee, I said that the cultural conditions "seem" to be ideal, not that they are ideal. I understand that if the conditions were ideal, it would be blooming, so yes, I agree something is missing. I just can't figure out what. I've tried different light levels, and I've tried growing it cooler, and still nothing.

I'll do some more experimenting, maybe warm days and cool nights, or reducing watering once the new growths mature. But what perplexes me the most is that it isn't even producing sheathes, which to me indicates that whatever is going wrong is going wrong long before the growths have actually matured. I'll mess around with it a little more, and if it hasn't bloomed within another year, I'll probably make other arrangements for it.

Thanks for the tips!

[otis 226]

I'm sure that given your location, more light is certanily a valid option to try. Allow the foliage to start getting pruple a bit and see it that does it. Increasing the day/night temp gradient is also a valid option, I would think. Good luck
Tony

[jsehorn]

Thanks, Tony, I'll definitely try giving it a bigger difference between day and night temps. In the area I keep my Catts, there isn't much difference, and none of the others seem to mind, but I'll move this one to a spot that gets cooler at night. It already has some purple coloration on the leaves, so I don't think too little light is the problem, so messing with the temperatures is probably my best bet.

Thanks!

[rcb]

A suggestion why don't you research whatspecies are in the background. The for example if the link is from laelia anceps try growing it like anceps. The that way you are making an informed experiment instead of just guessing.

Forgive my typingmistakes I hate this tye ahead thing, but have got to figure out how to turn it off.

[jsehorn]

Thanks, Renee, that's a great idea, and I'll definitely do that. And even as an English/comp teacher, I can still find it in my heart to forgive your typing errors

[orchids4me]

I was going to suggest the same thing renee did about researching its parents or ancestry. Might find what you need to tweak by one of its parents or soething. Requires.
What NPK fert are you using also ? Maybe this one needs a lower N in the npk

[sunshine]

I know it has previously bloomed (before I bought it) because it has the remains of a flower spike on one of the older growths, but it has never bloomed for me.

Was this a division If it was that probably explains why it isn't blooming. It needs to mature a little bit more. I would continue to give it good catt culture and see what happens.

[jsehorn]

No, it wasn't a division. The growths at the back are very small and they progressively get larger, so I assume it was a clone. If the site wasn't being so screwy right now about uploading pictures, I'd post a picture for you to see.

[sunshine]

Originally Posted by jsehorn

No, it wasn't a division. The growths at the back are very small and they progressively get larger, so I assume it was a clone. If the site wasn't being so screwy right now about uploading pictures, I'd post a picture for you to see.

So it's not a division When was the last time you repotted Yes, a picture would be great and really help.

If the new growths are progressively getting larger then it's on it's way. It just maybe a slow grower.

[katrina]

Also...something to consider...some Catts prefer/need drier Winters. Not necessarily desert type dryness but less water for sure. Just a thought.

[jsehorn]

I would LOVE to post pics, but every time I try, I keep getting an error message. I took pictures at the gardens at Oklahoma City yesterday and tried to post those pics, and it wouldn't work then either. I thought maybe it was a problem with the site and would resolve, but it has not.

And unlike last night when I was trying to post the pictures, I am now not drunk, so I'm know I'm doing it right

I don't know what the issue is, guys.

Oh, and I repotted it about a year ago. It has enough room for one more year's growth, and then it will be time to repot again.

Thanks for the tip, Katrina, I might be keeping it too wet in the winter.

But again, the thing that perplexes me is that there are no sheathes. It isn't like it's growing generally well, and it's prepared to bloom, but then some trigger or something is lacking, and those buds never develop. It doesn't even produce a sheath. By the time the growth matures, it has already decided long ago that it will not be blooming this year. Not every new growth on every Catt I have produces flowers, but they all produce sheathes at least, so at least they're considering blooming. This one apparently just wants none of that business.

[FLBob]

One of the parents of this cross is C. walkeriana which grows with an extended period of high light and dry conditions. I grow my C.walkeriana on grapevine, I place the plants high in my shade house during our dry season, and provide more shade during our rainy season.

[Joe Geoffroy]

I think the reason you are having trouble posting the image is that the file is too large try making it a bit smaller.

Joe

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by Joe Geoffroy

I think the reason you are having trouble posting the image is that the file is too large try making it a bit smaller.

Joe

Hi Joe,
I have the same problem not re sizing since it all done from my phone. But the manage attchments has been tricky since the change on this site . The trick I learned is never post more than 2 pics at a time for the thumb nail size ones. I try 3 and it gives me the error message. Sometime it will only let me do one at a time. A pain I know.. But I can get a couple. Per post in ....

[koshki]

Hi Jeff,
I've got (or had) a Fatari that was out in near full sun all summer. It bloomed just after I brought it in for the fall.

Now, the bloom was very different than I expected (almost all purple, not as much white), and it was a space hog, so I gave it to the raffle table at my OS.

Maybe it needs a bit more than the rest of your catts.

My two cents.

[jsehorn]

I'll give it full sun this summer and see if that helps. I'm ready for it to either bloom, or just die, whichever happens first hahahahaha

[dounoharm]

keep me posted on how it does....i am outside elk city ok, and have been afraid to expose my orchids to outside conditions, even in summer....they live year round on a light stand....

[jsehorn]

I keep mine on the east-facing deck in the summer. In the winter, I use metal halide lighting.