another Cattleya question

[Vivienne]

Howdy!

I have my Stlma Kelly 'Lea' in my atrium but I'm worried that it isn't getting the light that it needs since the skylights are tinted. I have tried to get light level readings with my digital camera but according to that and the charts my light levels are extremely low. I suspect it is from the tinting. Despite the low light readings all my plants are growing well.

When I purchased the Stlma 2 weeks ago it had (and still has) many spikes. The bigger spikes seem to just be sitting there. The smaller spikes are growing and developing buds. Is this a good sign of adequate light or are they continuing their growth based on the light they were receiving before?
Hope that made sense for an explanation.

Alot of the roots (it is in a very overcrowded basket) are developing green tips at the ends. Is this a good sign?

Any and all advice is most welcome. I fear putting this up in the bathroom (untinted skylight which gets hot).

I don't grow any stima's, but I do grow cattleyas. I find they need a lot of light. In the winter I have them right up against the glass in my south window without any shade, and in the summer they're outside getting as much sun as I can give them without burning the leaves. It sounds like your plant is not getting enough sun. Once the blooms open you can put the plant any where you like, and then after bloom is finished it will need that light again.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Vivienne

Howdy! The bigger spikes seem to just be sitting there. The smaller spikes are growing and developing buds. Is this a good sign of adequate light or are they continuing their growth based on the light they were receiving before?

Vivienne, Your question is partly easy and partly tough. The easy part is that I dont' think you have to worry about the bigger spikes looking like they're not doing anything. With Cattleya hybrids, it is often the case that the spike grows out and the buds are developing and then the spike gets as long as it's going to get but the buds aren't ready to open. If you observe carefully you may notice the buds are fattening up a little as they get ready to open. I observe this in a lot of my orchids, Cattleyas, Paphs, Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, the spike grows out then it sits there while the buds fatten up.

The second part is tougher and is essentially: Does an orchid bloom off its energy reserve? And you know...I'm really not sure. I have noticed that sometimes, with some of my Coelogyne, that the pseudobulbs will slightly shrivel when the plant is in bloom. I'm making an educated guess and saying that when it does this the plant is calling on its reserves. Are you seeing any shrinking, wrinkling or shriveling of the pseudobulbs?

Originally Posted by Vivienne

Alot of the roots (it is in a very overcrowded basket) are developing green tips at the ends. Is this a good sign?

Yes! It's a very good sign! Thos green tips are the growing tips of the roots. If you see green tips the roots are growing.

Originally Posted by Vivienne

Any and all advice is most welcome. I fear putting this up in the bathroom (untinted skylight which gets hot).

As I recall you've not had this plant for very long correct? When I try a plant in a new window or a new area I like to leave it there for 6+ months to see how it goes. I like to see a plant going through some or all of its growing cycle so I can evaluate the plant in action. If it is growing roots and if the spikes are continuing to grow its apparently not unhappy with its location, at least for the time being.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by orchid126

I don't grow any stima's, but I do grow cattleyas.

Stlma. (note spelling and capitalization) is short for Stellamizutaara (STEL-la-MITZ-oo-TAR-ah) which is a complex intergeneric hybrid containing Cattleya, Broughtonia, and Brassavola. So it actually is a type of Cattleya.

Specifically Stellamizutaara Kelly 'Lea' is a hybrid of Brassovola nodosa and Catteytonia Keith Roth.

As I mentioned in the thread about the renaming of Colmanara Wildcat, when intergeneric names get too long and complex, they are replaced with a artificial generic name, usually formulated from the person who made the cross.

Which would you have prefered: Stellamizutaara or Brassocattleyatonia?

[Vivienne]

both are a mouthful! Correct Kevin, I've only had this one for 2 weeks. This tinted skylight thing is giving me fits. Can't get an accurate light level measurement (it mostly tells me my light level is 800fc) but none of my plants seem to be unhappy. All are growing new growths or roots or blooms. It's the catt-types that I have that I'm worried about.

I think I'll keep the Stlma down here since the smaller spikes are growing and forming buds and the roots are all doing so well. This plant is most definitely a mature plant given the amount of growth (old and new) and it's still a mini plant.

Thanks Kevin and everyone!