Cattleya

[maninair]

Hi, I am Mani Nair from Mumbai, India. I bought an orchid from a nursery. It was bare rooted (meaning the roots were exposed). The seller told me that it is a Cattley orchid and its flower is dark blue. He told me that it flowers during the rainy season. I have potted it in brick pieces. Is it okay? I water it in the morning. I like to know which is the best organic fertilizers suited for cattleya? I can see the previous years dried flowers spikes on the psudobulbs? Shall I remove it? Please tell me any other requiredments.
I will send you a photo soon.

Thanks,
Mani.

[kmarch]

Dark blue? If it genuinely is a dark blue cattleya then it's worth a massive fortune. To my knowledge no dark blue cattleyas exist.

[flowerchild]

I would like to see that when it blooms!!!!!!

[articuno75]

Oooo I'm am very interested. Must see the pictures.

[evagentry]

Hi Mani, I dont grow cattleyas yet, but from what I read people pot them in many types of materials, post a picture when you can.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

If a part of a plant is dried, it may be cut off. As a beginner, it would be best to check with our forum before cutting off any living part of the plant, as there is some mis-information out there about cutting certain parts of the plant off. Before you cut off any part of an orchid that might have any possibility of being alive, even partially alive, you want to sterilize your tool. Alcohol generally is not good enough. Use heat, or soak for a while in 10% bleach or saturated trisodium phosphate (TSP), but not one of the TSP substitutes. If you think that there might be hardened sap on your tool, you must clean it off completely. Keeping a tool soaking in saturated TSP will usually clean it up, as TSP is a mild paint remover.

Brick pieces sounds OK. Don't use broken pieces of clay pots, as you will have to sterilize the pots shards to eliminate virus (400F degrees in oven for 3 hours).

[BunnytheOrchid]

Watering every morning may be too frequently. I water my Cattleya once a week by soaking it in water for about 10 minutes. Every plant is unique, but everyday may be too much, even for the most thirsty ones. Sounds like a very lovely color; I'd love to see it!

[digitalgate]

Mumbai is a hot and dry place.you should dry charcoal and fine brick for media. Put them
in a clay pot if you can find one. Water it 7 am in the morning and 4 pm again. Let it rest the next day before watering again. The rest is up to the plant when it want to root
and grow new shoot.