cattleya

[maninair]

I bought a cattleya (bare root) plant from a nursery. I have planted it in brick pieces and is facing east. Is it necessary to put Spagnum moss on top of the brick pieces. Kindly advice. Mani.

[BunnytheOrchid]

I didn't think brick retained water all that well. Sphagnum may help the cattleya hold more moisture when you water it. Then again, I'm not a huge fan of sphagnum, but perhaps it's easier when mixed in another medium. And maybe you are better at watering with sphagum than me!

[articuno75]

Mani~ your conditions are probably really humid if I'm not mistaken. Does this new Cattleya of yours already have established roots? You can top dress with spagh moss, but watch carefully because Cattleyas do not like to have their roots constantly wet. You want to be able to wet and soak the roots and let it dry out evenly at a good steady, yet quick pace. I would recommend filling with bark.

[patticake]

I agree with Jenny- bark w/ maybe a little sphag, would be better. Catts. like light. Depending on your window position, I might move it to a window that gets sun most of the day. I live where that is needed, but maybe that would be too intense where you are. Have you grown with brick pieces before? If so, how has it worked for you? I received an orchid in a lava-rock type medium once, but I re-potted into a bark mix. It just seemed "warmer" for the plant roots.

[maninair]

Thanks for your reply. Three weeks have passed since potting, still any no new growth seen. What is the problem. Pleae advice.

[BunnytheOrchid]

I didn't think 3 weeks without any new growth was a bad thing. Plus, it's possible down in the pot there is growth where you can't see it, like new roots and such to really plant itself in the mix. Cattleyas, if I've been informed correctly, are not particularly fast growers anyway. But, if you're certain it should be doing some active growing, we'll need to know its growing conditions, like light, water, humidity, temp, etc. Growth can be affected by a lot more than the mixture its planted in.

[kmarch]

You're right Bunny, 3 weeks with no growth is nothing to worry about. Most cattleyas go through either one or 2 growth cycles per year so a cattleya could easily go 6 months before a new growth starts. If 6 months to a year goes by with no new growth, then maybe we have cause for concern.

[maninair]

Thanks all. Yesterday I have seen a new bud growth near the roots. It is brownish in color.

Mani

[kmarch]

It may be a new growth, though if it is brown I'm not sure. It's definitely not a bud because cattleyas bloom from the top of mature growths, not from the base. Hopefully it is a new growth.

[maninair]

Yes, I think so. Thanks

[digitalgate]

brown or purple? brown... a little weird.. Make sure you give the new bud a lot of room
for expansion .Otherwise you end up needing to repot again.Cattleya don't take too kindly
to repotting.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by digitalgate

Cattleya don't take too kindly to repotting.

???? In my experience they take very well to repotting, not missing a beat, IF the repotting is done at the right time, either after blooming has finished or as new growth is starting.

[digitalgate]

remember i have no season. My catt. took longer to rebloom when repot.

[11Orchid126]

You might have what is called a new lead, which will grow into a new pseudobulb.

[maninair]

Thanks very much for your reply. When will the flower appear on pseudobulb?

[digitalgate]

depend on the type you have. I have some before the leaf grow more 3 inches, some6
inches then bloom, some grow root then bloom....

[tizzycat]

Maninair, please try to be patient and enjoy watching the new growth on your plant develop. The flowers will be a bonus when then come.

I'm sure you would know instantly if your plant was unhappy.

[maninair]

Thanks tizzycat, I am learning to be patient and watching my orchids. But one of my friends told me that the orchids flowers during rainy season.

[digitalgate]

but your rainy season prelude by hot and dry weather before it rain like crazy. Cattleya
need a slight cooler night before it will bloom. wait a minute, rainy and cold. That
could work!

[maninair]

Yes digitalgate, Now the summer season has just started and two and half more months for rainy season. I have noticed tiny black spots on the underneaths of the leaf of the Cattleya. What is that?

[digitalgate]

mold or fungus.. urgh.... You have to provide some windy condition for the plant.

[maninair]

Dear Digitalgate

My cattleya has a new growth and it has 3 leaves and I think it has stopped further growth. when can I expect flower spike on the new growth?
Mani

[digitalgate]

oh, dear. Sound like you dont have enought light for the plant.If you bought it bare root.
It would be best to let it grow new shot. Some people have 5 or 6 bulb before they allow
cattleya to bloom. They simply pinch the flower bud and wait for more speculator bloom.
Can you wait?

[maninair]

Dear Digitalgate,

Light is sufficient as it is kept in a east facing window. As suggested I will let it grow more pseudobulbs and then see . Thanks.
Mani

[maninair]

Hi all

I am attaching herwith the recent photos of my cattleya orchid. Kindly help me to identify the cattleya orchid type.

Thanks

Mani

[elitebettas]

That is not a Cattleya, it looks more like a DENDROBIUM of some sort....

[digitalgate]

it is not a catt. not a den. it is.. I dont know ..

[evagentry]

It will be easier identify when it blooms, post another picture then , if you would like to.

[kid a]

I am thinking Dend also but I am not certain. Sorry. We will have to play the waiting game.

[solay]

The leaves look like a Den. I got a while ago but the the pseudobulbs are not present like yours. Hummm... Maybe someone will come along that knows the answer.

[maninair]

Thanks, waiting for more replies.

Mani

[fred]

Yes the Spam Post and Member have been Dealt with

thanks back to topic pretty please

[kmarch]

It looks like one of the SE Asian Dendrobiums, possibly one of the New Guinea dendrobiums? It looks very dehydrated.

Maninair, as I mentioned in your other posts identifying orchids is difficult and when they are not in bloom it is nearly impossible. This is about as good as we'll be able to do until it flowers. Then even when it flowers we'll only be able to provide an educated guess. Only an orchid taxonomist will be able to reliably identify it.

[maninair]

One of my friends told me that it is a Dendrobium Farmeri. If yes, kindly tell me when it will flower. Here in Bombay the winter has just started. Whether it requires any rest period?
Please help.

[kmarch]

It could be Den farmeri (note no capital on the "F" as this is a species) but we won't know for sure until it flowers. If it is farmeri it will most likely flower in spring or early summer, assuming it receives the culture it needs.

I believe this orchid is native to your part of the world so you could probably grow it outdoors year-round. In the wild it receives heavy rains in the late spring and early summer, decreasing gradually until there is little rain in Dec and Jan (northern hemisphere)

[digitalgate]

hmm.... Mani farmeri is very very slow for me. Why dont you try hybrid? species is really
slow.

[awaxa]

Hi maninair,
One think that I noticed in your photos is that the plant is in a pot with not much ventilation and that the pot is sitting in a bowl of water.
I would think that you as well as kmarch, think that the plant is dehydrated.
I myself shear that opinion.
I would also think that the the plant does not have growing roots which will cause it to become dehydrated since it can't utilize the water.
If it is a species, it would have rather been grown in a clay pot containing some quick drying medium like broken clay blocks mixed with a very little coconut husk.
In Bombay, that would be just perfect for the weather conditions there.

[maninair]

Dear Kmarch, digitalgate and Awaxa - Thanks for your replies. Actually the photo was taken on May. Now there is one more new plant originating from the roots and it has well developed roots and some are coming out of the pot. I have replaced the spagnum moss with pine bark chips and it is in full sun. What about watering? I water in the morniing and sometimes in the evening. Shall I reduce the watering now? Please help.

Thanks

Mani