Cattleyas won't bloom for me

[electric.chowder]

I've got two cattleyas and I can't get either one to bloom. One of them has had at least seven new growths mature and no blooms yet, each time one blooms I've increased it's light exposure a little, and still no blooms. Now I've got them in a loft space where they get plenty of morning sun, and is quite humid, any one have any suggestions,

thanks

-chowder

[kmarch]

How long have they been in the loft space with plenty of morning sun and humidity? more than a full growing and flowering cycle?

The morning sun and good humidity are enough ot get cattleyas to bloom. What about your temps and watering? Are they good too? In the recommended ranges?

I'd leave them in the sunny loft for at least 6-12 months (at least one full growing/flowering cycle) before changing anything because it will take at least that long to be able to tell if it's right/enough for them.

Many people will probably tell you to buy lights. If your catts are getting plenty of morning sun, lights will not be necessary.

[BunnytheOrchid]

I have fickle cattleyas as well, so unfortunately, I'm not the best person for giving advice. But I sympathize with trying to get them to rebloom.

[mayres]

Kevin's correct - if the leaves are deep green - MORE light. If they are a medium light grassy green then maybe just more aclimation time as noted. Were they both blooming when you purchased? How young are the plants? Sometimes people purchase seedlings that are fairly young not knowing they will take several years to mature to blooming.

[slippery_biscuit]

As Kevin mentioned temperature, I'll throw 2 cents that way. Sometimes a plant may grow like a weed and not flower as they need a significant temperature drop during the night. Into the fifties or sixties would be good, but any cooler nights might help.

[kmarch]

slipperybiscuit, are you perhaps thinking of dens or cymbids? I don't know that catts require the night time temp drop. That applies more to other orchids (dens, cymbids, etc). My cattleyas get pretty consistent temps year round and yet they flower pretty regularly....most of them at least.

[electric.chowder]

They've just moved into the loft a few weeks ago, before they were in my room, west facing, with lots of filtered afternoon sun (I have a nice big tree right out side of my window) and I've bloomed oncidiums in the same window. They had been in my window about about nine months, hopefully the move to the loft will work out nicely for them,

thanks for the advice

-chowder

[slippery_biscuit]

K, I was thinking pretty generic, actually. Something I read early on. Since I am finding myself growing more comfortable with catts, your words will come into play. Thanks.

Good luck getting those blooms out, EC.

[janet_a]

feeling your pain. i have an Lc that i've had for YEARS, that grows lots of roots and pbulbs and will not bloom. it's in the same west window where i bloom three different kinds of dens. (and my amaryllis, and the christmas cactus, and some other succulents.)

i think it's pure spitefulness on the part of the plant.

[slippery_biscuit]

In years past (when I was growing up in farm country) there was the occasional fruit tree that never produced. At least in one case, we took a hammer and beat the trunk of the tree up pretty good with it. Woke it up I guess, 'cause it started producing. Go figure.

[janet_a]

i regularly threaten and verbally abuse my plants. so far no good on this one. it fell over the other night (top heavy) and i hollered at it. we'll see if that does it.

it's otherwise kind of neat looking which is the only reason i haven't given it away.

[Lanie]

Like slippery_bistcuit said, give it a temp drop (10-15 degree C) for at least a month, I'm confident your catt will bloom.

[mehitabel]

My guess is that it isn't (or hasn't been) getting enough light. Some of them, depending on parentage, require very high light to bloom. Epc Charlie Brown is an example. Most catts will put out more blooms for a longer period in higher light, even if you can get a flower or two in lower light.

Your new location may be better for it. Or try growing the type of catt that will put out at least a few blooms quite early, and in lower light. Something like Pot Hoku Gem.

[PhalPal]

Chowder - do you have your Catt potted or mounted??? If you have it in a pot too large for it's current root structure it will put lots of time and energy into growing roots and won't bloom.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Lanie

Like slippery_bistcuit said, give it a temp drop (10-15 degree C) for at least a month, I'm confident your catt will bloom.

Like I said above, we're confusing catt culture with Phal culture. Phals do need a 10-15F night/day temp differentiation to flower, catts do not, except for the cooler growing catts like Sophronites coccinea or C. acclandae but these require generally cooler temps not just a 10-15F drop..

[Ellen]

Phal Pal may well have identified your problem. Catts bloom best when grown rootbound, with light just short of sunburn. If your plant's roots have been growing into the pot, they will eventually fill it and the plant will bloom. Of course, you may have waited all these years for an ugly flower, but that's orchid growing for you.

[11Orchid126]

"before they were in my room, west facing, with lots of filtered afternoon sun"

The key word in the above is "filtered". Catts need lots and lots of sun, and filtered light just won't do it.

[lissie0113]

so i have a question.... when you do find a new location for an orchid that previously wouldnt bloom, and it seems to be happy in its new spot, how soon will it take to bloom? the reason i ask, is that i have a den. that hasnt rebloomed or even grown that much since ive had it (a year now). when i recently moved to tampa, i decided to repot it and move it outside where it would get more light and all of this florida summer humidity. its been outside for about a month now, and seems to be loving it, with a new cane coming up, new leaves, and a whole mess of new roots. but i want to know how long i will have to wait before it blooms if it really is happy in its new home? thanks for the info...

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by lissie0113

so i have a question.... when you do find a new location for an orchid that previously wouldnt bloom, and it seems to be happy in its new spot, how soon will it take to bloom? ...i have a den. that hasnt rebloomed or even grown that much since ive had it (a year now).... its been outside for about a month now,

Your Den looks to be some kind of nobile-type hybrid. Even in perfect conditions they usually only flower once a year because they need the cool dry spell to flower which, unless we try to manipulate the conditions, only comes once a year. If it was in flower when you bought it and it is now a year later, it might be skipping a flowering cycle which is normal for a lot of orchids when you first bring them home. Nobile-types typically flower in late winter/early spring so look for yours to flower again sometime around then.

[Chele]

And I moved my catts to the east side of the house getting a couple morning hours of *direct* morning sun, till about 9 - 9:30a (all my orchids are outside) I am by far no expert by anyones imagination. I was so exhausted from hoping it was readying itself to bloom, then nothing - nada.

When I moved my orchids to the east side of the house last fall, I did see a very noticeable change to the orchids. But nothing so exciting as a bloom.

In the grocery store a woman and I struck up a conversation and she told me to change my fertilizer to epson salts. Never had heard of doing this before as I was faithful to using 1/4 strength orchid ferts all this time with the once a month water to rid itself of 'salts'. Go figure. So what the heck, I changed to epsom salts using the same formula as orchid ferts and voila! Of my oldest catts I got 2 blooms within 3 months. The catts are crowded and I've had them since babies and they are now about 4 years old. Planted in sp and I always wait for them to dry before watering. I soak (since I use salts) once a month in just water to elevate the salt build up.

But now -- thats just me and like I said I am no expert but that is what worked on my oldest of catt baskets so far. I hope the rest fall into place in the coming cooler months.

G'luck

[Ellen]

Could be just a coincidence that your oldest catt bloomed after you fertilized with epsom salts. Epsom salts are magnesium sulphate. Many commercial fertilizer formulas don't contain magnesium or sulphur, so adding a bit of epsom salts to your regular fertilizer may provide some minerals that your plants need, or at least appreciate.

[Chele]

Yeppers, thats true. I could take into consideration my water. I catch rain water and tank it in a old 50 gal water heater, minus the heater of course. Just a holding tank. Sometimes, since I have a well on my property which pumps some decent water I will use that. [I took the softener off of it and connected it to the house/city water. I prefer soft water than hard ;-) ] But to have it analyzed isn't on my agenda. But there is a great article in here somewhere about the differences in water and its contents which is pretty interesting.

[11Orchid126]

Rain water is absolutely pure and contains no minerals whatsoever. If using rain water, purified (R/O) water, or distilled water, it is imperative to use a fertilizer that contains the minerals that the plants need, including calcium and magnesium (epsom salts). An MSU formula for pure water, Dyna-Gro, or Jack Peters formula would be something to look into.

[tom499]

I've bloomed two cattleya in a North facing UK window, one is a very mature old plant, the other is flowering for the 1st time. Neither got particularly good light but it seemed to be enough.

Although plants of similarity will follow the cultural trends they can vary in needs. Did you mention the names of your Cattleya? If they are possibly hybrids with brassovola or other family members then its possible slight cultural differences are needed.

[lissie0113]

thanks for the info Kmarch! my den just dropped a couple of leaves, which i understand is normal for the deciduous types. is that right? i hope so... maybe it means i can hope for some flowers in a few months!