Help with characteristics. - Orchid Board

FairyInTheFlowers · #1 09-01-2010, 05:30 PM

Hi, I was wondering if any of you know the characteristics of Lc. Jeweller's Gem, and C. Loddiaca, I live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. I would especially like to know, what fertilizers to use throughout the year and how much light they need! Thank you for your time!

trdyl · #2 09-01-2010, 09:35 PM

Welcome to OB!

They are Cattleyas. I have included a link to a culture sheet for them.

AOS | Cattleya

It is great to see another teen getting the bug.

tucker85 · #3 09-01-2010, 09:37 PM

My growing conditions in south Florida are significantly different than yours in Canada but I'll give you a few starting points. Lc. and C. need strong light but protection from direct midday sun. Some direct sun especially early morning is fine. They should be watered thouroghly until water runs out the bottom of the pot. If you're growing indoors water the plant in a sink. Then allow the plant to dry completely. C. and Lc. need to get very dry between waterings. Use a fertilizer formulated for orchids. From fall to spring you don't need much fertilizer. Use a weak fertilizer mixture every two weeks or even once a month. In the summer I fertilize with a weak mixture once a week. Orchids like a humid environment so often they are set on a humidity tray. Try to find someone in your area who grows orchids to get information specific to your area. Good luck.

FairyInTheFlowers · #4 09-02-2010, 12:54 PM

Thanks for your information you two, seems I am doing everything right, I just wanted to makes sure, especially for the light requirements, because the C. Loddiaca's oldest pseudobulb is kinda yellow and wrinkly and the leaves are sort of yellow and one of them had a slight red hue on the underside. I am thinking that might have been because right after I got them out of the box (I had them mailed from Calgary) I put them in a south facing window with some slightly hazy plastic, so I was thinking that I gave them too much light too soon. Right now they are at a east window with the same plastic.

trdyl · #5 09-02-2010, 01:40 PM

Usually east facing windows do not need any shading. I have most of my Cattleyas in a slightly shaded south window and unshaded west windows.

FairyInTheFlowers · #6 09-02-2010, 03:52 PM

Thank you for the infomration, trdyl. This surely helps a lot especially because my parents want me to take down the plastic anyways! They were small plastic bags from our home phone we just bought that I cut open then taped together!

Masdyman · #7 09-02-2010, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carbuncle

Thank you for the infomration, trdyl. This surely helps a lot especially because my parents want me to take down the plastic anyways! They were small plastic bags from our home phone we just bought that I cut open then taped together!

Hello ,if they are in a very bright window you could put them further into the room until light is less strong .