When/ how do cattleya orchids grow flower spikes?

[mossmac]

Hi there,

I have three flowering size cattleya orchids and I was wondering how and when they grow flower spikes, as I am new to cattleya orchids. My cattleyas are :

Blc Sylvia Fry Supreme x Horace 'Maxima'
Cattleya Pali Polkadot 'Paunani'
Blc Greenwich Elmhurst


All three cattleyas are currently growing a new 'cane' with leaves. Do the flower spikes always develop from the new 'canes'? If so, how long is it after the 'cane' has matured do the flower spikes start to grow? I keep looking at all the canes in the hope that a flower spike/ sheath is starting to grow from the end of one of them, but no luck, yet. I am pretty sure that my light conditions are good as the leaves on all my cattleyas are a mid to light green. When a new 'cane' starts growing, does that mean none of the other 'older' canes will develop flowers?

I was also wondering what time of year cattleyas tend to flower (it is summer here now).

I would be really grateful for any answers to these (basic!) questions!

Mossmac