Cattleya Question

[Wynter010Beauty]

Hey all,
Here's a question that I feel stupid asking but I really have no idea of the answer to..... I have never owned a Catt before, only Phals. I decided to pick up a bag baby a few months ago that is a Catt. Stephanie Takasaki "Jared's". So, as it's growing and producing new psuedobulbs, I've come to wonder if the dry outer coating around the p-bulbs are supposed to fall off or if they need assistance or if they stay on or blahblahblah. I've done a bunch of searches on this website for info about it, but honestly, I don't even know what that outer layer is called so none of my searches gave me any information on "covering" or "coating" etc. Please tell me I'm not the only person who had pondered this with their first catt .
Below is a picture of it when I first got it. It's now in S/H and has about 2 or 3 more p-bulbs.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

It will not come off on its own. You don't have to peel it off, but if you want, you may.

I believe it would be called a sheath (not certain there is a specific technical term for this either).

[Stringa]

I think the things you are talking about are clasping bracts (a leaflike structure that subtends a flower, leaf, or stem). People have told me that you do not have to remove them. However, if you think you have any pests living inside the bracts it would be good to remove them, especially once the new pseudobulbs has fully matured.

[Wynter010Beauty]

Thank you both for your input. One or two of the 'clasping bracts' have been trying to come off on their own (it looks like a dry, stringy disaster) so I may help those ones along, and I'll let the others go. I see all of these pictures of catts with plump, green p-bulbs so that is mostly why I was confused about the covering that mine had. Thanks again, I know I can always count on the users of this website to have an answer to any question I have.

[WhiteRabbit]

With time they will start to peel, or break apart and fall off - and you are not the first person to have asked about this

[Chris147]

The coating is called a sheath ans some catts. need them to bloom, so if i were you i would not pull it off. In the wild the wind or water will wear the sheath off.

[Wynter010Beauty]

In that case, I'll just leave the darn things alone. I don't want to do the wrong thing and harm the plant. Thanks

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Chris147

The coating is called a sheath ans some catts. need them to bloom, so if i were you i would not pull it off. In the wild the wind or water will wear the sheath off.

Well that's where the confusion arises - this is not the same as a sheath that develops from the foliage apex where the blooms develop. That's why many people hesitate to call this paper-y stuff surrounding the pbulbs sheaths. I have heard it called 'sarong' - don't know if that's an accepted term or not.

[trdyl]

Hello Amber. It is usually best to remove those dried bracts. As mentioned above, less places for critters to hide.

[CTB]

When repotting I generally clean, I use a soft toothbrush and a little soapy water and they come right off no damage to the tender stock below. It does make them pretty.