Cattleya dowiana on a windowsill...good idea?

[Claire25]

Or recipe for failure? I don't have a greenhouse but would love to grow one of these beauties. I'm most concerned about it simply getting too large...I would be growing it on south-facing windowsills in winter and then giving it as much full sun as it can take on my outside deck in summer.

My other Catts do well with this treatment, but I'm unsure that I have 1) the space for this plant, and 2) enough sun to bloom it.

So, could someone with experience with dowiana give me some pointers? Should I just stick with growing my mini and compact-growing Catts til I get a greenhouse? (I'm on the "ten-year" plan as far as that goes...)

Thanks so much!
Claire

Edit: I also have a metal halide lamp that I used back when I was growing all my orchids in a single bedroom apartment. If I rigged that up again, would it give me a better shot with dowiana?

[kavanaru]

ypu know what... I do not know about dowiana growing on windowsills.. but.. if you never try, you will never know I would go for it... especially, if you already have Cattleyas growing under those conditions and they do well and bloom...

readwhat are the particular needs ofthis species, as it seems to be the key factor for success. Here some links:
Cattleya Orchid Source - Cattleya dowiana Species Orchid
Cattleya dowiana | Chadwick and Son Orchids
Cattleya dowiana | Chadwick and Son Orchids note that these are two different articles from Chadwickorchids

and you know that if at some point the plant gets too large, you can always divide it

[Claire25]

Thanks! The Cattleya Source page is the first place I've seen giving a clear description of the size of the plant...3 and a quarter to 8 inch pseudobulbs don't seem too big to me.

Claire

[Eyebabe]

I have not successfully grown a dowiana YET :P
I have recently obtained one and have read up quite extensively on this species.
Number one is that it definitely has a VERY dry period through the winter. I am as of yet unsure how I will be handling this...how dry am I going to let her get? It may take me a few years to get it right!
And even more importantly is this plant does not like it cold. My biggest concern (and I am just north of you only a small bit in PA) is getting cold near the window sill in the winter from conduction.
My plan is to have it back from the window...whether in the house or greenhouse with a nice grow light near and humidity from either trays or in the gh (still under township incarceration )
Hope this is helpful

[johnblagg]

well remember a 8 inch Pb could mean a leaf 9 or 10 inches or more on top of that so you may be taliking a big plant there ....My goldenzell has 3 inch PBs and 9 inch leaves on top of those so its 12 inches tall.

And That was in one year from a 3 inch pot as a seedling two to three years from bloom size so I am still not realy sure how big it will actually get when mature...a 8 inch Pb could mean truly huge leaves

[Claire25]

True, true...I am sure this orchid would need its own window, to say the least, if its leaves ended up being proportional to 8-inch p-bulbs. John, your Goldenzell seems to be about the same size as one of my "compact" Catts (C. Blue Angel)...I've been pleased but also alarmed at the growth I've seen it put on this summer. Needless to say, it won't fit where I had it last winter...not to mention that I need some additional "headroom" around it for its numerous sheaths to flower this coming season. And if I remember correctly, dowiana has something like 6-inch blooms...yikes...but at least they should come in the summertime.

Eyebabe, I hadn't thought about the windowsill/cold weather issue. I wonder if that really would be a problem? I'm thinking that it would be less than ideal for a seedling (which is what I was planning on starting with) for sure.

Hmmm....some things to think about. Thank you both.
Claire

[Connie Star]

I bought a flask of C. dowiana in Costa Rica in January. There are 6 plants, and they are doing nicely in a compot with sphagnum. I'm not sure when to replant them into their own pots. They are still tiny, maybe 3" tall. I'm told they're slow growers. I just wanted to try growing flasklings without having to buy a flask with 50-60 plants.
Eyebabe, thanks for the info about their temperature tolerances.

[orchidsamore]

dowiana is one of the harder Cattleya to grow.

I considered getting some for the nursery last year and Stuart the Master Gardener with 40years experience with orchids said if I did buy it to just throw it in the trash when they arrived that between us we would not be able to keep it alive.

That was probably an exaggeration but they are twice the price of regular Cattleya and he had never been able to keep one alive for long.

There are thousands of easy to grow Cattleya with which you could start.

[johnblagg]

ahh but for some the challenge is part of the fun and I may someday try one myself ....some things just work for some people and others fail mirserably at the same plant ...If it intereast you try one if you fail and realy want to grow that type try again ....you will never suceed if you do not try and lol they have been grown maybe not often but they have...