How to guide Cattleya Lead?

[prc11]

I have a cattleya that had two new leads this year the second one grew straight up but the first lead grew downwards. They both have sheaths and it is probably to late for the fish wire. I am wondering what I should do to guide the lead upwards.

[Zoi2]

I don't think I'd do anything with it now with the sheath for fear of breaking the lead. After it blooms maybe you can try to get it to straighten up a bit.
Joann

[tucker85]

I've never had any luck trying to change the direction that a lead is growing. manipulating a lead will most often just damage the plant. On fully formed psuedobulbs it is possible stake them a little straighter than they are and then in a week or so they will have adjusted to that position and you can straighten them even more. But leads pointing down or straight out to the side can't be changed much. When orchids growing like that bloom. They can be displayed hanging up and they often look very natural that way.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Edit: You can't guide it sideways, just don't do it. You could end up breaking it.

If it's growing upwards, wait until the lead gets to a large enough size to place wires on the rhizome to gradually clamp it down onto the top of the potting media by wrapping the wire around the pot and tightening the wires down in increments as time passes.

Remember to 1st clamp the rest of the plant down.

I'd say do about 2 millimeters lower every 1 or 2 weeks.

Even after this, it won't necessarily be perfectly flush with the top of the potting media.

Sometimes, it's best to avoid training them down onto the media because of where the leads are growing from. There will be times when leads are growing on top of leads, and other such things.

[camille1585]

You have to guide it as it growing, afterwards you risk breaking it. One thing that has worked on my lone catt is to solidly plant a plastic label right up next to the growth (at a outwards angle) as soon as I notice that the growth shows no signs of turning upwards. As the lead grows the label will gently guide it upwards.

[quiltergal]

I stake mine starting when they are still very young and pliable. I learned this trick from Mauro our resident Catt expert. Once they mature they harden up and the stake can be removed.

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

I stake mine starting when they are still very young and pliable. I learned this trick from Mauro our resident Catt expert. Once they mature they harden up and the stake can be removed.

Ditto ...except its just something I did on my own due to years of growing other plants