Cattleya done blooming -- now what?

[JDawggie]

Hi All -- All the blooms on my Cattleya are spent, what do I do next? I am not sure where or if you cut the stems (like a Phal?) . Any help would/direction would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
-Jared

Happy 4th to everyone!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Hey! Happy 4th to you too Jared!

You may either remove the inflorescence or keep it on until it dries up, then remove it, it's up to you.

Unlike Phals, Catts will not produce keikis from the inflorescence.

In the meantime, keep growing them suckas!

[peeweelovesbooks]

What he said ^^^^^^^^

Additionally, I take advantage of this time and inspect the plant.

Does it need repotting? Are the roots ok? Do I need to address any other issues now?

[JDawggie]

Thanks KofO and peewee...I am going to inspect the plant and do plan to repot it this weekend (just so I have a record when it was repotted and how old the medium is etc.).

I have never repotted a Cat , but am willing to jump in with both feet. The Plant appears to be really healthy with 6 pseudo bulbs, but there are a few black marks on one of the older p-bulb leaves..not sure it that is an issue.

Here are a few other questions that I thought of:

1. When cutting the inflorescence, is that the stem and sheath leaves? Or just the stem?

2. Is this the proper time to repot a Cattleya? I have read that you need to wait for the "eye"?

Thanks in advance, everyone on this board has been super helpful!

Jared

[glengary54]

JDawggie - When you cut the flower spike, you cut everthing above the set of leaves, spike and the sheath that it was enclosed in. As to when to repot, you want to make sure that a new growth is starting so that you will have fresh new roots going into the fresh medium.

[JDawggie]

Crazy question here..How can I tell if there is new growth or not? I presume I find this out after I take the mix out? Or is there a way to tell just by looking...
Thx
Jared

[Eyebabe]

The pseudobulb will not produce another flower and thus you cut the flower and sheath to the base of the leaf. Please do so with a sterile razor blade if possible and discard the blade afterward
If your cattleya is a species wait to repot until you see new ROOTS growing from the base; if it is a hybrid, you can repot any old time for the most part and it will do fine.
When you repot, remove ALL the dead roots and be aggressive. This will promote new root growth and decrease the chance of disease developing. Use a rhysome clip if necessary to secure the plant in the new media. Choose a pot small enough/big enough to allow room for two to three more pseudobulb growths. Remember don't cover the rhysome with media....I would check out some youtube videos or repotme.com for examples.
Also, you could visit Barnes and Noble or Borders and look at some books for a good visual

[JDawggie]

It is a Species (L. Purpurata Var. Carnea X SIB) so I will wait to see new growth -- I presume new grow for Cattleyas take place after the bloom much like other plants? I took a clean razorblade to the Sheaths and stems -- I did notice that some older leaves have strange black coloring -- can these leave be cut of? Or do the older leave need to be intact with the older pseudo bulbs?

Thanks, I do have several books that I am reading on orchids and have searched YouTube, I just can't seem to find exactly what I am looking for, thus I find myself coming back to the Orchid board for answers!!

Thanks again!
Jared

[JDawggie]

This is a picture of the leaf with some black shading / spots on it...it is on the older leaf. The leaf is still firm, not mushy -- Fungus, Bacteria, or too much light?? I have never seen anything like this..

Thanks,
Jared

[Eyebabe]

That leaf looks perfectly fine....just "old".
So I would leave it as it contributes to the health of the plant