what pseudo bulbs will make flowers? - Orchid Board

Sunset · #1 06-20-2012, 12:36 PM

I am asking about Cattleyas.
The pseudobulbs with one leaf or the ones with two leaves will give flowers? I have few Cattleyas from the spring and I really want to know where to look

and what I suppose to see when a pseudobulb is ready to flower. Can somebody put some pictures for different times of develop of a bud? Thank you!

RosieC · #2 06-20-2012, 01:08 PM

From my understand it doesn't make any difference. Some Cattleyas only have one leaf on all p-bulbs, others always have 2 on all p-bulbs and some can vary.

RosieC · #3 06-20-2012, 01:09 PM

I can't help more than that I'm afraid as I only have one which is not yet ready to flower.

The3birds · #4 06-20-2012, 02:21 PM

I think I know what you are asking. I had the same question last year and got the same answer. If you have a Cattleya with only one leaf on each bulb, and then a leaf seems to pop up inside a leaf, it might be a bud. I will try to remember to take a couple of pics of one I have like that to show you.

Silje · #5 06-20-2012, 02:37 PM

I've only got one cattleya, and it's a NOID and might be some kind of laeliacattleya or some other mix. But, regarding leaves...

For the first year two years it flowers from a pseudobulb with two leaves, but this year the flowers came on a stem with only one leaf on. So...my guess is anywhere. You anyway get a warning waaaaaay ahead of time, because the flower sheath was visible for like...I don't remember, but it must have been 4-6 months before the flowers actually opened.

Could be that mine is just not a very happy plant though...I'm struggling a bit with getting the roots nice and healthy.

WhiteRabbit · #6 06-20-2012, 08:00 PM

My experience with hybrids that get both unifoliate and bifoliate growth is both bloom - on one of mine at least, the unifoliate growth always gets sheaths before blooming, the bifoliate growth does not produce sheaths.

james mickelso · #7 06-20-2012, 09:57 PM

Some catts and laelias produce one leaf and some produce two. Either one can produce a flower from a sheath or without a sheath. As the leaf grows it stays fairly closed and the flowers develope within this enclosed leaf. Some come out naked without a sheath. Here are some pictures.

james mickelso · #8 06-20-2012, 10:07 PM

And Sonya is right. Most (but not all) unifoliate catts produce flowers from sheaths that grow up within the first leaf. But bifoliate catts can produce a flower with or without a sheath enclosing the flower buds. As the first leaf matures either a second leaf or a flower sheath developes and encloses the flowers within and if you see the second leaf splitting down the center you will know that is a second leaf and not a flower sheath. Flower sheaths don't split until the flower is well into maturity. And you can usually see the developing flower within this sheath. All you have to do is waity and when it flowerrs, you will learn the difference.

Sunset · #9 06-20-2012, 11:03 PM

Thanks a lot !!!!!

I just wait for flowers, all of them look good right now. I will find a free time to take few pictures and I will post them. I am more than excited because all of them(7

) have at least two new pseudobulbs formed from the spring time when I bought them until now.

james mickelso · #10 06-20-2012, 11:52 PM

Please let us know what types they are and take pictures of them. You must be taking very good care of them to get two new pseudobulbs on them. Let me know how you are feeding them, what light level you have them in, and what your watering schedule is like. I'd like to help you get the most from them when they flower.There are very knowlegeable folks here who can help you make the most of them.