Two orchid questions (mini catt and bellina)

[mattryan]

I am wondering what I am doing wrong in regards to a noid mini catt that I purchased last year. It was out of bloom and I was just starting to try different types of orchids. When I purchased this mini it only had 2 pbulbs, since it has grown 5 and 2 more are growing now. It is outside right now, it gets morning sun and fert and or watered when almost dry...sometimes too dry (maybe). I switched to a urea free fert. this year Better-Gro 20-14-13, and have new growth on everything. I don't think that aspect of culture is wrong as it would not be growing so much? Is it not getting enough light? I just don't know why it is not blooming. I have other catt type orchids and have got them to re-bloom, but not this one. I am at a lost for this 1 I would really like to see it's blooms, heck maybe it uggly and afraid I give it away


My second question regards my bellina. I purchased it from a vendor last year. When I got it it was growing 2 keikeis and a spike. Well it is done nothing in regards to them, but then it finally decided to grow a new leaf. Then yesterday I was watering it and I believe it is growing me a new spike (on the right side of stem). My question is this how do I hopefully not get it to stall as the other spike has? Also will the other spike (on right side of stem) ever grow? Lastly does my bellina look ok?

Sorry for so long a post thanks for the help

P.S. (my wildcat) I think the rot spread so I took the smallest pbulb, the only one not soft and hopefully it will give me something so upset.

Cheryl

[james mickelso]

The pbulbs that are growing to matuity now aren't going to bloom. Ad they don't look fat enough. The new growth is what will make flowers. Give them as much light as you can short of burning the foliage. Once these new growths get almost mature, switch to a bloom booster fertilizer. In other words, once the leaves are fully elongated, switch. Or even a month or two before. Ray can tell you more about the ratos of N-P-and K than I can.

[Mira-Claude]

A nursery owner told me that some cattleyas won't bloom without a good drop in temperature. he said that lowering the temperature to 10 celcius while the cattleya is dry would not harm it and in most cases would provoke blooms. he said not to try it on a plant with insufficient root system of pseudobulbs count.
Good luck!

[WhiteRabbit]

The Catt might just not have been big or mature enough, if it was only two growths when you got it ...? Does it appear to have previously bloomed?,

[Wynn Dee13]

I was also thinking the same as Sonya. Are you sure it is mature enough to bloom? If it only had two pbulbs when you got it then it must of been a seedling or I guess a division. Also some Catts need more light than others so maybe this one needs more light to bloom than your other ones.

As far as what Mira-Claude said about dropping the temp to 10°C it won't kill the plant and some species do bloom by a temperature change and seasonal change but yours isn't a species. What the vendor told Mira-Claude kind of sounded like they were referring to shocking the plant into blooming. Some people say to put an orchid in really cool temps to stress it out so it will bloom. Many orchids will bloom out of stress cause they think they could die. I don't think that is a good idea. Why not just give the plant what it needs to bloom? I'm not sure if that is what the vendor meant but I have heard the shocking the plant to bloom thing being recommended to people before.

Just up the light and let it grow bigger. Since you don't know what kind of Catt it is you really don't know how big it needs to get to bloom. Some people have different ideas as to what size a Mini-Catt is. A Mini-Catt stays under 6 inches tall when fully mature according to Sunset Valley Orchids who breeds them. A compact Cattleya stays under 12 inches tall and then there is the large/standard Cattleya which is bigger than 12 inches tall.

I think your bellina looks healthy but I only have a seedling. I'm not sure about the spikes. Hopefully someone who knows more about them can tell you. I know they keep blooming off of old spikes so you shouldn't cut them unless they turn brown but you probably know that already. All I can think of is that something happened to the plant to make it stall the spike. I'm not sure if you can stop that from happening on the new one unless you know why the other one stopped growing and if it is a culture issue.

Good luck and post pics when they bloom!

[Bud]

be patient with all your plants.
the mini Cattleya needs to mature and the new growths accoring to James will be the one to grow sheaths....continue whatever you are doing because they are happy and healthy....
bellina is really doing great and yet the spike can abort if you move position or if its a humidity issue....otherwise....both your plants are just happy campers.

[mattryan]

Thanks everyone for your help. The mini catt had bloomed, off one of the two original pbulbs. I don't know why the pbulbs aren't fattening up. It just keeps growing new pbulbs. Thats why it's not blooming, so increasing light would help to mature the growths then? I am at a loss, none of the 5 new growths have done anything since last year. Thanks for any help that I can get.

Cheryl