How to care for this type of orchid?

[HarrowKitty]

Hi everybody! Been creeping here for a while, and figured I might as while join! I love orchids myself, but I don't have that much experience with them. My bf is more knowledgeable than I am, but I'm doing my best to learn!

So I went to our local orchid show on the weekend, and we purchased a couple of orchids! The one in question, I couldn't find ANY information on it when I googled it. But the tag says that it's a C. percivaliana x B. nodosa. I've researched both orchids, but with this combined orchid, I'm not sure if there's anything different...? Right now, there are about 4 leaves, no stalk yet. So I want to be able to give it the love that it needs to flourish!

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks a lot!

Jen

[silken]

Welcome! Your new orchid is a cross between two Cattleya species which means it is a primary hybrid. It has a registered name and is called Bc. Karin Lomer. You can add that to the tag if you want. It basically takes standard Cattleya culture. This one is a bit of a warm grower so it wouldn't do well with temps like 55F or 65F. More intermediate to warm conditions. It takes medium to bright light. Not direct sunlight and likes to have good well draining media and some good air movement which is standard for many orchids. It should dry out between watering. You can feed it a balanced fertilizer when you water, but should use about 1/2 of the recommended dosage on the package unless it is specifically called Orchid food. Orchids like frequent low doses of feed so we often say fertilize weakly weekly. Once every month flush the pot with clear water to remove any fertilizer salt buildup which can burn roots. I hope it flourishes for you!

[Leafmite]

Hello and welcome!!!!

[HarrowKitty]

Thank you for your kind welcomes!

Silken, thanks for all the information. I have some follow up questions if that's ok:

1. How did you find its registered name? I couldn't find any information on this orchid when I googled it. Perhaps I searched it wrong?

2. I live in SW Ontario, and the weather has been depressingly bleak (it's currently snowing! ). I'm afraid that it isn't receiving enough light, even though spring is around the corner. Should I invest in grow lights? If so, which do you think would be best?

We also purchased a Den. Christy Dawn in bloom, and it's very lovely. I'm hoping that I succeed in keeping them happy!

Thanks again!

[Leafmite]

Your weather sounds like ours. It is snowing here, too! Ohio (at least the part where I live) is also very dark during the winter. If you can put your orchid outside in the summer (if temps allow) where it gets direct sun in the morning, that helps greatly. I grow two brassavolas and a few cattleyas that need high light and giving them a south window in the cold months and putting them outside in the summer works well. If you can't do this, I would consider lights.

[HarrowKitty]

I'm getting incredibly tired of all this snow, haha. We were promised sun! The weatherman is once again wrong... *sigh*

I will definitely be able to put it outside during the summer. We have a western facing window, so as long as the sun cooperates, we should get adequate light in here during the winter months.

It's currently in a moss medium, and it still feels quite damp to me, so I'm thinking maybe I'll check back every week or so until I deem it to be dry, and then water? I don't know when it was actually watered last, however it does feel moist.

We have a humidifier in here, and fans, all hoping to help circulate the air and provide more moisture. We have a whole bunch of other plants growing on the same table, so hopefully that helps.

Do you know if they like or need to be misted? I've heard some say yes, and some say no... not sure which one to listen to :S

[Leafmite]

I grow all my cattleyas either in red lava rock/basket pots or mounted so that they might dry quickly. My brassavolas are mounted on cork mounts. For me, roots tend to rot rather quickly if they stay wet. I don't mist or provide extra humidity as I find most of my plants don't need it (I have a mini jungle). Of course, as you have discovered, there are many answers and ways of growing. One thing I have learned with cattleyas is that they need a steady supply of calcium when growing. If your tap water provides this, you are fine. If you use rain or distilled water, make certain your fertilizer provides it or use a suppliment. I learned this the hard way...my new growths turned black and died due to calcium deficiency a couple of years ago. Hope this helps. Reread what Silken writes, too.
You mention other plants so I think you will quickly figure out how to grow orchids.

---------- Post added at 03:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:33 PM ----------

I look forward very much to warmth and sunlight though I hope not as much as last summer.

[HarrowKitty]

Unfortunately, I think that this may be one of those "learn from your mistakes" kind of hobbies... it's so sad to lose them I lost one of my lithops to mealy bugs about a month ago, just after it had finished splitting. *sniff*

Thank you for all the helpful info! Hopefully with what you and Silken have provided, I'll have a healthy happy orchid! Or I could stick to baking if all else fails :P

[silken]

Originally Posted by HarrowKitty

Thank you for your kind welcomes!

Silken, thanks for all the information. I have some follow up questions if that's ok:

1. How did you find its registered name? I couldn't find any information on this orchid when I googled it. Perhaps I searched it wrong?

2. I live in SW Ontario, and the weather has been depressingly bleak (it's currently snowing! ). I'm afraid that it isn't receiving enough light, even though spring is around the corner. Should I invest in grow lights? If so, which do you think would be best?

We also purchased a Den. Christy Dawn in bloom, and it's very lovely. I'm hoping that I succeed in keeping them happy!

Thanks again!

Here is a link to the orchid registry where all registered hybrids can be found. Click on the 'Parentage search' tab. Just put in the two parents' names. You don't have to know which is the seed and which is the pollen parent. So you would put percivaliana as one grex name and nodosa s the other. Both Genus are cattleya but you don't need to enter it.

The International Orchid Register / RHS Gardening

This one isn't the most high light requiring cattleya but cattleyas in general require a fair bit of light.

As for being in moss, I do grow one in moss in a clay pot. But normally it would be in an more open mix like medium bark chunks or coco husk or a mix of one of those with charcoal or similar. You could put a bamboo kebab skewer in the pot and pull it out to see if it is dry before watering. I would use caution with moss.