What are my Cattleyas doing?

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

If the new growth is light green, it is likely fine where it is. Somewhere on the net, there is a site that shows the proper color of most orchid leaves with too little or too much light. Then there are those that don't fit that category (one of my catts has very light green leaves and, for it, this is normal.
Others get purple spots or coloring).
I think you are fine with calcium, then. Most people are. If you add powdered milk, just a tiny pinch is plenty.

Thanks!

---------- Post added at 07:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Leafmite

If the new growth is light green, it is likely fine where it is. Somewhere on the net, there is a site that shows the proper color of most orchid leaves with too little or too much light. Then there are those that don't fit that category (one of my catts has very light green leaves and, for it, this is normal.
Others get purple spots or coloring).
I think you are fine with calcium, then. Most people are. If you add powdered milk, just a tiny pinch is plenty.

Actually, one more question - should I cut back the old bloom stem from my cattleya or just leave it there? Is it like cutting a spike on a Phal? I've never done this before.

[james mickelso]

Yes, an old flower stalk. The other is a blind sheath or a flower sheath that started growing and never initiated an flower buds. They do that so not to be concerned. With the size of the bark in the pot you can water this twice a week with no problems as long as the temps are over 65*f. These do look a little too green but that may be the monitor/camera. The pbulbs will stay wrinkled. It is their nature. They're old and just like old folks who wrinkle orchids do too. Ray sells a good CalMag fertilizer. Your 20-10-10 is fine as long as you add some calcium and magnesium as a supplement. Read your label on your fert. Does it contain calcium and magnesium? If not you should add it. the calcium in powered milk is not the same. On the cats you showed here, start looking for new buds to develop at the base of the newest old pbulb. This is next season's flowers. Catts need as much light as you can give them short of burning them to flower well or at all. Keep the questions coming. That's how everyone learns.

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Yes, an old flower stalk. The other is a blind sheath or a flower sheath that started growing and never initiated an flower buds. They do that so not to be concerned. With the size of the bark in the pot you can water this twice a week with no problems as long as the temps are over 65*f. These do look a little too green but that may be the monitor/camera. The pbulbs will stay wrinkled. It is their nature. They're old and just like old folks who wrinkle orchids do too. Ray sells a good CalMag fertilizer. Your 20-10-10 is fine as long as you add some calcium and magnesium as a supplement. Read your label on your fert. Does it contain calcium and magnesium? If not you should add it. the calcium in powered milk is not the same. On the cats you showed here, start looking for new buds to develop at the base of the newest old pbulb. This is next season's flowers. Catts need as much light as you can give them short of burning them to flower well or at all. Keep the questions coming. That's how everyone learns.

They are in a west facing window that gets a lot of afternoon light. Not direct because there is a tree outside but I'd say it's definitely strong. And they stay nice and cozy warm and get lots of humidity from the shower a couple times a day. Other than a window that gets direct western light, that is the brightest I've got. Is that okay?

They do have new things growing up (not sure what a bud looks like?) from the base of the plants and they're also putting out new roots. Are those going to be flowers or will the flowers bloom out of a spike where those sheaths are at? I attached pictures of the new growths.

[james mickelso]

That is a new pbulb and the older pbulbs look like they have enough stored energy to help the new pbulb initiate flowering. It will be the fall if it does. The other growths are younger buds that will grow like the first one. Those dried up papery sheaths should be "CAREFULLY" taken off with tweezers because this is where scale and bacteria'fungus' hang out. You will also see some very young buds at the base of the pbulbs that need to see light so they will start to grow. They would (may) eventually but this will really get them going. If tyou have a small fan that you can set up in the bathroom to circulate the air it would go a long way to keep these healthy. Stagnant air is the second leading cause of root rot. It doesn't have to be strong, just moving. The light is probably good enough but the more light the better the flowering usually is especially with catts and laelias. Feed these weekly weakly. 1/4 to 1/2 strength. Ray B. has a chart to help you figure that out. He doesn't believe in bloom boosters but I do from my experience. Talk with him and see if you want to try or not. Good growing. Don't ask me how I'd "train" the cats to fear orchids.

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

That is a new pbulb and the older pbulbs look like they have enough stored energy to help the new pbulb initiate flowering. It will be the fall if it does. The other growths are younger buds that will grow like the first one. Those dried up papery sheaths should be "CAREFULLY" taken off with tweezers because this is where scale and bacteria'fungus' hang out. You will also see some very young buds at the base of the pbulbs that need to see light so they will start to grow. They would (may) eventually but this will really get them going. If tyou have a small fan that you can set up in the bathroom to circulate the air it would go a long way to keep these healthy. Stagnant air is the second leading cause of root rot. It doesn't have to be strong, just moving. The light is probably good enough but the more light the better the flowering usually is especially with catts and laelias. Feed these weekly weakly. 1/4 to 1/2 strength. Ray B. has a chart to help you figure that out. He doesn't believe in bloom boosters but I do from my experience. Talk with him and see if you want to try or not. Good growing. Don't ask me how I'd "train" the cats to fear orchids.

I have attached a picture of my setup, just because I was reading about them last night on the AOS website and was trying to figure out how I might get a fan in there. A small, battery operated thing, perhaps? That particular window is actually IN my shower, so there are (for obvious reasons) no electrical outlets around. The curtain I have on that window is also fairly thick and creates a small microclimate in the window, where that whole area is warmer than the rest of the bathroom, and I was thinking of getting some pebble trays in there today to try to get the humidity of that immediate area raised a bit when we're not showering.

I also read, "Afternoon sunlight coming through west-facing windows can be extremely hot and, without adequate air movement and humidity, damaging to your plants." My plants are in a west facing window and they do get hot. When I first brought them home, one of the pbulbs on the Golden Sunburst got a slight purple tinge, but it has been up there for a couple months now and nothing new has appeared...if nothing else, that one has taken off with growth. Still, I was wondering if I should get a piece of sheer fabric and maybe velcro (this is a rental, and I certainly don't wanna drill into the window frame O_O) it up against the window itself.

In addition, I was reading that at temperatures above the low 90s cattleyas can't transport calcium...given that it has been in the upper 80s-low90s with heat indexes over 100 degrees here, I am fairly certain it has gotten at least that hot in there when the sun swings around to that side of the building. We have a smart thermostat which kicks on if the temp in our house gets above 85 when we're not home, but again, that window is sort of its own little thing. Is that something I should be concerned about? If so, what should I do about it? What exactly does the calcium thing mean?

Sorry to ask so many questions...^^;

[butterfly_muse]

Oh, I have one more question! This summer has been the most rainy summer Maryland has seen, I think since 2005 or so? And I was wondering if that is perhaps affecting my plants as well? As you can see in the picture, it's even raining today. There have been more rainy days than not rainy days since the end of May. Should I worry about that, or is the cloud filter still enough light, or should I get a small light, or...?

[KrissieLynn]

Two answers I have for you:

1) I have a SW-W facing window where my Catt-type orchids are, and to muffle the intense direct light that comes in through the blinds, I used sticky back Velcro to tack up a double layer of cheesecloth/gauze. It's very open, and very holey, but works quite well.

2) For those cloudy overcast days, I have a lamp nearby that I turn on to supplement what light isn't coming in. It's just an little thing that puts out minimal heat, but it puts out enough light to keep the orchids happy on cloudy days. Up until recently here in KC, we were getting more rain that sun, so my light was on quite a bit.

Hope that helps some.

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by KrissieLynn

Two answers I have for you:

1) I have a SW-W facing window where my Catt-type orchids are, and to muffle the intense direct light that comes in through the blinds, I used sticky back Velcro to tack up a double layer of cheesecloth/gauze. It's very open, and very holey, but works quite well.

2) For those cloudy overcast days, I have a lamp nearby that I turn on to supplement what light isn't coming in. It's just an little thing that puts out minimal heat, but it puts out enough light to keep the orchids happy on cloudy days.

Hope that helps some.

This is helpful. Do you think if I got a fancy schmancy piece of lace to hang up there it would help break the light up some? And I don't really think I have the area for a lamp, but if I should happen to find something, what kind of bulb do you use?

[KrissieLynn]

Quality isn't that great on this pic, but here's my set up. I think as long as the fabric you chose allows light through it should be fine. I actually have a hunk rolled up and stuck to the Velcro, just in case I need to decrease the light. Lace would be a much prettier alternative to the gauze I have.

I looked at my lamp, and it is a 13 watt bulb inside an Ottlite.

[KrissieLynn]

So apparently my iPad takes upside down pictures.........