Bud Blast Question

[Becca]

I have a Cattleya hybrid in sheath and when it blooms I would like to take it out of the orhcidarium in the basement and move it to the living room to enjoy but I am affraid that the change in temp & humidity would cause bud blast. When would be the best time to move the orchid out of the orchidarium, or should I just leave it in there and not risk it? This will be my first time having a Cattleya bloom for me. In the future I would like to bring all of my orchids out of the orchidarium while in bloom as well so hopefully recommendations for Cattleya's will apply to other genera of orchids? TIA!

[shakkai]

I'd love to know the answer to this question! It seems like any time I move anything, the buds blast, so I haven't risked it recently...

[Ross]

It seems to me if the buds have opened into flowers (fully open) they can't blast. I don't know about Cats, per se, but Phals are famous for blasting buds when they are truly buds. All I have to do is change some part of the regimin in some important way (temperature, watering, light, etc.) So I am careful to not change anything until the spike is fully open. Then I have found I can move the plant to a table and enjoy it if I care to (or my wife does). This response is just a personal observation and not intended as an answer. If you have Phals or Paphs in the orchidarium and they bloom, feel free to bring them out while in full bloom. Just watch the leaves, etc. because that will be a big change in humidity.

[Neverend]

Well, I think the obvious answer is to move it out when it's in bloom?

The other alternative is to move it out when it is starting to bloom (buds at full size and some flaps open). As far as I know for phals it works like that, they'll open even more quickly.

[Ray]

I think the original question answered itself: BUDS can blast with fairly small changes in temperature or humidity. For an open flower to collapse, it takes a lot more stress.

Blossoms will last longer in a humid environment, but they will last long enough to enjoy in the home.