Can Cattleya's produce new growths before blooming?

[txboi25]

Can a Cattleya produce new growths befor blooming? The reason I ask is because a cattleya I got for Christmas just finished producing two new growths both of which are larger than the one that was blooming or is it waiting to bloom at the same time of the year that it was blooming when I got it? Thanks in advance

---------- Post added at 08:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 PM ----------

Also both growths have large sheaths that are still green

[NYCorchidman]

Yes! Especially when the plant is a big enough clump with multiple leads, then some directions will have flowering, some sheath, some newly emerging growths. All very normal, although may not be true for all cattleyas.

[txboi25]

What if the growths are coming growths are coming from the ones that have the sheaths that haven't bloomed

[Optimist]

You had one bloom, followed by two years of "empty sheaths". To me this would mean that perhaps in your care they are not getting the light they need (near full light) or other things a nursery was able to give them. No problem, just find them a better location. Iam notsure if they need the cold snap like oncidiums. Since last year I keep everything outside till the last minute. Late november or early december. (Children are still running around in shorts and flip flops near Christmas here).

[txboi25]

I just got it this past Christmas and these two growths where the ones that it grew after it finished blooming and each growth is from different growth points

[james mickelso]

Some cattleyas grow a pseudo bulb and then can grow new pbulbs from that before it flowers. It may not flower or it may have blind sheaths but that matters little. It is healthy and produces new growth from the pbulb in question. Others grow, flower, and then lay dormant for awhile. Then they start a growth cycle all over again. Cattleyas, like all plants, have developed growth, rooting, and flowering strategies that have changed with their environment.

[Fairorchids]

Some Cattleyas can grow two new pseudobulbs in-line in a single year, and then bloom on both when the normal blooming season arrives. I took photos of a Laelia purpurata doing this yesterday. That plant had 3 leads, and one of the leads had two blooming pseudobulbs (in-line).

Plant is going up on Ebay later today.

[tucker85]

Most cattleyas bloom at the same time every year. Many of mine bloom almost on the same day every year.

Summer blooming cattleyas often grow a new pseudo-bulb that will form buds before the new growth is even fully mature. Then it will bloom right away on the new growth.

Winter and spring blooming cattleyas bloom on hardened mature growths. The pseudo-bulbs will grow out during the summer and form a sheath as they grow. Then the plant will go through a rest period in the fall. Several months later buds will form in the sheath of the mature p-bulb and it will flower.

Some cattleyas only develop one new pseudo-bulb per year on each lead. On those plants, the only way you get more flowers is if the orchid develops several leads.

Other cattleyas will develop two new pseudo-bulbs per year on each lead. They may both have sheaths or sometimes only one has a sheath. The most desirable of the cattleyas that grow two new growths per lead, are the ones that bloom on both pseudo-bulbs. I would say 50% of my cattleyas that grow two growths, bloom on both. Maybe less.

Another variable is whether all the new growths bloom at once or sequentially. Some cattleyas bloom on the first of the two new growths and then bloom on the second one a few weeks later. Others will bloom on all the new growths at once. I prefer sequential bloomers because they can have blooms for a longer period of time. I have a huge C. Drumbeat 'Heritage' that had blooms on it for almost three months this year.

I'm sorry for the long winded reply. I hope I didn't confuse you.

[txboi25]

No you didn't confuse me thanks for all the info it buts my mind at ease

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by txboi25

What if the growths are coming growths are coming from the ones that have the sheaths that haven't bloomed

As two members pointed out above, some cattleyas will grow multiple growths with sheaths and then they will all flower at the same time when that time comes.

A good example of this was my LC Golden Sands, which grows (new growths with green sheath will keep adding more growths on them) during the summer (and into the fall sometimes), and come spring, all the sheaths burst out into big flower show.