Cattleya with bloom sheath - how long?

[kai55]

I have one blooming size cattleya that, three weeks ago, sent out a small blooming sheath and then... nothing.

How long of a delay should I expect between the sheath appearing and it, well, doing something about it?

C. aurantiaca ‘SVO’ 4N x L. anereri ‘Peter T.’
Bifoliate.

[silken]

It's a primary hybrid between 2 species. Based on info found in OrchidWiz, I would expect this to bloom next spring. The aurantiaca is said to bloom after a cool dry rest (winter usually) and the angereri wasn't specific but the 1 award I saw listed for it in the U.S was awarded in March, so I am going to assume, you will likely see blooms around Feb. or March.

Different Catts can bloom very differently. Some sheaths sit there for a good 6 months before a spike develops. Others have a spike developing almost as fast as the sheath, and some have no sheath. Some sheaths don't bloom until they are all dried up and brown, so don't cut it or do anything if that happens. It could still bloom.

[Fairorchids]

Some Catts will grown two new growths each year, but only bloom seasonally. That means that the older growth does not bloom for 5-7 months, while the younger growth blooms almost instantly.