Thinking about buying a Catt with some doubts

[rbarata]

Do Catts like to get sun all day?

[estación seca]

That depends.

Most prefer very bright light all day. In common with other treetop epiphytes, as opposed to understory epiphytes like Phalaenopsis, they tend to bloom best and be most resistant to diseases with light just below that needed to burn the leaves.

In most horticultural situations, however, direct sun causes the leaves to get too hot and burn.

In the wild, many species grow near the tops of trees, exposed to full sun all day, but temperatures are not high, and there is a steady breeze to cool them to ambient temperatures. In an enclosed space without a breeze, even at temperatures at or below what they experience in habitat, leaves quickly burn in full sun.

Humidity matters also. At higher levels of light and leaf temperature, water evaporation is also higher. Plants cultivated in high-light situations but low humidity may not have root systems able to supply enough water to replace that transpired. Higher humidity lessens this transpired water loss and keeps plants from wrinkling and wilting.

[rbarata]

During most of the year, autumn, winter and spring I think I'm ok, lots of sun, strong but not excessive, the problem is summer...I don't think they can handle summer sun.
I think I will try to find someone in my area that who grows Catts to confirm it's possible.

[flexdc]

Originally Posted by rbarata

What are the symptoms of low light for Catts?

How cold does it get in your area?
I live in Los Angeles with a warm mediterranean climate, and all my Cattleyas are grown outside in dapple shade. Most, not all, Cattelyas can take it down to about 10 c in the winter, as long as day time temp is around 20 c or so.

Andrew

[rbarata]

Done! I asked a senior member from an orchid society here in Portugal. She says my window it's ok as long as I use a curtain in the hotest hours, in summer.

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Originally Posted by rbarata

I think I will try to find someone in my area that who grows Catts to confirm it's possible.

That's the very best idea so far.

[flexdc]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Do Catts like to get sun all day?

Direct summer sun will burn the leaves. Morning direct Sun to about 10 am is usually ok in my area.
The strength of the sun all depends on your climate. Where I live, summers are hot and dry with little cloud cover. My Cattleyas are grown on a North facing wall under very bright but indirect light.

Low light symptoms are week spindly growth with dark green colour leaves and no flowers.

This is a well grown Cattleya with medium to light green leaves. This orchid is grown on a north facing wall that receives very bright indirect light all year round but no direct sun.

Andrew

[rbarata]

How cold does it get in your area?
I live in Los Angeles with a warm mediterranean climate, and all my Cattleyas are grown outside in dapple shade. Most, not all, Cattelyas can take it down to about 10 c in the winter, as long as day time temp is around 20 c or so.

I think it's too cold for Catts. The coldest days we get between 26 to 50º F (-3 to 10 ºC). But my window, because it's exposed to sun, the room is around 20 to 23 without any heating on and maybe around 18 during the night.

[Zabeta]

I'm not sure about the cold that you get, but I can respond about the summer heat. I have six cattleyas, all doing extremely well despite some pseudobulb wrinkles. In my climate, I've found catts to be the hardiest orchids. In the summer there's virtually no humidity and it gets up to 110 degrees during the day, dropping to maybe 60 or 70 at night. I don't have a way to cool the room off, and I use a fan and humidifier very sparingly. They are in a south-facing window that actually has more direct light in the winter - in the summer it's actually rather indirect.

Currently I have two catts in the direct light, which they are doing fine with. I have two set maybe three inches back from the window and partly behind another plant's leaves, because one got a sunburn (however, they were being taken care of by someone else at the time as I was away, so I'm not sure if it was because of a water droplet or just the plain sun). One is behind a sheer curtain because its leaves were getting too yellow. And one I'm still figuring out what to do with because it is so large, but for a while it was partly in, partly out of direct sunlight, and it bloomed.

All of them are growing roots and new growths like crazy. They are a bit wrinkly in the pb, but it hasn't seemed to have affected their growth and I am wary of overwatering. I water approximately every three days by soaking.

I think the point I'm making with my long-winded description is that each plant will probably want something different. Increase the light gradually and keep an eye on them to see if they are getting too yellow. If they are, try using a sheer curtain.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by rbarata

I think it's too cold for Catts. The coldest days we get between 26 to 50º F (-3 to 10 ºC). But my window, because it's exposed to sun, the room is around 20 to 23 without any heating on and maybe around 18 during the night.

Do you mean your room is 20C to 23C without heat during winter days and 18C at night? That is fine for Catts if light is good.