Trouble understanding different orchid needs

[wiggz]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum (forums in general), but what I have trouble understanding are all of these specific soil types, light, temperatures. I guess you could say I use trial and error a lot (sometimes with the loss of a plant.)

My other problem is when I do try to follow what more advanced orchid growers do I manage to mess something up. So right now my usual soil mixture is orchid bark and long fibered sphagnum on everything. I really want to get my Catts to bloom along with a dendrobium aggregatum.

I do have great success with a purple and pink vanda (both blooming with 9 blooms) several dendrobiums and 2 phals. Sorry if this isn't a clear question, but any tips,advice,comments are appreciated. (the end of my massive post)

[Dollythehun]

Welcome! We have lots of good advice here. You'll learn a lot.

[stonedragonfarms]

Welcome to the OB! Most of us have been where you are at, typically at the beginning of our orchid growing adventures; as you are figuring out, much of what we do is a process of trial and error--there is a lot of information in the threads here, just search away. That being said, before we can give advice, there are a few important things about your growing conditions that will help:
1. Where are you growing your plants (greenhouse, windowsill, under lights, outdoors)?
2. What are your day and night temperatures like where you are growing?
3. How often are you watering?
4. I'll throw in what type of pots are your plants in (plastic, clay, baskets)?
Adam

[fishmom]

Hi, wiggz, and welcome! Nothing wrong with having a standard potting medium, you can "personalize" conditions for a given orchid in other ways.

Stonedragonfarms has asked necessary questions. And we love pictures, which will also help people answer your questions. Usually you need 5 posts to post pictures (although some people seem to be able to slip ahead) so make a few comments on other threads and then give us some pictures of your plants!

[wiggz]

My plants grow on a table (two 9 foot tall south facing windows are on each end) one side gets 4-5 hours of morning light and the other side gets 4-5 hours of afternoon light.

I live in North Louisiana, temps near the windows are lower 60's at night, mid 70's in the day.

I water when the soil is almost dry ( barely damp.) Probably twice a week, maybe less in wintertime.

Strangely enough the orchids that are blooming the most are ones that aren't potted. So they are all sitting in large plastic dishes to keep water from leaking everywhere and increase humidity in the day.

[stonedragonfarms]

Thanks for the information Wiggz; given the conditions that you've described, I'd be tempted to say that your plants aren't getting enough light--but if you are able to get Vandas to rebloom (which typically take more light than Cattleyas), then I'd gather light is not a problem.
The only other things that really come to mind are:
1. How frequently are you feeding?
2. It's possible that your media is staying too wet for your cattleyas (which results in diminished roots, stunted bulbs and no blooms); most cattleyas like a mix that dries down in between watering--a few of the Brazilian species being the outliers (coccinea, wittigiana, intermedia, etc.); if your mounted plants are doing better, perhaps try mounting one of your cattleyas and see what it does...
3. The last thing that comes to mind is the possibility that what you are growing is either a species catt or a standard--both of which tend to only bloom once a year; if you are seeing sheathes on new pseudobulbs, but no blooms, be patient; ie Cat. intermedia is showing well-developed sheathes right now, but will not bloom until sometime in the spring.
I don't grow aggregatum, but from what I remember, it needs a pronounced cool and dry rest period, with increased light, to bloom well. If my memory serves, Den. jenkensii is relatively identical in appearance, though smaller and not wanting the cool dry rest to bloom well; hopefully one of the others will chime in.
Let us know if we can help more,
Adam

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by wiggz

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum (forums in general), but what I have trouble understanding are all of these specific soil types, light, temperatures. I guess you could say I use trial and error a lot (sometimes with the loss of a plant.)

My other problem is when I do try to follow what more advanced orchid growers do I manage to mess something up. So right now my usual soil mixture is orchid bark and long fibered sphagnum on everything. I really want to get my Catts to bloom along with a dendrobium aggregatum.

I do have great success with a purple and pink vanda (both blooming with 9 blooms) several dendrobiums and 2 phals. Sorry if this isn't a clear question, but any tips,advice,comments are appreciated. (the end of my massive post)

I know it's a lot of information and can seem quite overwhelming but in the end it's all pretty basic. Though different genera of orchids have different needs, successful growing actually starts with knowing the conditions you can provide. If you have bright sunlight then avoid plants with low light needs, and visa versa. If the typical low temperature where you grow is above 60, avoid plants that want cool temperatures. If the humidity is below 40-50% you might want to consider a cool-air humidifier. It all starts with what you can easily provide for the plant, and it's pretty hard to adapt a plant to conditions which aren't suitable. You CAN adapt conditions with humidifiers, artificial lights, and fans. Lots of fans, because orchids like air movement.

There's a wonderful book called Orchids to Know and Grow, by Sheehan and Black. Granted, the reading is a bit on the dry side but the depth of information makes up for it. They examine a broad number of genera and discuss the typical temperature, light needs, watering, etc. Of course, the AOS site also does this for a good number as well. Once you understand what you can provide, stick with plants that like them. Discovering the needs of a genus quickly tells you whether or not you can grow it when you know what you can give it.

[wiggz]

Yeah, light is usually not a problem because i have to scoot them further away or they'll get sun burnt.

As for feeding I don't have a regular feeding schedule, I usually feed after blooming and just sporadically the rest of the time. I am very very careful with fertilizer, that is, I fear that I might somehow overdose the plant with it. I think I've gone between miracle-grow for orchids and coffee ( for my nepenthes, but I use it on everything)

Do you have a preferred potting medium for Catts. you would recommend? What are Sheaths? that thin green casing surrounding the bulbs? I have a few new bulbs that have slowly added onto the plant.

[stonedragonfarms]

Attached is a picture of a bloom sheath on a C. intermedia; the papery coating protecting the pseudobulbs as they emerge is also called sheathing.
I fertilize most of my Cattleyas every time that I water, year round (4-5x a week in the warmer months, 2-3x a week in winter); I also mist them at the root zone in the morning and again in the evening (no fertilizer, just straight up water).
I don't have a preferred media per se; it depends on the species of plant and the parentage of the hybrids; ie most of the Cattleya which used to be Sophronitis I grow either mounted or in sphagnum moss. Most hybrids I grow in a mix of small bark, medium bark & either fine lava rock or pumice. Most Brazilian Cattleyas I grow either in very coarse tree fern fibre or on modified mounts (affixed to large chunks of cork), which I then place in pots and fill with a mix of large lava rock & fine bark. Pretty much anything that I grow in the greenhouse I grow mounted--if it needs more moisture, I will put it on a horizontal mount instead of a vertical one. It's largely what works best for you under your growing conditions.
Adam

[Ray]

There isn't a preferred "potting medium for catts". Instead, you need to think in terms of a pot/potting medium combination that works well with your cultural conditions and watering habits to meet the needs of the plant.