Very first Cattleya - Orchid Board

Kevstar · #1 10-14-2018, 10:45 AM

Hi guys,

I bought my first Cattleya today.

I wanted to check if you think it looks healthy? I'm not used to the paper like casing around the pseudobulb so I don't really know what it should look like.

I bought one that looked plump and had plenty of unopened buds.

Many thanks.

Very first Cattleya-smartselect_20181014-144025_gallery-jpg

Very first Cattleya-smartselect_20181014-144036_gallery-jpg

Very first Cattleya-smartselect_20181014-144044_gallery-jpg

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #2 10-14-2018, 10:50 AM

Nice flower. Flowers and buds are not the strongest indicators of the orchid's health, but they look ok.

Pseudobulbs look fine. The white covering is normal.

What do the roots and leaves look like? These two parts of the plant should not be neglected when determining the plant's degree of health. I'm talking about the entire root system, not just the ones you can see on the surface of the potting media.

WaterWitchin · #3 10-14-2018, 10:51 AM

Lookin' great Kevstar!

Kevstar · #4 10-14-2018, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

What do the roots and leaves look like?

Annoyingly, it did not come in a transparent pot so I cannot really tell what the roots look like at this stage. I guess I could repot and find out but I thought it might be better to wait until the blooms have all opened and faded before I mess with the roots. What do you think?

The leaves look good:

Very first Cattleya-smartselect_20181014-150219_gallery-jpg

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #5 10-14-2018, 11:05 AM

Leaves are good.

Any roots with living root tips crawling out of the pot? Cattleyas usually have a few.

Kevstar · #6 10-14-2018, 11:49 AM

There doesn't appear to be no..

Very first Cattleya-smartselect_20181014-154821_gallery-jpg

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #7 10-14-2018, 01:13 PM

I think it's strong enough to produce new roots next spring.

Grow in bright indirect light and dry out completely before watering again and you should be fine.

10 C to 32.2 C is ok.

Kevstar · #8 10-14-2018, 01:40 PM

Thanks for your help 👍🙂

borofan · #9 10-15-2018, 07:18 AM

Just bought one from a local show and I was a bit concerned about the (in my case) black skin around the pseudo bulb. The trader (a well known name in the UK) said that it was largely cosmetic and could be peeled off if I didn't like it.

Mike

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #10 10-15-2018, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borofan

Just bought one from a local show and I was a bit concerned about the (in my case) black skin around the pseudo bulb. The trader (a well known name in the UK) said that it was largely cosmetic and could be peeled off if I didn't like it.

Mike

It is advisable to peel it off if it is black.

White or light brown, no problem, keep it or lose it, doesn't matter.