Wow, that's a nice one!

I just ordered a blooming size of the same one from another provider and I'm so excited to see it. I was wondering if it produced sheaths or if it was a direct bud cattleya because the provider wasn't sure. I was curious if you knew how big the blooms are. (there's three new growths forming but no buds yet) Thanks again. Beautiful photos by the way. Its so vibrant in color.

Hi PF ! This one appears to produce sheaths first. There is a big sheath on the one I'm growing at the moment. But the nice thing I think about this kind of hybrid is that the spike can grow really quickly. For the flowers seen in this thread, the orchid had a sheath when I went for a 10 day trip/holiday. And on the night I got home ----- the orchid was opening the flower! When I went on the trip ----- it was just sheath.

The orchid has a new sheath right now. Will see when some activity occurs.

Thanks for letting us know you acquired a Nakornchaisri Red too! Looking forward to photos of your orchid flowers as well!!

Thank you. I can hardly wait, I've definitely noticed the dark purplish area on them so I know I have great lighting in my home with my bloom plus plant light. My leaf on one of my orchid bulbs are getting ready to start opening up but I don't see a sheath yet. Maybe It will produce later when it gets mature. I'm assuming they produce sheaths after they get mature right? (still learning about the growth cycle and I've lost one, almost lost the second one (now recovering) and now I have this one.

PF ------ when the new growth (lead, new pseudobulb) is developing ---- it initially is flat like a knife -- just before the two halves of the leaf develops the split down the middle to begin unfolding or opening up. By the time it gets to that stage, the sheath is likely inside there ..... but just can't be seen yet because the leaf is still folded. But once the leaf opens up enough in order for us to peer into it ........ then the sheath will eventually be seen. That's for cases where a sheath develops. It usually will develop a sheath, even though some catts might not develop a sheath for every pseudobulb. But under conditions of good growing, and good growth, and nice lighting conditions - such as in your case, it's highly likely that a sheath will develop.

Thanks again because I've been looking everywhere on the internet for stages in detail of cattleya pseudobulb and flower production but could never find the information that I need to hear. I appreciate your reply. I was afraid I just didn't have a sheath at all lol, but Im glad there was someone here to help me understand this process.

May or may not get blooms
 

So I have three new growths. The first one hasn't fully opened yet but I'm curious to see if I get a sheath or direct buds. The second one doesn't look like It's going to get blooms I believe unless the buds or sheath is going to be produced later. The last one I'm hoping I get a bloom because it looks pretty healthy. I guess there comes a price when growing cattleyas. I water it every 5 - 6 days because my house is dry. I fertilize weakly weekly so hopefully I get a bloom from this big growth. I want to open the leaf but I know I shouldn't. Ill continue to wait I guess. :confused:

pokefan ------ excellent size plant there!!! Very nice. From what I've seen ------ the orchid ----- if the new leaf/growth is going to produce a flower spike, then it will produce a sheath ....... generally a big sheath. This will generally be seen quite early - such as by now.

I grow my orchid in relatively bright light, and the bulb before the current one didn't produce a sheath. The current bulb of my orchid produced a sheath though. Nothing is yet happening inside the sheath.

But things can definitely happen really fast once activity begins. Early this year in January --- there was a sheath ..... buds inside - noticed.

And then I went on a holiday trip. Then about 10 days or so later ..... arriving home ...... flowers were opening - on the night I got home. Incredible rate of spike and bud development. Quite astonishing really. I couldn't believe it myself actually.

Based on this thread, I ordered Nakornchaisri Red. Yes I did. Paid too much! Hoping for blooms half as awesome as the pics. Thanks for fueling my addiction, OB. Roll Tide. ROBB

ROBB ------ your future blooms for your Rlc. Nakornchaisri Red will be spectacular and awesome!! They will be.