Old cattleya collection haven't bloomed for over 40 years

[Jeremy T]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Healthy Catts regularly make more than one new growth per pseudobulb. In the tropics I would regard one pseudobulb per growth per year as poor growth.

I would try would be even more light, more fertilizer and more watering.

What fertilizer do you use? How do you mix it? How often do you fertilize?

Try to give enough light that the leaves are closer to yellow than green.

Thanks. I will need to ask my mom (in her late 70s). As far as i know she uses the same fertilizer on every orchids at least once a week. Not sure of the brand but i suspect it may be one of those popular brand recommended by the nursery. The new hybrids bloom with what ever routine she is doing.

Will definitely ask some friends to help her move these old cattleyas where it can get direct morning sun early in the morning + 50% shade when the sun will rise over above her orchid tent. See how that goes.

[Ray]

There are some cattleyas that require short days to trigger blooming, something that doesn’t happen at the equator.

Commercial nurseries that grew catts for cut flowers would blanket the benches with black cloth in late afternoon through morning for a few weeks to simulate that, so they could be “forced” for specific holidays, like Easter.

Considering the age of the plants, it seems likely that they could be such species or early hybrids involving them that might still have such strong tendencies that have been bred out of newer hybrids.

[Paphluvr]

Are they grown in pots? When was the last time they were put into fresh media?

[DirtyCoconuts]

What dedication

Just for reference my Catt species put 5-15 growths in a year with at least two seasons. I am more temperate than she is. There is something missing for their happiness.
I agree. Determine the food supply and then adjust the light gradually for an experiment

[Jeremy T]

Originally Posted by Ray

There are some cattleyas that require short days to trigger blooming, something that doesn’t happen at the equator.

Commercial nurseries that grew catts for cut flowers would blanket the benches with black cloth in late afternoon through morning for a few weeks to simulate that, so they could be “forced” for specific holidays, like Easter.

Considering the age of the plants, it seems likely that they could be such species or early hybrids involving them that might still have such strong tendencies that have been bred out of newer hybrids.

Thank you. Will get someone to help her with that.

[Orchidtinkerer]

like DC I agree, some decication to keep them around for 40 years without blooms.

Ray has given excellent advice.

I will also add possible reasons being that they could have picked up a virus which would make them weaker,
they could have hidden pests feeding on them, after 40 years outdoors with no winters that is a high probability imo and that can inhibit flowering too.

[Jeremy T]

Originally Posted by Paphluvr

Are they grown in pots? When was the last time they were put into fresh media?

In same clay pots with same original big chunks of charcoals and broken pieces of clay pots as media.

---------- Post added at 04:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:37 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Orchidtinkerer

like DC I agree, some decication to keep them around for 40 years without blooms.

Ray has given excellent advice.

I will also add possible reasons being that they could have picked up a virus which would make them weaker,
they could have hidden pests feeding on them, after 40 years outdoors with no winters that is a high probability imo and that can inhibit flowering too.

Thanks. Sounds like I will help her repot all the old cattleya when I can finally visit her.

---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

What dedication

Just for reference my Catt species put 5-15 growths in a year with at least two seasons. I am more temperate than she is. There is something missing for their happiness.
I agree. Determine the food supply and then adjust the light gradually for an experiment

Wow that's lot of growth. Will discuss a plan with my mom to for the best way to introduce changes to these cattleyas. It has been over 40 yrs, so, there is no harm trying.
Fingers cross and thank you.

[Merita]

I am not an expert but I would change the substrate and put one without charcoal. How many times in these years has she done it?

[Jeremy T]

Originally Posted by Merita

I am not an expert but I would change the substrate and put one without charcoal. How many times in these years has she done it?

Never been changed, all in the original media (broken clay pots, charcoal and in fact a few pieces of broken bricks) from over 40 years ago.

The only pot that i tempered by splitting into 3 pots (where one died) and BLOOMED is the one where the roots just wouldnt budge from the pot so it was kept in the same old pot and old media.

[Merita]

Originally Posted by Jeremy T

Never been changed, all in the original media (broken clay pots, charcoal and in fact a few pieces of broken bricks) from over 40 years ago.

The only pot that i tempered by splitting into 3 pots (where one died) and BLOOMED is the one where the roots just wouldnt budge from the pot so it was kept in the same old pot and old media.

If in 40 years with all the conditions they do not flower, a change of substrate would not hurt, many times when the charcoal is not truly vegetable it can harm the plant.