Growing YOUNG Cattleyas 🌱🌸 - new trends, innovative practices and best practices a

[SADE2020]

Greeting to all !

I am opening this new conversation even if I have read all the interesting and very educative posts about growth Cattleyas in this forum (almost, all..not all of them).

The objective or goal is open a discussion about *best practices*, *classic method* VS *new trends*, *possible innovation due to new products, technically or anything in that matters. Also, whatever possible TestA&B anyone is doing with mediums, fertilizers, watering.

Maybe even some visitors or not so active members could share their experiences if are successful without been shy of getting into a healthy disagreement discussion ❤️.

Last but not least, sharing Pictures of blooms and developments.

PD: moderator (s) pls correct me if I am overstepping anything or if my spelling need a touch

[Abe1997]

Very interesting post, can’t wait to hear from other members. I have a couple of long running experiments. I think a general issue I ran into early in my growing experience, and one I see replicated fairly often is taking water and culture advice for adult plants and applying it to younger Cattleya. I have found that all Cattleya, especially younger seedlings benefit from wetter environments than traditionally recommended. I would like to qualify all the following information with the fact that I grow in Redlands Florida, aka south Florida south west of Miami.

1) Modified semi-hydroponic grow set ups. For a couple of years, I’ve grown complex hybrids in terra cotta pots with holes filled with inorganic media, and placed these pots over a grate which is set atop a constantly filled tray of water. I’ve noticed all the plants I grow in this method have taken off. Reaching flowering size in 3 years and pushing multiple growths. They seem to grow normal roots and reach down into the water where the morphology of the root changes. Once the new growths have sent roots down through the pot and into the water, these roots are completely white and much more rigid than the roots exposed to air. They do not rot if constantly submerged. I’ve had exceptional results doing this. No old pseudo bulb wrinkling and doubling in size of each growth is typical.

2. Using sphagnum moss. I grow in an uncovered lanai here in south Florida. Half the year it rains every day so the seedlings stay constantly wet in the moss. I grow them in loosely packed sphagnum in 3in pots. This seems to work best if the plants are transitioned to this method right after removal from flask or still quite young. They seem to really enjoy this medium, I do not pack it tight at all. One caveat is the ease with which algae and sub sequential biofilm can take over the top of the medium and restrict air flow and nutrient displacement throughout the medium. This can eventually completely rot the roots out and kill the plants through dehydration.

3. Blast them with light. Especially in sphagnum moss, I transition flasklings to practically full Florida sun over a period of 6 months. They turn PURPLE. This has led to tighter more compact growth which is not as attractive as the lush green foliage my plants growing in more shade exhibit. The high light plants seem to be more disease resistant and seem to flower around the same time as lower light.

4. Longer photoperiod. I have experimented with supplementing light after sundown for recently unflasked seedlings. Mixed results here. Seems to be most helpful in speeding growth until the second set of true leaves emerges.

[Shadeflower]

Hey Abe, thanks for sharing your method, I completely agree with your methods and I wouldn't say I've heard to keep seedlings dry, I'd say there is far too little info out there on how to grow seedlings well.
The first thing one will notice when transferring seedlings from a flask is that their roots are very fragile and it takes time for the seedlings to then grow chunkier roots exposed to air that can support them better so in this time the biggest risk of losing them is letting them dry out. Once one realizes a seedling has dried too much its usually too late to save it so what you have said completely makes sense as long as they aren't sitting in too much water.

[estación seca]

I've observed very small Cattleya seedlngs do far better in sphagnum moss than in anything else.

[SADE2020]

So here are my cents!

I have some adult Cats and also a few adults but first bloomers that all ended up blooming beautifully.

1) A group of them are pots in pine bark and some sort of sponge with lots of natural green moss. They came like that from the vendor.

2) I've repot some adults with my Mom mix recipe, not very smart since she lives in the Caribbean and I don't have the same weather, they are pot in terracotta pots with s base bottom of old broken-down pots or gravel and then the rest of the medium is "almond shells and carbon". This mix works well but forces me to water it more.

Now, I am growing 5 seedlings and they are developing well and fast in just mid (15cm) bark with some carbon. I know is a long project:

2 month (cats in blue)


4 month


9 month

[SouthPark]

100% firm-packed sphagnum can work extremely well too. Some orchid nurseries do that for catt seedlings. I also bought seedlings at one stage in the past from an orchid nursery - 100% firm-packed sphagnum.

I actually transferred them to small piece scoria, which I have to pay attention to the watering. I think that sphagnum will be just great too - for my balcony-covered growing area that is. The lighting is good, and most of my orchids get shielded from the rain ----- due to the balcony cover.

Later, I'm going to really grow some in 100% sphagnum too. Seedlings that is.

[SADE2020]

Woow, Cats in sphagnum? What could be the logic of that, taking in consideration they need lots of air circulation and oxygen? I am asking been naive in this regard ..

I've been to Brazil and Thailand and they don't deal with sphagnum. However I've seen this post in the Richmond.com and here are 2 very cool discussions 1st from last year and the 2nd from 11yrs ago

Maybe I should pack one in moss

[Shadeflower]

oh SADE I got some Laelia pumilla seedlings from the same place last year, looks like you got some good others too. I'd be interested to compare what they look like by next year.

ps: yours are the right size for bark, don't keep switching from one to the other. Moss is for tiny tiny seedlings much smaller than yours... I got myself some of those at the same time and they are so much more fragile then the bigger pumilla's (and cannot dry out, unlike your seedlings which are strong enough to dry out).

[SADE2020]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

oh SADE I got some Laelia pumilla seedlings from the same place last year, looks like you got some good others too. I'd be interested to compare what they look like by next year.

ps: yours are the right size for bark, don't keep switching from one to the other. Moss is for tiny tiny seedlings much smaller than yours... I got myself some of those at the same time and they are so much more fragile then the bigger pumilla's (and cannot dry out, unlike your seedlings which are strong enough to dry out).

Sure, love to do that.

The moss test is kind of a joke ..I love moss but so far I use it for mini spices and for adults (no cats) I mix like 20% with bark in my regular potting. I've killed some plants trying to do 100% moss.

Where do you plan to keep your plants besides the bark; plastic pots, nest or anything in particular?

[Jeff214]

I've found the sphagnum moss works well for recently deflasked catts. I was always taught that media should be tightly packed for proper drainage and to anchor the roots in place. I generally add packing peanuts at the bottom of the pot under the moss to help with drainage too. That being said, the type of media will depend on the plant, your environment, and your culture habits.

Once established in a small pot, I like seeding grade (fine) bark for cattleya seedings. I increase the grade (size) of the bark as I repot into larger and larger pots to aid with drainage and circulation to the center of the pot.

If I get seedlings in medium grade bark, I put the entire pot in a terra cotta pot and put a terra cotta saucer underneath to increase humidity around the plant. When I water, I let it drain well, let a little bit drip in the terra cotta pot and that seems to help my plants get the extra humidity it needs.

(I just got a few more cattleya seedlings but there is a terra cotta pot shortage in California. argh!)