Cattleya trianaei first bloom!

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

I tried but it did not budge. the sepals are pretty hefty on these. It's okay I'm not too worried about that. I was hoping the lip would unfurl a little better but it seems stuck.

Nice one Jeff. At least you tried! The flower looks great anyway.

[Jeff214]

Originally Posted by RoseSD

That is a beauty Jeff! How large is the clay pot it sits in? Can I ask how often you water and fertilize it? I have a seedling of the same that I would like to raise as well as you did 😄.

The actual plant is in a 3" net pot. I plopped it in a shallow 6" terra cotta pot. I filled the bottom 1/3 with hydraton and the top 2/3 with kiwi bark. I water and fertilize regularly throughout the year. I water atleast once a week, but I'm an overwaterer. Most people shouldn't follow my schedule!

[SADE2020]

Oh, I have one blooming very similar! Very nice...

[RoseSD]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

The actual plant is in a 3" net pot. I plopped it in a shallow 6" terra cotta pot. I filled the bottom 1/3 with hydraton and the top 2/3 with kiwi bark. I water and fertilize regularly throughout the year. I water atleast once a week, but I'm an overwaterer. Most people shouldn't follow my schedule!

Is there benefit in keeping the orchid in a net pot?

[Jeff214]

Originally Posted by RoseSD

Is there benefit in keeping the orchid in a net pot?

I typically keep seedlings in small net pots that I just plop in a larger terra cotta pot. I find that the net pot gives the roots better aeration and it allows it to dry out better. The outer terra cotta maintains enough moisture around the roots in the net pot that it keeps it happy.

The problem comes when I want to repot to a larger pot. The roots tend to grow all over the net pot, and on to the outer terra cotta. I try my best to free the roots but it can be challenging to remove the net pot without damaging the roots. If I decide that I can't, I just plop the plant in the net pot into a larger pot and fill it with media. That's what happened with this C. trianaei.

It's just what I've found to work for my growing condition and watering habits.

I hope that answers your question.