Cattleya Dormancy

[isurus79]

I made a video describing the different types of dormancy that various Cattleyas need during winter in order to thrive and bloom well. Let me know if I missed any!

https://youtu.be/gBy2osD6-fE?si=0-CJBvFX09zqpBXr

[smweaver]

Informative video, Steve. I liked the Brazilian guy (can't recall his name at the moment) who informed you that just because some species (he was, I think, referring to C. walkeriana and nobilior) experience rather severe dry conditions in the wild, you don't have to replicate this with your own plants in practice. I actually cringed at the mention of (and I'm paraphrasing what he told you here) Brazilian growers not having any wrinkled pseudobulbs on their walkerianas and nobiliors when you see them in bloom. For too many years I ended up basically torturing my walkerianas by giving them hardly any water during their winter dormancy (while maintaining high humidity levels and assuming that would be sufficient to keep them healthy). I don't do that any longer, and my monster C. walkeriana has shown its gratitude over the past two years with not only massive flowerings, but also (and much more importantly!) by not dying from being watered during its supposed "dry season." So thanks for pointing this out. And nice job--although is that photo behind you a picture from the old Giligan's Island TV show from the 1960s?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Informative video, Steve. I liked the Brazilian guy (can't recall his name at the moment) who informed you that just because some species (he was, I think, referring to C. walkeriana and nobilior) experience rather severe dry conditions in the wild, you don't have to replicate this with your own plants in practice. I actually cringed at the mention of (and I'm paraphrasing what he told you here) Brazilian growers not having any wrinkled pseudobulbs on their walkerianas and nobiliors when you see them in bloom. For too many years I ended up basically torturing my walkerianas by giving them hardly any water during their winter dormancy (while maintaining high humidity levels and assuming that would be sufficient to keep them healthy). I don't do that any longer, and my monster C. walkeriana has shown its gratitude over the past two years with not only massive flowerings, but also (and much more importantly!) by not dying from being watered during its supposed "dry season." So thanks for pointing this out. And nice job--although is that photo behind you a picture from the old Giligan's Island TV show from the 1960s?

My friend is Luiz Hamilton Lima. If you check out old AOS articles, you'll see some written by him as far back as the 1980s! He also published a walkeriana article in Orchids Digest with Cesar Wenzel about 5 or so years ago.

That image is actually a painting of Bahia when it was still a small fishing village! Sauro de Col did the painting in the 1950's or 1960's I think. My grandfather bought it all those years ago!

[smweaver]

Very cool--about both Luis and his longevity, and your grandfather's painting of Bahia that, I'm guessing, many of its residents today might not recognize.