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Originally Posted by Becca
What a beauty! Such delicate colors!
I have sort of an odd question for you Mauro.... how do you get the p-bulbs and leaves to grow straight up like yours in the picture? all of mine ten to grow sideways, is it just how this particular species grow?
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Becca, a few factors actually play a role in this question of straight pbs and leaves. Light intensity and the angle of incidence, poor nutrition (especially calcium deficiency) causing flaccid vegetal tissues, genetic definition for the species all play some role. Epiphytic Cats (species) tend to have a little bit arching leaves and pbs a little bit separated to each side. As always, there are exceptions that position the leaves almost in a square angle in relation to the pbs, like Cat warneri or straight upward, like many rupicolous Laelias.
Given the genetic definition (which can be a problem if the plant is a complex hybrid) I believe that in domestic cultivation light and nutrition are the main factors affecting the way the pbs and leaves are positioned. And depending on how they are, they occupy precious space, isn't it?
The plant above, an exception, had all the pbs and leaves naturally almost in line except for one (at left) that was 'educated' to follow the others. You see so many of my cats with relatively aligned pbs because I stake and tie them where I want. I let them staked for some time, a few months. If you keep the pbs staked for a few months you can then get the stake off and the pbs, in general, stand right where they are, they don't get back to the original position (in general this works good, but not always).
I don't do this with species naturally having pbs in sharp angle (compared to the horizontal plan), and never to the leaves.
Cattleya trianae var. concolor rosada (another)
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