Will They Survive?? - Orchid Board

Cattleya17 · #1 01-26-2009, 06:29 PM

Hello guys how ar you?? I made a Huge Mistake! well i got this Huge cattleya from Odom's orchids it has 5 bloom sheaths i got it about 3 or 4 months ago and it wasnt producing and in fact one of the sheaths turned brown and dry! i know its because i didnt have any light for it! it would not fit under the light shelf i built. the man said that it wouldnt be larger than 18 inches, but it was like 25in and my shelf is 23 inches tall. so it did not fit. so i figure hey lets take a peak inside and rip open the sheath. except i ended up ripping it off completly!

At the bottom of the sheath there was a small green bump.thinking it wont produce i decide the other sheaths going again i moved it out of the room with the shelf and put it im my living room, after asking my parents if i could leave it there, that has full sun from 9:30am till 5:00pm and Low and Behold i noticed the small bump start growing a month after i bought it down which leads us to right now. now there are two small buds! to protect them i have wrapped the Base where the leaf and pseudobulb meet with saranwrap and tape to protect them! they seem ok but will they make it to full blooming size??? the other mature growth with the sheath still attached is producing a spike as well! i can tell because i shine a flashlight on it to see if there is a shadow growing inside. and it is and Fast too.

The plant is a Lc. Drumbeat 'Heritage' HCC/AOS
Will they survive????

Cattleya17 · #2 01-27-2009, 09:26 PM

Can anyone out there reply to my post???? i really would like some help. sorry to sound desperate or rude

isurus79 · #3 01-27-2009, 11:20 PM

Hmmmmm....any pics? Im curious to see your artificial sheath!! For the future, just because a sheath gets brown and dry, it does not mean that you wont get flowers from it. As for you current buds, as long as you dont bump them when messing with the fake sheath and be sure to NEVER allow any cold draft on them, I see no reason they wont bloom. Its also nice that you have 'backup' bud so that if you do for some reason lose the buds on one growth, you still got more comin on another! Good luck!

susiep · #4 01-28-2009, 12:51 AM

I have a catt that fell out of a tree when it had just started growing new sheaths. At least 2 were damaged and I am not sure the plant is going to be ok. I would like to see pics of your artificial sheaths. I might try something like that, too!

buckie · #5 01-28-2009, 01:37 AM

Growing conditions here are so different to your's it's not funny, but some basic rule's apply everywhere.
1. Don't cut or remove old or browning sheath's, spikes can appear months after they have gone brown.
2. Any sudden change in tempreture can have a large effect on buds in the sheath's, try to keep the plants warm.
3. Not to much water on the sheath as buds start to push through, on dried one's you might have to lend a hand buy very carfully pulling the sheath apart.

As for the false one I wish you luck, let us know how it goes.

Warren from down under

Cattleya17 · #6 01-28-2009, 10:30 AM

Yeah the funny thing is i knew i should just let it be and hope for the best. and still i just had to be silly and rip it! such a dork. well hold on 4 the pics i will be posting them soon

Becca · #7 01-28-2009, 10:38 AM

I am with the others, just because a sheath is brown doesn't mean it won't produce a bud or a spike! I have learned the hard way, luckily I only did it once...lol. I can laugh at it now, but I was so bummed when I accidentally killed the bud inside of a brown sheath thinking it was a dud!

Cattleya17 · #8 01-28-2009, 11:43 AM

Ok Guys here are the pics! the last one is of the Other sheath that will likely survive and bloom

this has kept them safe ever since i noticed it was going to try to bloom with out the sheath and the buds have made it this far! they look like buds! so i just hope that they continue to do well and i dont make this mistake again! A Play on words. Curiosity Killed the Catt.

quiltergal · #9 01-28-2009, 12:11 PM

The buds look fine and should bloom out as long as your conditions remain constant (no cold drafts or sudden decreases in humidity). I would be a little concerned with using plastic wrap though. It doesn't breathe and I'd be worried about rot or fungus starting. You probably would have been fine leaving it as it was.

Becky15349 · #10 01-28-2009, 12:25 PM

I agree with Teri - I am just a little nervous about fungus or mold growing in there. Frankly, I think you'd be better off without the wrapping - the buds are getting pretty large. Don't get any water in there!!