Cattleya warneri - sheath question

[kinknstein]

Hi Everyone
I am pretty new to growing cattleya's, having only grown them for about a year now so please forgive if this is a dumb question. I have a Cattleya warneri which has been growing really good foor me, and has put out 5 new growths this year. When I purchased it, it was described as being Flowering Size, and was and still is in a 4 inch pot. My question though, is when does it produce sheaths? I have alot of other catt species, and from what I have observed, the sheath is usually produced just after the new growth matures, but I have not see any signs of sheath from my warneri. Does it produce them at a different time? Or could my plant just not really be flowering size yet?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Ephemere]

I read that cattleyas can also blossom withouth first producing a sheath, i.e. with ot without

Michael

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by kinknstein

Hi Everyone
I am pretty new to growing cattleya's, having only grown them for about a year now so please forgive if this is a dumb question. I have a Cattleya warneri which has been growing really good foor me, and has put out 5 new growths this year. When I purchased it, it was described as being Flowering Size, and was and still is in a 4 inch pot. My question though, is when does it produce sheaths? I have alot of other catt species, and from what I have observed, the sheath is usually produced just after the new growth matures, but I have not see any signs of sheath from my warneri. Does it produce them at a different time? Or could my plant just not really be flowering size yet?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Nick, Cattleya warneri, when mature, is about 30 cm tall, including the leaf. That's an average. The sheath production in this species normally begins when the new p-bulb is higher than 20-22 cm, leaf included and it is noticed right after the leaf starts unfolding. Sometimes, young seedlings of 15-18 cm can produce sheaths, but no flowers, something like a preparation for the next, true flowering bulb.
Sometimes, when the plant is already mature and producing flowers, it happens that a new p-bulb matures in the fall. It is common that this p-bulb comes without sheath and a new one starts growing to mature and bloom in the spring.
Cattleya warneri has an unstable genetic behavior as to produce one or two sheaths, one enveloping the other. Sometimes a single sheath is produced, some other times double sheath is produced and very rarely it blooms out without sheath.

[kinknstein]

Thanks for the responses!
Mauro - Thanks for your help Mauro, from your description, it sounds like my plant is not quite large enough yet, only being about 15 - 18cm in height. All your great warneri pics lately got me to thinking about it!

[kinknstein]

Hi All
Just thought I would update this thread. Orchids always amaze me, just when you think you have them figured they go and surprise you. So after recieving some responses, I figured that my plant must not be of Flowering Size quite yet. Well whadda ya know, the fifth growth that it has put out this year is just opening its leaf and there actually is a sheath in there! I guess it could still be a false sheath but only time will tell!!
Thanks for the help and info everyone!!

[kinknstein]

Thanks for the info Jan! Between yourself, Mauro and a few other members of the OB, my cattleya collection is growing by leaps and bounds!