Cattleya LC Purple Cascade "Fragrant Beauty" with new psudobulb

[GreenGirl]

My cattleya now has a new psudobulb forming, and I am wondering how long this will take to mature and to flower. This is the only activity that my cattleya has done since it finished blooming last year, and I am wondering if I am treating it properly. I feed it once a month with 1/3 the strength of the orchid fertilizer I use to feed my phalaenopsis and dendrobium. It is in a west-facing window and sits on a tray of moist pebbles. I water it when it is dry. Do cattlyeas usually grow this slowly, or am I doing something wrong?

[Eyebabe]

Cattleyas usually bloom once, maybe twice per year.

I have a few hybrids that are a bit more active, but only since they were moved to a greenhouse.

If your plant is young, it will bloom less frequently until it is more mature.

[WhiteRabbit]

When did it finish blooming last?
Different orchids have different schedules, but I would expect new growth to start within a couple months after blooming, if not sooner, tho I have had some take longer.

New growth may take several months to mature, again it depends on the plant.

Some of the Catt alliance hybrids can really take off once they mature a bit, and be almost constantly growing, and blooming a few times a year

[GreenGirl]

It bloomed last year at the end of September.

[silken]

I am wondering if it is getting enough light. Late in the day it might get a high amount from a west window, but cattleyas need fairly good light levels. Maybe it isn't a long enough period of good light from a west window, especially over winter.

[Bud]

some cattleyas sulk...when repotted and the roots are disturbed ... I had one of them sulk for a year, it only gave me bulbs but now the third new bulb has a sheath...hopefully it develops buds inside.

[Zoi2]

I agree with Silken, I don't think your catt is getting enough light. Can you put it in an eastern or southern window?
Joann

[tucker85]

The fact that it's forming a new psuedobulb is a good sign. Most cattleyas grow one or two new psuedobulbs a year on each rhizome. Often only the last psuedobulb will bloom. When cattleyas grow but fail to bloom it usually means they need brighter light. Large cattleyas in paticular need a lot of light. Some of the smaller cattleyas seem to flower with less light. Good luck.

[GreenGirl]

My Cattleya is growing really well now, it just took it a while to get started! Thanks for the tips!