Cattleya Marcella Kost and C. Peckinhaviensis

[terracotta7]

mj...
I have a Marcella Koss 'Pink Marvel' that I got as a baby in 2007 and I have yet to have a bloom or even a sheath. It is beautifully healthy in every other way...roots, leaves, always new growth. But it will not bloom. How do you grow yours? i.e. light, temperature, etc. Your blooms are so wonderful. I am tempted to give this plant of mine up, but I am an eternal optimist.
Any words of wisdom or encouragement gratefully accepted.

[mjHuntingtonBeach]

I must have been watching a Sam Peckinpah movie in the recent past and got confused

As to Terracotta7's question about care, I am not sure my approach will be too helpful to most here. I live in coastal S. California and grow most of my orchids on the patio outside. I got the Marcella Koss from Santa Barbara Orchid Estates, who specialize in orchids that grow well outdoors in more temperate climates and this was one of their recommended cattleyas. I have it on the north side of the house under an eve. I water roughly once a week with a weak fertilizer solution, sometimes more often in summer if very hot. It gets the late afternoon sun but mostly is just bright lighting. They grow in granite rock chunks and that is mostly what is in the pot now, with a little hydroton and bark, that allows for quick drainage and drying of the roots and manages to weight the pot down enough to keep it from blowing off the stand when we have one of our frequent wind bursts here.

Temperatures here in winter average about 50-60 day times and around 40-50 at night, some nights getting into the low 30's. Summers average around 60-65 at night, 70-75 days. And often the mornings start with a healthy dose of marine layer from the ocean which moderates temperatures and provides some fog and humidity.

I will say the M. Koss seems to enjoy the outdoors, so I would guess a spring-fall outdoor vacation would do wonders to speed blooming, and I would guess morning sun would not hurt either if your climate isn't too hot. But the northwest corner of the house here suits it fine.

[james mickelso]

In my experience when catts don't bloom it is either not enough sunlight at the right time, or not enough n-P-K the last two dealing with initiating the bloom cycle. Or both. Catts like lots of light during the growing season and then as they initiate their bloom cycle. They can aso abort their flower buds if the temp gets too high but that seldom happens.

[Oscarman]

Love them both. Marcella Koss is so full and lovely. Have a compot of C. peckenhaviensis 4N coming along nicely - be great to see them flower like yours.

[terracotta7]

Thanks mj and james. I have taken notes and I think Marcella Koss will be taking a summer vacation outside with a sunny venue as you described. I have hesitated putting any of my orchids outside in the nicer weather because of chipmunk problems. But if I am going to get blooms, I will find a way to outsmart those buggers.
The fertilizer I use is 20-14-13. I am new to the game, so I never vary it. I figure that you have to know when something is supposed to bloom in order to give it something different at the right time. My friend gave me her orchid food when she gave me her dying (now truly dead, sigh) orchids. That is 11-35-15. Which would be better to initiate blooms?

Thanks in advance! I am considering this a challenge to myself; I CAN learn to grow cattleyas!

[james mickelso]

Catts in general like plenty of sunlight short of burning their leaves. I should say they like lots of bright light short of burning their leaves. Here in SoCal I can have them in the sunlight until 10am and then in the afternoon after 4pm and they will grow well. I don't know where you live so just give them right light. They like to be watered fully with good quality water like RO or distilled. I use the water I get in the machines at grocery stores for 30 cents a gallon and put in 1/4 strength 20-20-20 fertilizer at every watering. Once the catt is fully grown whether I can se the sheath or not, I start feeding it a fertilizer higher in potassium and phosphorus and lower in nitrogen. Something like 10-30-15and 1/4 strength at every 3rd or 4th watering. Once IO started doing this my flower count, flower size, and flowering in general got better. There are many different strategies and one will work for you better than others so experiment. The best way is to join your local orchid club. Lots of expertise there anmd many friendly faces eager to help you. Here is an old orchid that has been lingering and not blooming until I started this regimen. C. Resplendens. About a week or week and a half from blooming. The other one was supposed to be gorgeous too but when I turned it around from it's hidden corner way up on the top shelf behind some others, look what the snail did to it. AAAARRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!! I've waited for this to bloom for awhile. Curse their evil slimeyness. (where's my snail food? Here slimey slimey snails. Come to papa).

[terracotta7]

LOL!

You have snails, I have chipmunks. Here in New York I used crushed eggshells around my hostas to prevent snail and slug damage. I am not sure what clever thing I will devise to ward off the furry, digging chippies, though.

OK. I think that I have a good spot for Marcella Koss to get the right sunlight. And I think I have the right fertilizer for this recalcitrant orchid. I am going to give it a try...I have nothing to lose.

Incidentally, I thought I would never get a cattleya to bloom, but I did get one to bloom this year. I almost threw that one out, too. But when I had almost given up, I took some OB advice and moved that to a sunnier window and I was able to get 2 blooms! So, I will never say never again. I'll keep trying. If this works I will get one of my family to help me post a pic. Thanks again for the inspiration mj and the advice james.

[mjHuntingtonBeach]

I have to say, until I started growing the cattleyas with a lot of sun, never had many blooms, so I agree, that is the key. I added a picture of a laelia purpurata that I started putting out in full sun for the last year, it finally bloomed starting this week, but definitely needed full sun

[james mickelso]

So very nice. Just love the colors. Hope we can get a little more sun here at the beach this year. I have lots of new growth but need that light. Nice flowers!!!

[terracotta7]

Beautiful blooms! How long do you expect they will last? Any fragrance?