Toshie's Magic in bud again!

[NYCorchidman]

I got this plant in bud in May. After spraying something to remove thrips, I ruined flowers.
It grew one new leaf since then. I noticed it grew tiny little sheath. Today the sheath is open and there is a small but growing bud inside.
Yay!!!

This is going to be the second cattleya that I have been able to rebloom.
All others make sheaths that just sit there forever doing nothing, and others do not even make sheaths.
Quite frustrated with cattleyas in general, but gotta love this one!

[WhiteRabbit]

[silken]

Good growing. I know what you mean about sheaths that do nothing. I get a few of them! will look forward to seeing the bloom.

[NYCorchidman]

If the sheaths that have been just sitting there doing nothing end up drying out, I plant to just chuck them out. They really waste lots of space.
No blooming plants do not stay in my house. lol

[terracotta7]

I hear you! I have a couple of catts that are on my list; if they do nothing this spring it is the compost heap for them. I have other orchids that will bloom for me, and I need the room. Still...hope springs eternal...

[NYCorchidman]

I have two LC hybrids that grow nice, but they both have large sheaths since May! They are still green and hopefully bloom in the spring.
If not, out they go! lol

Toshi'es Magic is making one small flower at a time so far, but at least it's blooming almost automatically just like my other mini catt.

The nice thing about Toshie's Magic is that the leaves are erect taking up much less space while the leaves on other mini catt sort of spread sideway.

Anyhow, I'm very curious to find out about the color change on the bloom. Last time, I got to enjoy the bloom less than two weeks and it was light yellow with red lip and hint of red on the tip of petals. These are supposed to have more pink cast on the flower as they age, so I can't wait to see that.

[terracotta7]

I am thinking that the upright foliage is more and more important as time goes on and I learn more about orchids. I will have to learn more about Toshie's Magic!

A couple of questions: why do catts have different shades of coloring from bloom to bloom? Is it only aging like you say, or could it change from temp, humidity, or fertilizer, too?

I have a potinara (my first) that came to me from hausermanns with a sheath with a bud in it a few months ago. The whole thing looks healthy and it is getting fatter slowly, but I cannot see that the bud is growing upwards in that sheath. The only other BLC I had bloom for me got the bud in the sheath and it bloomed out in about a month, if I remember correctly. This Pot. Deanna Sanders 'Indiana' is also growing another nice lead and that is now almost seven inches long. Am I forever destined to look at catt leaves and sheaths and never see a bloom????

Thanks in advance for any help!

[NYCorchidman]

well, I'm not very experienced with cattleyas although I have more than ten already!

The color change in general (not just cattleyas) can be influenced by a number of factors such as temperature, fertilizers, light intensity, and so on. Humidity does not affect the flower color. It may affect the flower size and life span.
Flowers that change color as they age (not from bloom to bloom) do so because that's how they are programmed in their DNA.

Toshie's Magic comes in many different color forms as is common with hybrid orchids.
The plant I have is supposed to open light yellow with red lip and some red on the tip of petals. As the flower ages, more pink blushing is supposed to kick in, but my plant never got that far as I sprayed something on the flowers and the flower withered.

I have two mini catt including Toshie's Magic, that are great grower and constant bloomer ( flowers off every new lead).
I have two large LC that are great growers and make large sheaths, but nothing ever came out of it. I'm patiently waiting, but I'm afraid my patience is almost up. lol
I have a few BLC, some of the largest and beautiful bloom, but these seem to be the most problematic catts for me. They just grow and grow without ever making sheaths. I've already dumped out a few.
More to go in the near future.
Maybe they need a lot more light with brassavola in it, but mine are sitting right up against the window, they couldn't get any more light!
very puzzling.

[terracotta7]

Thanks so much, NYOrchidman!
I have so much to learn!
Although I am sorry that some of your orchids don't bloom like they should, it is a small comfort to me that I am not the only one in this world who cannot get the foolish things to make the beautiful flowers come. If someone as experienced as yourself can have trouble with some orchids, then I don't feel so bad. Like you, I have these orchids right up by my best window. I left them outside during the summer. They are growing new leads all the time and the leaves are a good color. So frustrating.
So....I am going to look around for the Toshie's Magic and give that a try. I also have some hope for this potinara I already have, although it seems to be taking its own sweet time about things.
Thanks again to taking the time to reply!!!
Kathy

[silken]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

well, I'm not very experienced with cattleyas although I have more than ten already!

The color change in general (not just cattleyas) can be influenced by a number of factors such as temperature, fertilizers, light intensity, and so on. Humidity does not affect the flower color. It may affect the flower size and life span.
Flowers that change color as they age (not from bloom to bloom) do so because that's how they are programmed in their DNA.

Toshie's Magic comes in many different color forms as is common with hybrid orchids.
The plant I have is supposed to open light yellow with red lip and some red on the tip of petals. As the flower ages, more pink blushing is supposed to kick in, but my plant never got that far as I sprayed something on the flowers and the flower withered.

I have two mini catt including Toshie's Magic, that are great grower and constant bloomer ( flowers off every new lead).
I have two large LC that are great growers and make large sheaths, but nothing ever came out of it. I'm patiently waiting, but I'm afraid my patience is almost up. lol
I have a few BLC, some of the largest and beautiful bloom, but these seem to be the most problematic catts for me. They just grow and grow without ever making sheaths. I've already dumped out a few.
More to go in the near future.
Maybe they need a lot more light with brassavola in it, but mine are sitting right up against the window, they couldn't get any more light!
very puzzling.

NYC, I would love to be your dumpster when it comes to you tossing your orchids! I don't have many yet but from what I have read and my own few, it seems the mini Catts quite often are reliable bloomers on every lead compared to some of the larger hybrids.
Some of the Catts need a cool dry winter rest which maybe you can't give in an apartment. Also I know there are some that only bloom at a certain time of year so other leads don't bloom if not mature at the right time. My Lc. Canhamiana is that way. Its a very vigorous grower (I recently split it into 3 nice sized plants) but for me it only blooms in spring/summer and many leads have never bloomed. It's in the greenhouse where it does get a lot of light.

I'm becoming more interested in the mini Catts because of their size and bloom productivity.

If you have several in particular that won't bloom, I can look in OrchidWiz and see if there is anything in particular that they need such as cool rest or really high light.