Buds Growing inside sheath finally!!!

[james mickelso]

I was out today in the GH and checked a couple of sheaths that I've been waiting patiently for them to grow and sure enough as I peeled the sheaths back......death. I am watering very sparingly right now as I have all winter because the warmth/cold and humidity swing wildly during the day and night. So just a tip.....watch new buds in sheath carefully. I have used a light like egg producers use occasionally to backlight and check the health of my buds and even then have come up with rotted buds. Oh well. Yes the sheath is there to protect the buds but outside their native environment which is warm and moist ours is usually the opposite (aka cool humid) bud rot is an ever present problem. Warmth I think is the key. Here are a couple pics of sheaths that I cut back to discover rotted buds and sheaths left in place (fingers and toes crossed) and something that was hidden away from sight. It is LC Orange Nugget. I've had this for years. This is the last one I have as I gave away a bunch couple years ago and sold off the others last year. This one actually put out a keiki on an adjacent pbulb and I let it grow wrapped in some spagnum moss for about 6 mos and just now cut it off. It had a root about 3 inches long. I hope it lives. Anyway watch those sheaths carefully and keep them warm.

[NYCorchidman]

Wow, that's terrible news!
Well, I don't get to control temperature at all.
My catts are all sitting by south window, so they get hot during the day and very cool at night.

I don't actually have to remove the sheaths to avoid humidity buildup inside the sheath as the air indoor is very dry.
The main reason I removed the sheaths is beacuse I was afraid the huge temperature swing between day and night might negatively affect the growing buds inside the sheaths.

So far, other than my mini catt, this is my first catt that I am reblooming.
I dumped out cattleyas because they never even made sheaths. seemingly healthy and plenty of light and all.

I did make huge mistake of buying more cattleyas (they are so pretty and hard to resist when I see nice ones in bloom lol) last year so I have a few more catts sitting by the window.
Some are growing new leads, but some are not doing anything. just a little bit of root action.

[james mickelso]

Again, I had the same problem with catts making new leads with lots of roots and huge leaves but no flowers. Then after reading an article in AOS mag from the 80's I think, there was a theory that lowering the nitrogen as opposed to the P/K triggered the pbulb to switch to making flowers. The article went on the say it wasn't the lowering of the nitrogen but changing the ratio of n to p/k. Too much n in relation to p/k retarded the formation of flowers. So I tried a few cats and laelias that I had multiples of and switched the ratio. Sure enough....flowers on the ones I had switched up. But it took a couple tries and I believe it is all in the timing. When the pbulb is halfway through it's growth cycle that is when it does or doesn't form flower buds. So that's the premise I went with. Since then I get flowers. Not really scientific but it worked. So I still do it. Ponder it and maybe use it on those reluctant bloomers. But remember that any high nitrogen level no matter what the p/k will still trigger foliar production over flowering so it is the ratio that must change. Try it.

[NYCorchidman]

I'm not talking about flowers. My catts didn't even make sheaths! I had no idea why.

All of them catts got the same care and some of them make sheaths while some don't is just very strange.

I know some catts flowers off every new lead without any rest while most respond to day length.

I have wondered a lot about the effectiveness (if at all) of bloom booster fertilizer. I've read up on some very mixed results. Too much nitrogen in any plants in general results in overly and weakly grown plant with little flowering.

I don't have any of those reluctant bloomers. long gone. hahaha
I am going to see how these new ones will fare though.

[NYCorchidman]

Well, these pictures are a few days old already, so they show two blooms open and the rest starting to open.

Now with all five of them open, they emit soft but pleasant fragrance when I walk by them during the day time.

I like them! my only wish will be more flat form. but good enough for me as it is.

[ronaldhanko]

Outstanding. Long wait but worth it.

[Leafmite]

What a gorgeous bouquet! My catts are mostly seedling but I have ol' faithful (Iwan. Apple Blossom) getting ready to bloom. Yes, once again, we will miss the last of the area shows when the buds finally open.
Thanks for the tip on getting catts to bloom. I might buy a blooming fertilizer I saw and give it a try!

[silken]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

Well, these pictures are a few days old already, so they show two blooms open and the rest starting to open.

Now with all five of them open, they emit soft but pleasant fragrance when I walk by them during the day time.

I like them! my only wish will be more flat form. but good enough for me as it is.

Absolutely gorgeous and delicate yellow blooms! And they are very nicely photographed too. Congrats on blooming it.

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

Outstanding. Long wait but worth it.

Thank you. Yes, this is a once a year bloomer but definitely worth the wait I think.

---------- Post added at 11:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:27 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Leafmite

What a gorgeous bouquet! My catts are mostly seedling but I have ol' faithful (Iwan. Apple Blossom) getting ready to bloom. Yes, once again, we will miss the last of the area shows when the buds finally open.
Thanks for the tip on getting catts to bloom. I might buy a blooming fertilizer I saw and give it a try!

Thank you! Apple Blossom should be pretty! I'm on the hunt for a nice yellow version of Apple Blossom.

---------- Post added at 11:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 PM ----------

Originally Posted by silken

Absolutely gorgeous and delicate yellow blooms! And they are very nicely photographed too. Congrats on blooming it.

Thank you, glad you like it.

I took this plant outside for showing at the meeting earlier this week and strong wind almost ruined the whole thing, but just a slight bruise here and there.

I don't think I will ever take this outside while in bloom again. lol

This hybrid is a very vigorous and easy grower I find.
Mine grew two new leads during the spring into the summer. then the long wait. The second lead grew a bit bigger than any of the older pbs and produced three buds on it. One new lead is growing at the moment.
So now I know the cycle for this plant.

The seller I got this from is bringing a lot of these now because it is the season for these. Some large specimen with lots of spikes loaded with golden blooms is just a wonderful sight!
With the way the plant grows, I think I will get to enjoy that in the next three years or so.

I didn't even water this plant on a regular basis and it just grew wonderfully well. This plant sits right up against the south window. not a single burn.
At the moment, away from sun in the kitchen area for my enjoyment.

[NYCorchidman]