C. Walkeriana light question

[kindrag23]

Okay awesome! I already have some in the sill now I have a way to put more in there!!

[annak]

Lovely flower!! Lovely display too!!
The post made me thinking my plant isn't getting enough light

[GardenTheater]

Originally Posted by annak

Lovely flower!! Lovely display too!!
The post made me thinking my plant isn't getting enough light

Thanks. Good luck with yours. Hopefully we'll both have blooms in the new year.

[annak]

Thanks!!!!
I'll drink to that & will keep my fingers crossed!!!

Also will fertilize (could you please tell me a bit about your fertilizing habbits?)

[GardenTheater]

I have a toothpick in the pot and when it comes out dry, I water the plant. I read in an AOS article that walkeriana needs to dry out before each watering. For fertilizing, I use Dynagro 7-9-5 "weekly weakly"-- 1/4 tsp in a gallon of water. If I get busy, I sometimes fertilize the Catts every other week. For me fertilizing is a two step process. First I water without fertilizer and get the root cover looking green. Then I water with the fertilizer water. I've been told by growers that the two steps help prevent burning roots with fertilizer and also results in the plant absorbing more of the nutrients from the fert. There are a lot of good fertilizers. The one I use contains trace minerals like calcium and no urea. So far it's helped the plant produce shoots and roots. Fingers are crossed on the flowers.

Same AOS article said to withhold nitrogen in the winter for optimal blooming. I think I'll try that of I can't get it to bloom at all or if I have some low or no nitrogen fert somewhere. In the wild they rely on bird poop and debris for fertilizer and I wonder how Mother Nature lowers the nitrogen. The birds are keeping it a secret.

[Nexogen]

I used successfully FloraBloom 0-5-4, provides high Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium and Sulfur.

[GardenTheater]

Originally Posted by Nexogen

I used successfully FloraBloom 0-5-4, provides high Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium and Sulfur.

Thanks, I might have something like that in my fertilizer collection.

[isurus79]

A balanced fertilizer like dynagrow is a great choice that you can use all year round. If you do the weekly, weakly method there is little chance of fertilizer burn and many growers are now getting away from watering 2x at each sitting because a weak fertilizer solution won't burn your roots and watering 1x saves water and thus reduces costs for commercial growers. A home grower can do it either way and the plants will grow just fine.

You can also reduce your fertilizer use in the fall after the last bulb making growth is finished growing towards the end of summer. Catt. walkeriana is a fall bloomer, but makes a whole new growth to bloom from, so a complete shutdown of fertilizer is not a good idea either. Just do a reduction and you'll save the need for a "bloom booster" which, IMO is completely unnecessary and a waste of money. I won't say any more than this because there are probably more posts on this topic on this board (and all others!), many of which end with harsh words! lol

Either way, there are plenty of people who successfully grow walkerianas with bloom booster and plenty who successfully grow without. Its just a matter of preference and I have grown amazing orchids for close to 20 years without the stuff.

After your walkeriana finishes blooming, you can cut off all fertilizer altogether. A severe reduction in water is typically recommended at this time and this is a time when you plant will likely explode with root growth. Believe it or not, more water during this time will grow less roots. These guys see a pretty harsh dry season in nature and are well adapted to it.

So to recap, fertilize with a balanced fertilizer during the growing season (spring, summer), reduce fertilizing in fall and don't fertilize at all (or very rarely) and drastically reduce your watering schedule during late fall into spring.

These recommendations are for mature plants and seedlings are another situation altogether though. If you can keep your temps warm all winter, keep watering and fertilizing as long as your plant is putting out new growths. It is pretty common for immature plants (this is true for all Catt species) to put out new bulbs during the "dormant season" and if you can provide warm temps, let them grow and water/fertilize as though it were summer.

[GardenTheater]

Thanks for the advice. Wish there were more scientific studies where all the variables are controlled and not funded by the people trying to sell something. I've seen the culture discussions. Lol. I imagine different things do work better for different types of people growing under very different conditions. Maybe I'll flip a coin or pray to one of the fertility goddesses of the ancients.

[annak]

Thanks for the thorough reply! The info of low/no nitrogen on winter is very interesting, though I have the same question about the birds' secret as you do
To be honest, I am slightly more simple and lazy... I use year round R/O water on my specials and the Akerne's Rain Mix (simply very diluted most of the times and repeat with the normal dosage, when I would normally fertilize).