Tips for care of Mini Cattleyas?

[lotis146]

I've got many mini Catts coming my way tomorrow (Thursday) as well as one mini/compact currently in house. I only have one other Catt for about a month now so my experience with them is limited. These new guys are coming in 3" pots, my current is a seedling 1-2 years from blooming (Lc. Cariad's Mini Quinee 'Angel Kiss').

Question is, do you have any tips or suggestions for caring for these little guys? Do they have special needs? They aren't coming in spike or bud.

Thank you! Ooo, ooo, who here is a mini catt lover??

[Ordphien]

I adore mini cattleya!

In my experience they like to dry out quickly.
So chunky mix. Like coarse bark. Something that will provide lots of air flow and dry rather quickly.


I prefer to mount mine, but the two potted ones I have are in lava rock.
I water daily.
In my mind they are perfect for mounting. At least I'm my home. They take no special care and grow like mad!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

I adore mini cattleya!

In my experience they like to dry out quickly.
So chunky mix. Like coarse bark. Something that will provide lots of air flow and dry rather quickly.


I prefer to mount mine, but the two potted ones I have are in lava rock.
I water daily.
In my mind they are perfect for mounting. At least I'm my home. They take no special care and grow like mad!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Oh yeah!!

Very glad to hear this though daily watering isn't really my cup of tea I appreciate the tip on chunky mix. Is coconut coir good for them...or? I also have clay pebbles? Of course I can get other stuff but the coir I accidentally bought a little too much of, and the pebbles I've got some extra.

I have to wait till seller gets back from Alaska to get more info on when last potted (asked kind of late but not worried just curious). My current 'Angel Kiss' came in moss.

May I ask which you have? So glad to have met another mini owner as I am about to become a new parent these!

[Fairorchids]

I purchased a bunch of seedlings of mini & compact Catts from several different nurseries. Some arrived in plastic pots with bark mix, others in small clay pots in pure spaghnum. While the clay pot dries faster, pure moss tends to hold humidity longer.

I tend to use clay for all my Catts, as it also helps cool the rots during summer heat.

[ALToronto]

My mini catts hated coconut coir. They love lava rock - you can't overwater them in lava rock, so it's great for those who can't judge when bark is dry enough.

[silken]

Mine do well in clear pots with good drainage and medium bark. If they are small seedlings I might use fine bark and a bit of moss until they get larger. I like them to dry out quickly and water once or twice a week, depending if it is winter or summer. I use kebab skewers in all their pots to help tell when they need water.

[RandomGemini]

silken, should the skewer be bone dry to the touch before watering?

Trying to figure out how often I should water my cattleya walkeriana var semi-alba and brassovola nodosa. On the b. nodosa, I've read reports of everything from daily watering to twice monthly watering.

[NYCorchidman]

Do you grow big cattleyas??? It's basically the same but can be given slightly less light and still thrive.

Bright light for optimal growth and flowering ( I find smaller ones tend to bloom more frequently), and good watering while they are growing.

Mine are in medium sized orchiata and some are in straight clay pebbles.

[silken]

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

silken, should the skewer be bone dry to the touch before watering?

Trying to figure out how often I should water my cattleya walkeriana var semi-alba and brassovola nodosa. On the b. nodosa, I've read reports of everything from daily watering to twice monthly watering.

I checked these species on OrchidWiz. Both should be given good moisture while actively growing. I find my chids are in a very warm, fairly dry greenhouse so I do water quite often as they dry quickly. In summer the skewer might be just barely damp, but still close to dry. In winter I definitely let mine dry out before watering and mine are grown much cooler in winter. OW says these both have a dry winter but with some moisture. OW says for the nodosa, it needs at least a two week dry period in winter to induce blooms. Hope that helps.

[RandomGemini]

Originally Posted by silken

I checked these species on OrchidWiz. Both should be given good moisture while actively growing. I find my chids are in a very warm, fairly dry greenhouse so I do water quite often as they dry quickly. In summer the skewer might be just barely damp, but still close to dry. In winter I definitely let mine dry out before watering and mine are grown much cooler in winter. OW says these both have a dry winter but with some moisture. OW says for the nodosa, it needs at least a two week dry period in winter to induce blooms. Hope that helps.

Perfect! That clears up a lot for me. Thank you so much for looking them up!