Catts: Sheaths, no Sheaths in Same Cultivars

[JMNYC]

Hi.

Over time, I've noticed some of my standard Catts which bloom more than once a year, seem to produce buds with no sheaths in winter on new bulbs, and same cultivars (2 as of right now, one on 3 bulbs) produce sheaths in Summer on new bulbs.

Is this a known phenomenon? If so, is it the temps which impact this? Day length? Something else?

Thanks!

[WhiteRabbit]

That is not unheard of in hybrids. I don't know if time of year, temp, light affect this phenomenon ...
I have one hybrid which gets both unifoliate and bifoliate growth, and I have noticed that the unifoliate growths get sheaths, and the bifoliate growths do not

[PaphMadMan]

Hybrids may not be quite sure which ancestors to follow, and I wouldn't be too surprised if a hybrid that was not seasonal in its blooming tended to emulate the habit of a summer flowering ancestor in summer and more toward a winter flowering ancestor in winter, etc.

[JMNYC]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

That is not unheard of in hybrids. I don't know if time of year, temp, light affect this phenomenon ...
I have one hybrid which gets both unifoliate and bifoliate growth, and I have noticed that the unifoliate growths get sheaths, and the bifoliate growths do not

Interesting! The two in sheath right now which, in winter. produce buds without sheaths... are both unifoliates.

---------- Post added at 10:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

Hybrids may not be quite sure which ancestors to follow, and I wouldn't be too surprised if a hybrid that was not seasonal in its blooming tended to emulate the habit of a summer flowering ancestor in summer and more toward a winter flowering ancestor in winter, etc.

See this? THIS....makes absolute sense!

[RJSquirrel]

the only item I notice in my short tenure as orchid grower instead of orchid killer is that the sheaths are very thick and many times so far this season I have to rescue the buds bec the spike cant push thru...lost quite a few buds this year bec I dont catch some of them in time.

I would say that hybrids can bloom any time and/or all the time given proper regimen of air water and food....

If you grown them indoors under lights there is no season.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I had a Potinara Elizabeth Palmer that produced buds with no sheaths this spring. Unfortunately, the buds blasted & never opened.

[tucker85]

I have several cattleyas that do the same thing. I agree with PaphMadMan, hybrids have mixed up DNA that may give the plant mixed signals. With large cattleyas I've noticed that, if they bloom more than once, they have one strong bloom cycle and a second bloom cycle that's not so strong (less flowers, smaller flowers or flowers that don't develop well). Small cattleyas can often bloom several times a year and all their bloom cycles will be the same. I don't think temperature influences cattleya bloom cycles. Most cattleyas bloom in response to increasing or decreasing daylight hours.

[JMNYC]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

the only item I notice in my short tenure as orchid grower instead of orchid killer is that the sheaths are very thick and many times so far this season I have to rescue the buds bec the spike cant push thru...lost quite a few buds this year bec I dont catch some of them in time.

I would say that hybrids can bloom any time and/or all the time given proper regimen of air water and food....

If you grown them indoors under lights there is no season.

Interesting. I think I've only had to open a sheath to facilitate bud development once. I grow indoors, but with no augmentation of any kind, cept for what I've invented. I plug nothing into any power supply.

---------- Post added at 03:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:40 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

I had a Potinara Elizabeth Palmer that produced buds with no sheaths this spring. Unfortunately, the buds blasted & never opened.

Interesting! I have not encountered bud blasting, really, when the Catts in question do what they do in winter, the buds develop normally.

Also true, I just remembered, the bulbs these plants produce in winter are smaller than those they produce in spring. I attribute that to the number of hours of light and also the angle of light.