Cattleyas light cycles and blooming

[estación seca]

The buds inside the sheath look good. I would make sure the sheath is dry, and from now on, take special care not to get any water on the sheath. Water the plant normally but carefully, not overhead, and keep it from dew.

[rbarata]

I have been watering it without dropping any water on the leaves, just on the medium. Every two days I mist it but only the aerial roots.
Plus, with an HR of 20% I find it difficult to rot...but inside the sheath the conditions are, obviously, different.

[gngrhill]

I have one cattleya that has a similar looking sheath with what appears to be a bud inside. It has been like that for months and doesn't seem to do anything else. I am just waiting and hoping. I have had the plant for 2 years and it has had that sheath for close to a year. It is BS and has previously bloomed.

[rbarata]

Update on this one...
The bud came out of the sheath, noticed that today.
Remember that I bought this catt as trial to see if I have the right conditions to grow catts.
Well, I can grow them but...will they bloom?
I guess this is a good signal.





Apart from that, this plant is growing in such a way that, if I had an extra space in my room, I would use it in my first mount. See for yourself...

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Apart from that, this plant is growing in such a way that, if I had an extra space in my room, I would use it in my first mount. See for yourself...

Looking good! A suggestion, this is already unruly enough that it probably would not let itself be confined to a mount. But also clearly would rather not be in a pot. For this sort of plant, I use wood baskets (think of them as 3-dimensional mounts) In fact, if you can't get it out of the pot easily, just put the whole thing in a basket, try to get at least some of the roots under media such as very large bark, and let it ramble. The roots love to wrap themselves around the wood of the basket.

[gngrhill]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Looking good! A suggestion, this is already unruly enough that it probably would not let itself be confined to a mount. But also clearly would rather not be in a pot. For this sort of plant, I use wood baskets (think of them as 3-dimensional mounts) In fact, if you can't get it out of the pot easily, just put the whole thing in a basket, try to get at least some of the roots under media such as very large bark, and let it ramble. The roots love to wrap themselves around the wood of the basket.

Cool idea. I am going to keep that in mind for the future

[rbarata]

Roberta, do you mean a suspended basket?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Roberta, do you mean a suspended basket?

Ideally would be hanging, but doesn't really have to be - if hanging, the roots will get better circulation from the bottom. However, usually the way baskets are designed, there's a pretty good space underneath if they are sitting on a surface.

[rbarata]

However, usually the way baskets are designed, there's a pretty good space underneath if they are sitting on a surface.

I don't have many possibilities to hang it so this could be my best option.
What should be the new medium? Probably the same, right?
I would like to get some advise on the "architeture" of the medium, not only thinking about the wellbeing of the plant as well as avoiding water / medium falling from the basket to the table / sitting surface.

[estación seca]

Water will come out of the bottom and get onto whatever supports the basket. You must plan for this.

You can use medium with chunks larger than the openings in the basket. I have read people use large bark, cinder rocks, chunks of pumice or scoria, even wine corks.

You can also use something to line the basket if you want smaller chunks of medium. Here in the US they sell rounds of coconut fiber pressed into sheet form. These are sold in sizes to fit round, shallow wire hanging baskets. You could also use old shade cloth, burlap from a rice bag, or anything else that will stand up to the weather and moisture.

You can also use something that sticks together, like sphagnum moss. In a basket it dries out rapidly, especially when your relative humidity is low. The moss could be forced through the gaps in the slats, but it tends to stick together. This is very common for things like Stanhopea. I have to water my Stanhopea in wood basket in sphagnum moss every 2-3 days.