Cattleya/Guarianthe aurantiaca advice please!

[Jasonmc89]

Hello everyone!

Just purchased a Guarianthe aurantiaca and I'm a bit confused bout its cultural requirements. I've read a lot of things on the internet and spoke to a few people but I always seem to get a different explanation on how this species should be grown.

I usually grow Oncidiums such as sotoanum and leucochilum - would this species suit being grown with the likes of these?

Cheers.

[Optimist]

Well, they are also epiphytes. Mexico is a hugely diverse ecology. Not just desert, but also rain forests as it goes to S. America. One thing typical to all areas is it is either warm or hot. Getting enough sun to make the leaves turn pink (or have pink margins or spots) can be the difference between having blooms and not. The thing I have been understanding is that while they need and want water, they do not want wet feet. I really am starting to put my cattleyas in net pots with several chunks of Lava, and then a bunch of small bark or Leaf litter. Then I put the net pots inside a bigger pot to keep some moisture in.

When watering think: you are on the side of a tree. How much water actually touches you?

[Salixx]

I have one of these guys and it has so far been a no fuss plant. It had trouble with potted culture (didn't want to put out roots) but really took off with the roots once I mounted it. It's been in bloom for a while now and has a lot of roots. I was able to remove the line holding it to the mount after two months.

I've been growing mine in a southern window all winter, set back a bit... maybe 6-8'' from the glass? Bright than my Oncidiums anyway. Mines rather large, not all cultivars are as big, so I have some spacial problems to overcome or I would give it even more light. I'm putting it outside this summer. Temps have been 58-64F at night and 70-75F during the day. I water it whenever the moss on its mount is crunchy, usually every day but sometimes every other day. I err on the side of dry.

I have found this the most helpful culture advice:
Cattleya aurantiaca - Cattleya Source

Basically, in nature the species is present in a wide range of conditions and habitats and pretty tolerant.

[rbarata]

Hello, Jason

Last winter I got myself an aurantiaca hybrid (I think it's an hybrid, no tag) and from my readings I noticed there were some differences inculture requirements from Catts (mainly light). I also was confused.

Well, they are also epiphytes. Mexico is a hugely diverse ecology. Not just desert, but also rain forests as it goes to S. America.

Wiki page has good info about this aspect...do you know spanish?

Mine is growing in a plastic pot with two new growths and lots of new roots growing like crazy. It has bloomed also under my care from a sheath that was already growing when I bought it.
My conditions are the same as for catts, bright indirect light in summer, lots of sun in winter, temps in the low 70's.
Now my HR is stable, around 20% all day and night and I water it once/week. Let it go bone dry but not for long.

[Jasonmc89]

Thanks, that wiki page was a good read (translated it with Google)

I think I'm going to try it out with my oncidiums, but when I provide them with shading in the middle of summer I'll leave this Cat. exposed to full sun for a bit longer.

[rbarata]

...I'll leave this Cat. exposed to full sun for a bit longer.

Note that I based my advise to keep it in full sun on the latitude difference between GB (that's where I think you're living) and Portugal.

[estación seca]

I've seen the plant flowering in November 2001 in México in habitat.

It was at around 1500 feet / 400 meters elevation. The region gets heavy rain for the four warmest summer months, and almost no rain at other times of the year. There is occasional winter dew at night, but not every night. Temperatures in early November were still uncomfortably hot to be wearing long sleeves and trousers. It cools down at night throughout the year, to the point of being a little chilly even in summer.

I don't think we need to mimic this long, extremely dry winter exactly, but I think it's a good idea to give it less water in the winter months.

The plant I saw was growing on the flat surface of a chair-sized rock, which had fallen from the limestone mesa we were about to climb in search of other plants (Dioon sp. El Camaron.) It was growing in loose leaf litter.

It was in a dark evergreen forest in what would be considered low Phalaenopsis light; I would estimate not over 500 footcandles. It was in full bloom. Of course, full shade in England is very different from full shade in México!

Many people say they grow and flower this plant successfully in high light, with other Cattleyas. I seem to recall a number of threads here on Orchid Board started by people struggling with splitting leaves.

I suspect Cattleya / Guarianthe aurantiaca would be easier to grow with considerably less light than we give most Cattleyas. I am testing this hypothesis now.

[Jasonmc89]

Interesting..

Your post gives my hope that it'll be happy with my oncidiums!

[No-Pro-mwa]

Mine has been a no fuss like Salixx's. It has even bloomed twice for me and I have only had it for a bit over a year I think. I just treat it like my other Catt's. It's in a clay pot with bark mix. It has 3 new growths right now as it just got done blooming a few weeks ago.

[Bohata]

It does have a reputation for being easy. Post when it blooms!