Two questions to Cattlianthe growers

[rbarata]

I don't know whether it is normal for the flower sheath to turn brown like that. Did it do so before?

Not under my care but I only got it to bloom once.

[estación seca]

It still might flower from that brown sheath. Maybe consider watering a little more often?

[rbarata]

It still might flower from that brown sheath.

It has small buds inside. I've seen my old photos from the previous bloom and it happened from green sheaths. Maybe it blloms also from dry ones.

Maybe consider watering a little more often?

Already doing it!

[rbarata]

Update on this one... it seems this plant blooms from both, dry and green sheaths.
Using a lantern it's possible to see the green buds inside both of them.
According my records it blooms around march so I think all is going well.

The dry sheath:






The green sheath:

[Roberta]

When I have a brown sheath like that, which is still moist, I am inclined to gently open it up so that moisture doesn't sit around the little buds and potentially rot them. It doesn't work every time but I think that more often than not it turned out to be the right thing to do. Other Catt growers should weigh in with their opinions... mine is certainly not definitive.

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by Roberta

When I have a brown sheath like that, which is still moist, I am inclined to gently open it up so that moisture doesn't sit around the little buds and potentially rot them. It doesn't work every time but I think that more often than not it turned out to be the right thing to do.

I thought about that too but I'm tempted to keep it while monitoring. During the last week buds increased their volume very fast. They're now 3x bigger than last week so I think they are almost ripping the sheath.
I'll keep an eye on them!

Other Catt growers should weigh in with their opinions... mine is certainly not definitive.

Nor definitive but highly regarded!

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Nor definitive but highly regarded!

Thanks!

[Orchid Whisperer]

I will sometimes clip off the end of a papery sheath to open it up. ( do this to avoid potential bud damage from crowding inside the sheath,

If you try this, feel the sheath carefully before cutting to avoid bud damage.

[rbarata]

I think I've read somewhere that they bloom from the second-to-last growths, which are the ones I've shown in the photos above (they started to grow last April 2017).
But I think the youngest growths are also blooming. At least I can see the buds inside as well and the sheath bases are swollen. If tha's the case, then I'll have four growths in bloom.
Let's hope for the best.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Hoary! But next time it just might bloom from a green sheath.