Cattleyas and dendrobiums under grow lights

[sewagner86]

I have been wondering why I haven't seen a ton of growth and blooming from my cattleyas and dendrobiums. I have 2 that have made sheaths and a brassavola jariak finch that blooms repeatedly, but my others have not and the ones in sheath have absolutely no buds in them. Tons of root growth and I do get new growths on it. My dendrobiums are antelope types.

My care...they get watered twice a week typically and usually with one watering, it's a weak feeding mixed in (msu fertilizer, usually a 1/4 strength). They are under botanical led low lights (I bought them because they fit the area and I figured I could work with them on my higher light plants). They are timed for 13 hours a day. The jariak finch is just 2 or 3 inches from the lights. It blooms with every new growth. The others are probably more like somewhere between 6-8 inches from the lights.

From what I have read on some other forums, the lights may not be bright enough? I also read dendrobiums need time with a low nightly temperature to bloom but someone said not antelope types. Just looking for some guidance for some things to try. If interested, I can post pictures of the plants in question.

Thanks for your valuable feedback!

[Clawhammer]

Pictures of the plants and setup would help provide better guidance. Cattleya and antelopes like high light.

[estación seca]

If the Brassocatanthe hybrid flowers it should be bright enough for the others - once they are mature enough. Consider varying daylength with the seasons, perhaps 10 hours in winter. How big are they?

Different Dens have very different growing requirements, but antelopes like being warm and moist all year.

Depending on your temperatures I would probably fertilize more, but I don't think that's your blooming issue.

[sewagner86]

Here are pictures of my set up and the plants in question.

[estación seca]

The individual plants you show aren't large enough to flower. I think they will be within 1-2 years. Many young Catts make sheaths without flowers for a year or two before they begin flowering.

[sewagner86]

I had really thought about it and was trying to think which of them had bloomed already. It was the hawaiian flare and it bloomed last August. I had purchased it in bloom and that is one of the ones with a sheath.

It's a little disappointing if they truly are too small to bloom....I bought these with them supposedly being in bloom size. Oh well, maybe a good reward in the future for being patient!

[estación seca]

In perfect greenhouse conditions a young plant will bloom earlier. It might take a little time after being sold to rebloom.