Project 2016: Cattleya walkeriana

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by estación seca

wintergirl, I went back and looked at your photos from April 24. The plant looks very thirsty with the wrinkled leaves. I think this degree of dryness could cause a deformed new growth.

(sniped by me) When I got it from Fred the p.bulbs were pretty full, it looks hydrated to me and still had a bent new growth. It's not really clear at the angle but it was. Here is when I got it:
C. walkeriana 'SVO' 7-2015.jpg

It doesn't even look like a very nice plant really. All the other plants I got were great but this one had issues.

[wintergirl]

Ordered one from Andy's, added to my order for next week. Also got an email back from Fred Clark. He says he is in Mexico now and will look at the pictures when he gets back next week.

[Leafmite]

I am looking forward to seeing pictures of your new one, Wintergirl!

I hope you will let us know what Fred says about your other. When orchids are crossed, weird things can sometimes happen. Fred might have thought it would be okay and it just wasn't. Good luck!

[Subrosa]

A question for those who know. Is 50F night time temp a problem for walkeriana?

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

A question for those who know. Is 50F night time temp a problem for walkeriana?

In doing some research I found this:
During the Summer, get them outside in about 60% full sun at the peak of the day. Early morning sun or late afternoon sun on the leaves is also good. To be moved outside, night temperatures should be in the mid 50’s F. However, if the night temperature dips a bit lower occasionally, this is OK.

Cattleyas and their care | Blog - New Earth Orchids

[Leafmite]

We are getting some cold night temperatures this weekend (maybe snow) and I will probably just cover everything with a plastic drop cloth and put some buckets of hot water underneath the shelves to keep it warm for the night.

[stonedragonfarms]

50s at night should be fine, from what I've read about this plant, it should be good at even cooler night temps provided its on the dry side--ie no water on the foliage/in maturing growths

[Subrosa]

Thanks for the answers folks! The Catts I put out so far are still acclimating to sunlight so they're under an overhang where I have control over moisture. The next couple nights temps are expected to be closer to 40, so I'm erring on the side of caution and bringing them in nights for the time being.

[Optimist]

From my reading so far, walkeriana has about the same range as Cattleya loddigesii. This is in the MIOS journal online. The walkeriana lives as an epiphyte, or as a lithophite, and has constant water on the roots in the sense of rainfall, or moving water such as "streams" not as a stagnant pool. There are pictures of this area, the orchids are totally out in the open, on big grey rocks, no cover, no trees, and they live alongside cactus, and other grass, and even other types of orchids. Huge fields of orchids on rocks. further reading places them in the "cold hardy" or temperature hardy division of cattleyas (27 to 100 F), Hybrids are more likely to be more intermediate. However there is a natural hybrid between walkeriana and loddigesii. I am thinking that I will be potting it in an over sized pot, (to keep in more moisture) in lava with some marble or granite chips, and then will throw it outside in full sun and water it X3 per day like the others. In fact, if anything, the care will be more like the Reccharia/Myrmecocattleya.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Wintergirl I have the same one. I didn't think it looked as healthy as the other Catt's I got from Fred either. But it did have a nice big full psb. I of course under watered it and they are not as full. My leaves are not as bad as yours but my new one from last year has a small curl in it and now the new one looks like it is going to have one also. My small ones, remember he sent me a smaller plant that turned out to be 2 in one pot, they both look good. I had re-potted them in separate pots the smallest in a 1 1/2 inch pot. It had started a new growth and I wasn't watering it enough and it dried up. I now water the 2 small ones every day and the smallest has a new growth and now the middle child has 2. I re-potted the biggest one about a month and a half ago and I water it every other day. I didn't have roots like my other SVO Catts did but enough to grow.

I will be waiting to hear what Fred has to say. I also have a hybrid that is from him that will be opening soon that had 2 growths one stopped with it being short and the leaf didn't seem to be coming out of the stuff around the psb so I cut it off. It's kind of funny looking but the silly thing is going to have 3 blooms. The nice big one is only going to have 1, go figure.

I have attributed it to me not watering enough.