Project 2016: Cattleya walkeriana

[gngrhill]

I am finding mine challenging to grow. I got two and one has slipped away, the other is trying, but suffering.I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I'm still trying.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by gngrhill

I am finding mine challenging to grow. I got two and one has slipped away, the other is trying, but suffering.I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I'm still trying.

Heat, brilliant light, water, with drying between waterings. Less water when cool.

[Fernando]

My two plants are awakening right now.

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by gngrhill

I am finding mine challenging to grow. I got two and one has slipped away, the other is trying, but suffering.I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I'm still trying.

Mine seem to like it better mounted. I spray the roots once a day.

[estación seca]

When he spoke to our orchid society in February 2017, Alan Koch had this to say about C. walkeriana and nobilior:

Cattleya walkeriana blooms twice yearly if it has uniformly longish days and not too much day length variation. In metro Los Angeles it blooms twice a year; in Sacramento, only once. It needs to become completely dry between watering. It grows on twigs or rocks, so it does best in a clear pot, mounted or in a shallow basket. It also has photosynthetic roots. It walks out of any container, and often blooms best on the growths hanging off the edge. It imparts twice-yearly blooming to lots of its hybrids.

Cattleya nobilior must dry from December to February. It needs a horizontal mount, not a vertical mount.

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by estación seca

When he spoke to our orchid society in February 2017, Alan Koch had this to say about C. walkeriana and nobilior:

(snipped by me)

Cattleya nobilior must dry from December to February. It needs a horizontal mount, not a vertical mount.

My nobilior is potted but with only a small bit of bark in plastic, it is doing really well.

[gngrhill]

Originally Posted by wintergirl

Mine seem to like it better mounted. I spray the roots once a day.

My one that died was originally mounted, but when I noticed the newest roots drying up when they attached to the mount I figured It was not damp enough, so I potted it up and no new roots started and it just went down hill from there.

---------- Post added at 11:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Heat, brilliant light, water, with drying between waterings. Less water when cool.

How much heat ? Is 57 F at night too cool ? As to light, does it need to be right under the T-5s ? It is now off to the side where it get some of the light.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by gngrhill

How much heat ? Is 57 F at night too cool ? As to light, does it need to be right under the T-5s ? It is now off to the side where it get some of the light.

I think 57 F / 14C would be fine at night. What are the days like? It gets pretty warm in habitat even in the winter.

Yes, I would move it to as much light as possible if you're growing it under lights.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by wintergirl

Mine seem to like it better mounted. I spray the roots once a day.

i agree. I have three, and although they are all growing, the healthiest plant with the best roots is mounted. I am considering moving my potted C. Walkeriana to a mount.

If you can, place any mounted plant in a location where it can benefit from long, all day rains. Rain allows the plant maximum time to soak in water and rehydrate.

[Leafmite]

Did the walkeriana have new growth starting when it was removed from the mount? If not, it might just need to get established again to recover. Once it sends out new pseudobulbs and those get new roots, it should be fine. With the increase of light signalling spring, that should happen fairly quickly.

Here is a bit of culture information:
Cattleya walkeriana - Cattleya Source