Cattleya starter pack recommendations
 

I would like to branch out a little bit and try a Catt for the very first time.

I'm really confused about the nomenclature and growing requirements of the Cattleya alliance; what would be a good plant to get started with?

did you set up your vanda area?

i ask bc they are high light plants that i find like to be very epiphytic and get dry between watering. I mount then or put them in shallow pots bc i have a humid universe. I would say to get almost any hybrid from Fred at SVO and it will be a good starter.

others with more knowledge of the entire world of catts may be able to make more tailored suggestions to your climate but the hybrids are more forgiving than the species in general and would be a good starting place.

Yes it's almost good to go. I ordered a Sansi LED grow light and it should be here on Friday.

The terrarium stills need a heating source and some LECA in the bottom as a temporary solution until I move, but for now it'll do.

Thanks for the SVO advice, I'll browse through their catalog and see what's available here!

Where do you live in France?

Currenty near Toulouse, but I'll be heading to the Netherlands soon. So the Catt will be with Vandaceous in a controlled environment.

DC suggested a kind of grow tent, with tropical like conditions.

With grow lights it's ok.

It is difficult to recommend a starter pack as there is such a variety in Cattleyas. Some bloom just once a year while others bloom more often. The appearance can vary widely. Some get very large while others stay small. Some produce just one or two flowers per sheath while others give you a small bouquet. Some are fragrant and others are not.

I have found among my orchid society that those who like Cattleyas have certain preferences for appearance in the flowers. I do, too.

Here are some good articles to get you started on Cattleyas:

AA Chadwick Articles

What I have been doing lately is choosing Cattleyas that remain small and are likely to be fragrant and bloom more than once a year. In the past, I had quite a collection of large Cattleyas that bloomed just once a year.

Tell me about it. And intergeneric hybrids complicate things even more...

Those culture sheets are a great help, thanks!

I find Cattleya aclandiae and tigrina to be super sexy :shock:

Great choice MFN. Once the growing area has sub-tropical to tropical conditions - and maybe maintaining gentle movement in there, and having fair control of the amount of water in and around the roots ------ your catts will grow very nicely. My recommendation for starter package is --- get the ones that are on your 'wish list'. We know you have a wish list hehehe

It's awesome how you're thinking of growing catts.

I would recommend a hybrid rather than a species. They are often easier to grow and may flower several times a year. Plants like Bc. Yellow Bird, with Brassavola nodosa ancestry, have smaller flowers and often smaller plants, and are more tolerant of learning growers.

Yes, but everyone needs a C. aclandiae. Who can resist that wondrous fragrance? And it blooms more than once a year and remains small. Best of all, it comes in both spots and spot-free!

Go for compact mini Catts, but I agree that you first have to have a C. aclandiae or hybrid of it! I have a noid hybrid (its the one in my profile photo) that I got at my local garden center some years ago. It's in bloom right now for the second time this year and the scent is fantastic. Just 3 flowers and the entire living room is filled with the spicy floral fragrance!

Getting SVO Catts is wishful thinking, they're difficult to find over on this side of the pond...

If you want a nice compact Catt, I recommend LC Final Blue. :) It's been quite an easy grower for me, in my south facing wondows. http://www.orchidboard.com/community...tml#post924868

I agree ----- the aclandiae or related is definitely one to grow. They have some 'primeval' look about them ----- as in their jungle patches or even dark patches, and tepal shapes.

Nice colours too. And nice scent as well. What more could we ask for? (ok ...... silly question ....... could ask for more ----- as in more orchids -- hehehehe ..... but we know what we mean here).

Wowzers, went from being clueless to actually having a precise list!

Thanks everyone.



That has a good garden centre, I've never seen nice Catts outside of orchid specialists.
Do you mind telling me the location please? I might be able to drop by next week.

That was some years ago unfortunately. Back then I'd regularily see some nice orchids like the Catt, and also got my Phal Wiganiae there (schilleriana x stuartiana) and often saw other named orchids. But in the past couple years they've mostly had run of the mill noids sadly.

BUT, Eindhoven is actually a great spot to live in terms of nearly nurseries! About 85km southwest of Eindhoven is Akerne Orchids (near Antwerpen), and 85km east is my favorite German nursery, Orchideen Lucke (who has some nice Catts!). About 40km south is Claessen Orchideeen, who used to sell amazing quality plants, but now it's very, very hit or miss. Going there in person is probably a better idea.

Steve and I made a video about Cattleya species that bloom for each season. Lots of good general and specific information!

Thanks William! It's super inspiring seeing how everyone has their own approach to orchids, and what we can learn from others.

Very interesting YT channel!

MGP ----- nice! Also ------ go the AVS!

Hehe! Avs, Broncos, Rockies, Rapids... :)

Absolutely!!! Go the Broncos, Rockies and Rapids! And Nuggets too ! (oops.... I may have overstepped with Nuggets hahaha --- kidding only!).

I agree with the sentiment that hybrids are probably the best place to start. They can be more vigorous and more adapted to various conditions than naturally occurring species, which have evolved to thrive in very specific environments. SVO does indeed have a great selection of mini Catts, and I highly recommend them.

As far as a specific plant, I would recommend Cattlianthe (formerly SLC) Jewel Box 'Scheherazade'. It is somewhat compact, forms a large clump quickly with clusters of blooms on multiple growths even in a 6 inch pot. They tend to bloom en masse, and the result is quite spectacular. It's an easy grower and reliable bloomer. Full disclosure, tho, it is the first Cattleya that I was able to grow and bloom successfully when I was just starting out with Orchids, so it holds a special place in my heart, but I still don't think I'm over hyping it. It really is a great plant, and readily available.

There's also an orange clone of Jewel Box called 'Orange'. Not a very inspired name, but it is also fantastic. It is even more compact than Scherazade, and the flowers have a rich, dusty orange color with some magenta along the margin of the lip. I've only ever seen it available from Hausermann, but he almost always has it in stock.

If you can find Cattlianthe Golden Wax in France, that is usually a very durable, forgiving and long-lived plant. It is an intergeneric hybrid in the Cattleya alliance, and there are several different varietal (clonal) names available. I have one that I have grown continuously for 35 years. I have given many divisions of it away to friends.

A word of advice on growing most Cattleyas. They prefer a well-drained, open mix. A trick I use is to pot Cattleyas in a pot with nothing but whole wine corks as potting medium. By a little at-home testing, I've found that plastic corks do just as well as natural wine corks.

Thank you guys, I'll be taking a closer look at all those recommended plants.

With all the advice given on this thread, I'm sure my first Catt will be a positive experience!

Similar to Slc Jewel Box is Slc Little Hazel. I had one some years ago and it was a fantastic little plant. Sadly it died when my collection got badly neglected in the last 2 years of my PhD....

Mr. FN:

Below I've attached an example photo, showing a Cattleya potted in wine corks, as described.

Cheers,

OW

Attachment 147719

If you want to grow a species orchid, Cattleya forbesii is very easy to grow and bloom. Other than that I recommend hybrids from reputable growers, like others have mentioned.

As far as species, I'm also very fond (approaching obsessed) with Cattleya tenebrosa. This is a fairly recent obsession, but I have about half a dozen, or maybe a few more than that, of different tenebrosas, and I've found them very easy to grow. They don't need as much light as some of the other Cattleya species, and they like to stay moist during the growing season, which is good for me because I tend to be an overwaterer. They get pretty big, so if space is a concern, you might consider that.