What is your experience in making Cattleyas bloom?
 

Hello, everyone. I am new to Cattleya growing (a little over a year now) and I grow them in home conditions. The plants I have are decent-sized and I know they might take over a year to adapt to a new environment (new place, new substrate, etc.). I was expecting blooms for the last growths I had, but that's how it rolls. Which is why, having new growths coming, I want to maximize my chances of a future blooming. What are your best tips in growing them?

What I do now: one of them receives direct sunlight from around 3 to 5 pm, the rest of the day it's phalaenopsis-like light. Another one receives filtered sunlight from around 11am up until 5 pm. I let them dry mostly (not completely because I had already a couple of dwarf growths for not watering enough) when they are growing. When they are resting I let them dry completely. I fertilized weakly with each watering (which has worked with other orchids) but now I added osmocote and just use plain water.

I saw someone saying how using the heater made their cattleyas all bloom after years of just growing, and a grower in my city told me the key is to have a plastic-like pannel filtering the light so that it creates a greenhouse effect (with the heat). Someone else on youtube said they don't bloom if they don't receive direct sunlight and have a temperature change between day and night.

What is your personal experience? I'm open to learning different perspectives.

Kind regards,

Stan

Are your plants deep green, light green or yellowish?

The one that only gets 2 hours of direct light and Phal light the rest of the time is certainly not getting enough light. The one getting indirect light is likely also not getting enough. Catts are, in general, relatively high-light plants. Filtered sun (like dappled light that filters through a tree) pretty much all day. The amount of heat needed varies with the parentage. But I have found that many can grow quite cool. (I grow most of mine outside in coastal southern California USA ... winter low temperatures can get to 2-3 deg C!) There are some that need to be warmer, especially those with significant amounts of C. dowiana in their ancestry. So knowing the names (or the parents of unnamed hybrids) will help to establish temperature needs. But I think, for a start, more light. Where in Mexico do you live? What are outdoor temperatures? Do you have space to grow outside?

Full morning sun, gradual if new, is a good start.

Cattleya generally bloom with good growing conditions. There really isn't a trick that will make them bloom other than growing good, strong plants with adequate nutrients and light. I also think your Catts probably need more light to bloom. Are the plants old enough to bloom?

I also suspect they are not getting enough light.
Mine grow under 60% shadecloth so are NEVER exposed to direct sunlight. If they were directly exposed, like a tear or gap in the cloth, their leaves will burn in a matter of minutes.

I am in very close proximity to the ocean so the light here is much brighter than even 2-3 miles inland so the exposure inside my 60% is probably more equivalent to 50% "ish" elsewhere.

They also get watered pretty much daily by mother nature from June to October and then maybe very light waterings 1-2 times per week the rest of the year with weekly feedings.

Thank you everyone for your answers. You might be right. I will take pictures of my plants and post them here describing the cross or their parents to make this more detailed.

Stan

Hello. I'll post them all in separate messages to make it easier to follow.

Here is my BLC Chia Lin 'New City' x Cattleya lueddemanniana. Chia Lin has 49.19% of Cattleya dowiana and 1.56% of lueddemanniana, but this last number surely changes from the cross.

Since I recently removed the oldest bulb because it seemed sick and started to wilt, I picked up this plant and changed the substrate to a mix of medium bark with coarse pumice stone. It came as a 4 bulb division, under my care it grew 2 more that were smaller (the latest was bigger yes), but the first months I was watering sparsely cause I didn't want to risk rot like I did with another Catt (which would explain the small growths). Leaves are that slightly yellowish green, but both growths under my care weren't upstraight, which might be telling me they lacked light.

On the third picture you see the space where I keep this one along with my BC Fuchs Star and my Catt Pittiae.

These are my BC Fuchs Star (Brassavola nodosa x Cattleya maxima). Last year I split the plant in two and ever since both have put out new growths. Same, I underwatered so the first growths naturally were much, much shorter. I have taken the gist to them now (most of the time they are firm and wrinkle-free), so maybe the growths that are about to start will be full-sized. The transparent pot is the pot where I'll be putting them in (separately), along with a more aerated mix.

This is my Cattleya Bella (or LC Bella), which is Cattleya labiata x Laelia purpurata. The seller told me it would surely bloom from the next growth, with proper conditions given. The last growth it had is adult-sized, same as the one it grew with me, but mine (the last growth) came out thinner, although it did stand up straight. While this one was growing, it received direct sunlight in the morning til noon and then it was indirect light. Maybe that was enough-ish for it to grow straight?

Currently it is growing new roots and I am hopeful it'll bloom from the next growth (not developing yet).

Here I'll put two plants because there's not much to them.

First is my most recent acquisition, a gorgeous Potinara Dick Smith 'Paradise'. The plant is huuuge. Not only did I put it in a ceramic pot, but I filled that pot with marble rocks, and the plant is still sorta unstable haha. You see a close-up to one of its dark leaves and you see a bit of one of its lighter leaves. Most of its leaves are dark green but it came in full bloom, so maybe this one is less picky with light levels? It has 33.77% of Cattleya dowiana, the most abundant species on its background.

The other one is a bifoliate Cattleya Pittiae. Also dehydrated and it put out a super tiny growth under my care. Currently I don't know if it has living roots but seems as if it's going to start putting out new roots. I obviously don't expect blooms from this one for at least a year, but any care tips and advice are greatly appreciated, especially since I'm not that familiarized with bifoliates. It's a primary between Catt. loddigesii and Catt. schilleriana.

Thank you for reading so far,

Stan

In photo 3 of the first group (where you have many plants), it looks like not enough light for Catts. In the photos where there are strong shadows, that's more like what Catts need. The next question would be, for how many hours do the ones with the shadows get that good light? The intensity looks good, but light duration is also important. (They need good light like that for 6-8 hours per day)

Wow, thank you! That good light was just for taking the pictures, to provide with the same conditions and make color comparison easy. I thought the light with the lots of plants was great for catts!

And also, remembering what you said, I'd say our lowest temps here on extreme days might be around 3ºC (37.4ºF). Recently we had a cold wave and it was around 8ºC (46.4ºF). I have heard people from my local association saying L. purpurata can easily grow outdoors no problem. And I do have an outdoors space but it would be full sun starting around noon all the way til sunset. Do you think that would do?

Thanks for your input,

Stan.

Your outdoor space sounds good. If the sun is too indense, you can reduce it a bit with shade cloth. I would suggest not moving the plants outside right now, in winter. In spring, once nights warm up a little (consistently above 10-12 deg C) so that they can acclimate (and also gently acclimate to brighter light as well). Then they will have have the range of seasons, next winter will be no problem for many of them. (A plant where with a lot of C. dowiana in its background won't like the cold, but L. purpurata will have no problem at all) I grow most of my Catts outside all year - my winter lows are routinely around 4-5 deg C (approximately 38-40 deg F) and occasionally lower for a few hours. C. dowiana and luddemanniana are just about the only common ones that need winter warmth... I don't grow them, I don't have room in the greenhouse for big plants. But that leaves a lot that are fine outside... L (C) purpurata and relatives, C intermedia, C labiata, C. warneri, C. percivaliana.. the list goes on and on. Of course hybrids with any of these species are also fine with the cold.

I grow most of them under 50% or 60% shade cloth - but my yard gets intense summer sun for the whole day, with no trees, so I do need to "take the edge off" a little.

Don't forget walkeriana will do just fine in those temps

Alright, so the hybrid that is (RLC Chia Lin x Catt lueddemanniana) should stay indoors for winter, but the rest are fine outdoors, of course after gradually acclimating them in spring. I guess what I can do right now is gradually acclimate them to strong light since during winter is when I get direct sunlight on one side of the appartment. Those Catts are lovely and also in my list, so it is good knowing that! Thank you so much for your help :biggrin:

May you have a good year,

Stan.

---------- Post added at 09:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:41 PM ----------

Thank you, Isurus! I have an itch for these Catts, bifoliate with the walkeriana - loddigesii - nobilior. Their shape is just exquisite. Alright so back to the bucket list to bulk it up even more hahaa.

Cheers and you too have a good year,

Stan

Oh yes, C loddigesii, harrisoniana, Gur. skinnerii, bowringiana, aurantiaca are also on the "outdoors" list.

Sometimes professional growers can get a Cattleya to bloom before the rest of us can so give it an extra year or two. If it has not previously bloomed, it might just need to get a little larger and stronger before it blooms.

If your orchids has previously bloomed, it might just need more light. Some Cattleyas need more light to bloom than others, depending on their ancestry.

I will be definitely doing some Cattleya shopping once I pass the "beginner challenge" (sometimes I go on a pause from buying new plants to really focus on the ones I currently have). This is my Dick Smith, which has begun to sprout. New roots are emerging, so I will be repotting it one of these days. And so begins the 6-months-or-so marathon to see if I managed to make this plant bloom (I know that given the change, from a greenhouse to a normal home environment, the plant might not bloom even with ideal home conditions, but lets be optimistic since it is a comlex hybrid :) ).

Thank you for your advice and happy growing :3

Stan

You're in Mexico City, yes? The purpurata hybrid could go out now. Your winter sun isn't strong enough to burn it, and it won't mind those temperatures. I think it's too small to flower.

The dowiana hybrids should stay warm inside.

The bifoliate needs a lot of water when in growth. I find Cattleya seedlings use more water than almost any other orchid of the same size. That degree of underwatering can cause loss of new growths.

I agree the main blooming problem is lack of light. The leaves should be a little yellow.

Thank you for your reply, estacionseca. Yes I am in Mexico City. Are you sure about the purpurata one? These days the air has been getting colder and last night the lowest temp was 5ºC (41ºF). I even brought in my pepper plantlets since they have been outside for only little over a week.

When you say the dowiana hybrids should stay warm inside, do you mean right now during this winter or all year-round?

In reality, the only plant that is a seedling is the purpurata hybrid. The BC came from Ecuagenera so I think it is blooming size, as well as the lueddemanniana. The rest have been in bloom, even though the bloom the bifoliate came with might have been its first one.

I gotta admit, I love watching Catts grow new roots and sprouts and all that.

Thanks,

Stan

My purpuratas live outside all year around. Nights at my house this time of year are about 4-5 deg C (40-42 deg F), may go a bit lower for a few hours, close to freezing. I don't protect them from rain, either. They grow into "beasts". Seedlings may need a bit of protection (but not much) but mature purpurata plants laugh at the cold. Of course, my plants are well acclimated... they have been outside for years. If I acquire a plant in the fall or winter, that should be cold-tolerant, I often pamper it indoors until spring when I put it outside, and it then has the full cycle of seasons to acclimate. If I know that the plant has been grown under conditions similar to mine, no problem. But if it has been greenhouse-grown, or I don't know its history, I will be a little more cautious,

C. dowiana is another story... that species is a warm grower, probably should not go much below 18 deg C (65 deg F). Hybrids where C. dowiana is dominant need the same treatment.

Thank you. The purpurata hybrid has been with me for more than 6 months, so my frame of reference is now my home haha. I'm thinking of putting it outside and if temps go lower than 12ºC (53.6ºF) or so, I'll bring it back. The amount of sun it will be receiving will be slightly greater than the one it is receiving currently, so it would just mean a step further on its progression to full sun. I definitely love monster plants (and especially cattleyas) so I am aiming for that :)

Cheers,

Stan