Cattleya New Growth question
 

Hello,

I have a couple of Cattleyas that started new growth leaders this past Spring. Each has one leader. My question is how long does it take for this new leader to mature and hopefully produce a flower spike? I realize it may be different from one type of Cattleya to another but I am looking for what's an average time frame.

Thanks in advance!

Your right it depends on the plant. It also depends on your growing conditions. Be patient and keep track from when you see the new growth to blooms. Remember though not every new growth produces flowers. It takes months for them to develop. I have never kept track so I can't give you a time frame. But you could maybe see blooms at the end of summer, fall or winter. It's hard to say since I don't know how big your growths are too. Good luck and post pics when you get blooms! I know it's hard but growing orchids requires patients!

Do you have names for your Catts? If you do, people might be able to tell you how long it takes for your particular plants' leads to mature.

There are cattleyas that bloom once a year and others that bloom twice or even several times a year. The new lead will mature accordingly. I keep 5 x 8 index cards for each orchid and record when the new lead starts and when the bloom comes so that I'll have a general idea when to expect flowers.

Cattleya´s has growth cycles.

simplified:
growth flower rest
or
growth rest flower

they will have one, two or maybe even three growth cycle per year.

For your info Mach5...I have a friend who divided his cattleya Ports of Paradise in April, and gave me four divisions. I re-potted them, and they had some "recovering" to do in my greenhouse. They ALL have at least one new growth, at least one has two new growths. The growths are between four to eight inches tall. I expect to have blooms sometime in December/January. Hope this helps to give you a time frame... BettyE. :)

I like a lot of the previous answers. I would say anywhere from 2-12 months, depending on the species or hybrid and your conditions.

I believe that hybrids that bloom more than once a year, still take about 6 months or so for the individual growths to mature before spiking - they just generally always have new growth on them, so growths mature at different times ? I haven't actually noted how long it takes individual growths on free bloomers to mature, however.

I would expect 6 months or so (possibly longer) for growths to mature.

Thank you all for your expert responses!! I was asked to post the names of the Catts in question. The name tag reads: HC540 EPIC. JACKIE BRIGHT YELLOW W/EPICAT. I also posted a couple of pics. As you can see it's got the leader growing now. I will post a pic of the other Catt as soon as I can but the tag on this one reads: (LC. EDGARD VANBELLE X C. INTERMEDIA) X BLC. MAGIC MEADOW "GREEN GENIUS". Also note that these orchids have been repotted into a bark mix and not in moss anymore. Thank you again guys!!

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...a/IMG_9051.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...a/IMG_9052.jpg

Oct-nov this year if it puts out a bloom.

Thanks James! If it doesn't put out a bloom, does that mean I did something wrong? Or does this happen naturally from time to time and is just part of growing orchids?

Not every lead puts out flowers. If they don't it could be for many reasons like not enough light, the new growth didn't get big enough, the plant isn't mature enough, and sometimes with mine they bloom on one lead then put out another right after and then that lead doesn't flower. There are lots of reasons for no blooms. But hopefully you will see some blooms soon!

Thanks Wynn Dee! I am trying to be very mindful of lighting for my Catts since I know this is key in having success with them blooming. Hopefully I am giving it enough light and the standard weekly/weekly fert regime. It's growing outdoors in semi-shaded conditions for the Summer/Fall seasons in the hopes to get them in the "mood" :biggrin: I guess we'll see but I'm hopeful :)

Wynn Dee is right on. But I think given the right culture, every orchid, if old enough, should flower. If they don't, then something in the culture is missing or mis-timed. The new growth there should flower once it has matured. There is enough old growth and it has enough light. One thing I read in the old aos mags is that the ratio of N to K and P has to be right ...at the right time for some orchids to initiate flowering. Too much nitrogen and the orchid just makes more new growth. In the wild, from what I have read through the years, is during the rainy season, there is a greater ratio of nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. Once it starts to rain less, the ratio of nitrogen to potassium and phosphorus favors the latter two elements and initiates the production of flowers because in nature, during the rainy season, all the pollinators are worms and such, and when it starts to dry out these become flying pollinators. More or less. So my suggestion is to change the ratio of nitrogen to the other two once the growths are almost finished and before the flower initiatuion. See if that helps. Can't hurt.

Will do. Thanks James!! :) I think that's another reason I got attracted to orchids. They do not just flower so casually it seems but you sort have to work for it! I like challenges :biggrin:

Ok as promised i am posting a couple of pics of my second Catt. This lead is further along than in the other plant. This one is growing quite fast! I remain hopeful that it will eventually spike for me. Looking at it, it does not seem that this plant has ever flowered.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...a/IMG_9114.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...a/IMG_9115.jpg

I would start feeding this with a bloom booster fertilizer at every watering. Dilute of course. In about a month you will see a sheath. Some catts sheath and others send up buds naked. Also I would give it as much light right now as it can stand.

And, after it blooms, I would find the rizome between the oldest two or three pbulbs and cut it with a sharp pair of cutters or a razor blade. When it flushes with new growth it will also send up new growth from the older pbulbs. If you don't cut the rizome the older pbulbs will just continue to feed the newer growths.

Thank you James!!

What is it by the way? I see a tag but can't read it. Also it looks a little too green. I know pics aren't good at color fidelity but do you give it enough light? Here's soemthing similar.....

The tag on it reads: LC. EDGARD VANBELLE X C. INTERMEDIA) X BLC. MAGIC MEADOW "GREEN GENIUS". Yes it is quite green. It's outdoors and is receiving dappled morning sun until about 12. The rest of the day is shaded under a patio umbrella. Because of it's green color I've wondered if in fact I'm giving it enough light hmmm.

This plant actually has a registered name: Rlc. EZO Robin's Magic.
I would not be too disappointed if the plant doesn't bloom this year, it doesn't look mature yet.
Joann

Joann sorry but can you explain what do you mean by a registered name? Still trying to learn :)

Joann means your hybrid cross (Lc. Edgard Vanbelle x C. intermedia) x Blc. Magic Meadow 'Green Genius' has been given its own hybrid name of Rlc. EZO Robin's Magic. Your tag lists your plants parents and your cross has now been given its own name.

Ah ok I see! Thanks Wynn Dee!

Your welcome! :) You can update your tag now. I usually write the registered name on the other side of the plant tag so I know the parents too. Or you can add a new tag if you want.

Great will do! :)