Spike died on Burana Beauty
 

Hi everyone,

At Leafmite's suggestion, I bought a Potinara Burana Beauty in Dec. 2015. Between February and now, it matured two new growths, and last week I discovered a new spike growing from one of them. I was ecstatic, but now I'm devastated, because it appears to be drying out!

I'm just wondering what could have gone wrong. We had some low humidity levels recently (30s), and some hot days. But really, overall the temperature has been very moderate for this time of year and we've even had some drizzle that sent the humidity way up (up to about 50%, that is).

- It gets enough light. Leaves are not rich green, more like a lime color or slightly lighter.
- I feed it lightly every time I water with K-Lite, and when I remember (which isn't often) with Kelpmax.
- I water it about two times per week, which is enough time for it to thoroughly dry. The old pb's are pretty wrinkly and deflated, but the new ones are firm. I might start watering an extra time per week (that might sound crazy, but as I said - low humidity, good sun, some pretty hot days).

What could have caused this? And will it ever try to bloom from that p-bulb again, or is that one used up now?

Thanks for any help!

I've had an issue with a flower "stalk" stop developing on my NoID cattleya.

I live in central Florida, with higher humidity, and mine is mounted in a large potted Ficus tree, getting filtered sunlight.

I suggest that you leave this alone, not matter what helpful answers you get from the other members.

After leaving mine alone, new growth (another plant) grew. Then a few months later a 3rd new plant developed.

The 3rd and 1st flower "spikes" bloomed...but the 2nd plant's never did.


My leaves are edged in reddish color, telling me they are getting just slightly more light then needed..but there is no burn spots on the leaves.


Yellowing leaves would be a concern if I noticed them on my plants.

Is it possible it's getting too much fertilization?
I feed my sparingly. About every 2 weeks at 1/2 strength.


I'm sure someone will be along shortly with good advice to help you with this cattleya.
I just wanted to share my story about a "failed spike" on my cattleya.

Thanks, Chuck. Did yours dry up, or just pause in its growing? Mine is actually shriveling up! :-(

Sometimes I've had first spikes fail on Cattleyas.

Later spikes usually bloom well with no problems.

Best wishes for the next time! Maybe on the next growth?

Thank you! I hope so! This one appears to have bloomed before, though.

Mine are growing horizontally, due to them being mounted in the tree.
The "top" sheath dried and was completely thin (empty) to the touch/pressing my fingers together--lightly.

When the 3rd plant started to produce a bloom, I lightly pressed this "top sheath" again, and noticed a bump inside.

The 3rd plant produced 3 blooms, while the 1st plant produced only a single bloom...but it was a single bloom I wasn't expecting.


Now the 2nd, unbloomed, plant also has a dried looking/to the touch sheath.
Just like the other two do, after they've completed and dropped their bloom(s).

So I'm leaving all of them alone even though removing them would increase their appearance.

These ones mounted in the Ficus tree, 5 different ones in total, are my first cattleyas and since 3 have already bloomed for me I pretty much just leave them alone, except for my watering and feeding routine.
I even let the faded blooms drop on their own.

Ah, okay, yours is a slightly different situation. Mine didn't create a sheath first, so the spike came directly from between two leaves. It's not the sheath that dried up, but the spike itself. I think it's a goner, unfortunately.

Did this grow new roots since you have bought it? I usually prefer to buy my Cattleyas as seedlings and they grow for years in the same medium (red lava rock) so I don't usually have this issue. I often lose the next round of blooms when I buy an orchid that is bloom-size. Some Cattleyas bloom best when they have a good root system established and it can take a growth cycle to achieve this. The next bloom cycle should go better for you. I think Burana Beauty is one that grows the new pseudobulb, blooms, then puts out roots.

I messed up many of my Cattleyas by trying to grow them in LECA (moved around too much) and I have a bunch of new seedlings so I am not expecting many Cattleya blooms this year. Once the bloom-size ones get established and the seedlings grow to maturity, though, I should have a nice show going again.

I have a new one to recommend to you:
Pot. Hawaiian Prominence `America' AM/AOS' :)

Thanks so much, Leafmite! It's actually grown a ton of new roots since I got it! It's been growing like a weed and has been completely unfussy until the spike went dry. That's why I'm so baffled! Maybe I became too complacent, thinking it was so easy.

Ooh, I'll check that one out. Thanks! I think I love Potinaras! :-)

The one I recommended is very fragrant and it is one that blooms often throughout the year. I have been buying more hybrids lately because, as much as I love the species, I want a few Cattleyas that bloom more than twice a year. :)
If you have trouble with the next bloom, it will be a humidity/heat issue. I have lost my Angraecum leonis buds twice because of that. I am glad that the orchid is doing so well for you. :)

I agree about hybrids. :-) My feeling is also that it's the lack of humidity/overabundance of heat that did it. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and start using my humidifier. The problem is that I don't have central heat/air (just wall units - very common here in apartments), so it's impossible to both cool the room AND run the humidifier with any perceivable effect. It will be a huge pain to close the window and try to cool the room by blowing the air conditioned air in for a while, then close the door and run the humidifier, but I think it has to be done. My Mystacidium capense blooms were also screwed up by the humidity issue. Sigh.

You might be able to buy plastic sheeting and some PVC (?) pipe and connectors and make a small greenhouse tent. Or, buy a wire shelving unit and make a little greenhouse of it. I covered my shelves this past winter with a clear plastic dropcloth (found in the paint section) and it really helped (except for the leonis blooms). My first year of growing under lights was quite the disaster because of a lack of humidity.

That's a good idea - I'll have to figure something out along those lines. They definitely won't do very well this summer if they're already suffering - it's going to get a lot worse!!

Sometimes we need to be creative to grow things in our environments. I have ideal conditions outside in the summer, usually (high humidity, warm, nice breeze) for most types of orchids I grow but then there is winter....

I've had empty sheaths. Some grow from dry sheaths. I would try calcium/magnesium. I think I remember reading that when a bud starts you should water the plant more.

I have had them start like yours without the sheath just up from the leaves and abort. I too was thinking I had let them get to dry. If they are in a 4 inch or smaller pot I sometimes have to water every other day. My walkeriana's in 1 1/2 and a 2 inch pot I water almost every day. I have such dry conditions when I upped the water they are now doing better.

I understand you to say that the flower emerged directly from the top of the pb without a sheath. I don't know why catts sometimes do that, but more often than not in my experience the bud blasts. I guess the sheath protects them from the elements/bugs/whatever. I had a catt this year put out unprotected buds from three spikes--and they all blasted. This plants is a reliable bloomer and usually has sheaths.

That is it for that pb; won't bloom again. Anyone know why this happens? maybe something to do with fertilization or other cultivation quirks.

I ended up just buying an indoor greenhouse - one of those with a frame and plastic draped over. I really like it so far, and with the humidifier I'm able to keep the humidity at whatever I want. What a relief! I'm keeping some of my plants outside of the greenhouse if they have been doing fine without the humidity to save space inside, but mostly they're all in there and seem happy.

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone!