Cattleya's in Southwest Florida for the beginner
 

My husband just bought me a beautiful cattleya orchid. Problem is...this is my first and I don't know how to care for it. My other orchids (phals) are on my screened in porch facing southeast. Any advice as to how to care for this beautiful plant? Right now it has 11 very strong, bright green leaves and 2 large flowers. Thanks!!! Oh yes...I live in southwest Florida.

I have been growing phals pretty well for a few years now on my west facing porch in south-east florida (Miami) and this year I too have ventured into the world of cattleyas. Basically I have found that they like to dry out a lot more then phals in between waterings (phals never should really completely dry out) and that they like more sunlight then phals too. I keep them on the perimeter of my porch where they get the most afternoon sun, and fertilize them with the same balanced fertilizer as the phals. I've also noticed that they seem to do better with more frequent but light waterings, recreating something like a very quick afternoon shower every few days depending on how much water your medium holds. I repotted mine in a fir-bark mix designed for orchids that I bought at home-depot and also added aliflor for added drainage. Some are in clay pots and some in plastic. 4 of my 5 Catts now have new psudobulbs growing so they must be decently happy, but I must offer the disclaimer that I've had them for only about 5 months and have not actually gotten any to flower yet. Hope this helps, if you have any specific questions I'd be happy to try to help.

Hi there. I am also venturing into the world of Catts. I have mine in 100% lava rock, and they seem to like it. I have mine in my front porch which faces the southeast. I water them about every 4 days or so. Good luck. I'm addicted to them and they are gorgeous plants.

:hello there !!!! First of all :welcome: to the OB !!!! Cattleyas are my favorite genus of orchids. I grow them outdoors and they get full sun from early morning until later in the afternoon. I mist mines daily early in the morning unless they day is overcasted or cool. Fertilize once a week with a well balanced fertilizer. Mines do get some shade since they are growing aroud an avocado tree but it's minimal. I found out that now that they get more Sun is when most of them are starting to bloom for me. The rule for the cattleyas is basically if the leaves are dark green it needs to get some more sun. If they are yellow, they are getting burned and if the have a hint of red they are getting the maximun amount of sun that they can handle. :goodluck: with your chids and if you have more questions just ask. Enjoy the forums:waving :waving

Thanks so much for your help & encouragement!! I noticed this new orchid has another flower coming, so I'm going to see how long that takes. Taking care of a cattleya is all new to me. I'm in southwest Florida, so I believe the weather is on my side!

Roly, in what mix do you pot your catts?

My catts are potted in the Better Gro Special Orchid Mix. Which is made out of coarse bark, charcoal and perlite. I want to try some in lava rock but that won't be any time soon since I'm not due for repotting.

I mount a large majority of my orchids. I feel I have better control over the amount of water they are getting. I use a few different types of mounting media. Osmunda is a great media. You can mount either vertical (which retains water) or horizontal (drains quickly) depending on the amount of water the plant requires. I even use a 3 inch terra-cotta pipe that I pug from both ends and keep filled with water and have had some success with growing a few catt and laelia species that are cooler grown and don't do well with our warm nights.

Better Gro Special Orchid Mix

Hehe thats what mine are in too.