Laelias Producing sheaths. What Now?
 

Hey guys how are all of you doing? all is well here and the weather is beautiful! i love the fall colors!

I have two Laelias, one is Laelia Purpurata var carnea and the other is Laelia Pacavia.

The Pacavia produced a sheath at the end of june, And the Purpurata, its sheath is just emerging from a brand new growth. when will theses bloom? ive only dealt with fall/winter bloomers. is it normal for these summer bloomers to make sheaths now?

Will they stay green or will they become brown? if they do brown they will still bloom eventually right? should i switch to a blooming fertilizer or keep with my regular fert schedule?

I know i have alot of questions but bear with me please.

Sincerely
~Sam:biggrin:

:cheer::cheer: It's always exciting to find sheaths!
I don't grow these plants so can't help with your questions but, someone with more experience will chime in soon.
Joann

Sheaths don't mean a whole lot. Psuedobulbs with sheaths may bloom or they may not bloom. Also when a plant develops a sheath it could be many months before buds develop inside. To further confuse things some psuedobulbs will bloom without sheaths. I have a Cattleya right now that has three psuedobulbs with sheaths and buds are forming on the one psuedobulb without a sheath. Buds can form in the sheaths when they are still green but sometimes the sheath will turn dry and brown before the buds form. Don't cut them off because buds can form in the old dry sheaths later. There are some orchids that will bloom on every new growth but many will only bloom on the very last psuedobulb. Personally I like using bloom booster in the fall. Many people don't think that it does anything but I've had some good results from it.

When I had a purpurata last, it was usually a late spring to early summer bloomer for me.

This might be a slight diversion, but can someone show me a picture of a sheath on a Laelia purpurata or something like it.

I have a small plant and it's my only Catt, people keep talking about sheaths on Catts but I have no idea what it looks like or what to expect.