Cattleya Bud Stopped Growing!!!
 

Hello everyone, my Cattleya of an unknown variety was bought last year in bloom in fall and has been growing great ever since, it has put out a new growth a month or two ago and a bud has started to form but stopped when it got to a centimeter or two in length. The sheath is still green and healthy. What is going on! It has enough light because its leaves are a light olive green and are rigid.

How long has it been? It could just be that the buds are still developing, but when you look at them every hour, it seems that they are not growing. lol

Also, how big are they? I find that some of my cattleyas seem to take forever when the buds are super tiny in the sheaths. I worry about them at first, but then they were pretty much alive and growing. just very slowly.
Once they reach certain size, the growing speed seems to be easier to observe, even on a daily basis.

I hope that is the case.

Usually, when there is a sudden change of growing environment, it can upset the plant.

Virus may also cause the growing buds to abort.

I'm sure there could be other possible reasons, but for now, let's just hope they are alive and growing slowly.

Thanks a lot! Its been at least a month and a half since I have seen the bud and it seems like it hasn't grown at all but its not rotted because it is still green and rigid looking.

How can you tell if they are green if inside the sheath?? is it one of those that flower without the sheath???

Mine look all dark inside the sheath until they pop out. I can only tell if they are alive by increasing size. lol

So can you see the buds thru the sheath when held up to the light? sometimes it helps to very carefully slice the sheath open at the very top. If the temps change from day to night or there is lots of moisture, it can get trapped in the sheath and rot the buds. I have had this happen. I wondered why they weren't growing and had a peek and they had died :( So I often do that when the buds can be seen. Don't open the entire sheath up as it is protection for the buds and there for a reason.

Any pics? In my experience, if a growth of any type on a Cattleya stops growing for an extended period it won't start growing again and will turn yellow and die. Tiny buds in a sheath might start up again, however. They typically have to be VERY small though, which is why I asked for pics.