cattleya seedling care and potting
 

hello!
i just bought from ebay a cattleya seedling but to be honest i dont really know how to care for it! i've read they need a bit more water and light than adult plants, but i dont know whether the info is accurate or not.
the roots are super small and wrapped in that media (not sure what it is).
i'll enclose some pictures so you can all see! i put it in a clear pot and drilled holes for ventilation, but it is still in the little 'basket' thingy it came with...
if someone could help me growing this little plant i would be very grateful!!

thank you all in advance!:)

1. The plant's roots are growing in a coconut husk slab, (I really don't know how to describe it, but the material is 100%, without a doubt, coconut husk).

2. If it matters, the "little 'basket' thingy" is called a plastic net pot.

3. Yes, seedlings generally need more moisture because they lose water through their pores faster. As they mature, they don't require as much water to function properly because they get more-and-more efficient at conserving water and nutrients.

4. Your seedling is a pretty established seedling that has already been hardened off for you. It will not be difficult to grow at home. You can grow this seedling closer to how you'd grow an adult counterpart.

5. Grow in bright indirect light.

6. Because I don't know what kind of Cattleya it is I'd recommend to grow it in intermediate to warm temperatures.

7. Water about 3 times a week during active growing season, (usually the warmer months), as a general guideline. If you get good at it, you should really be allowing the roots to dry between watering.

Reduce watering during cooler months.

8. Moderate humidity is adequate enough to grow this orchid, (50% - 80%).

:agree:

What kind of Cattleya is it?

Thank you so much the information was so complete!
So you advise me to leave it in the slabs right?
I bought the plant as 'cattleya blc fitz Nicolas pink' from a French ebayer.
The picture showed a bright pink flower with yellow lip

another thing, it has some brown spots at the back of the leaves, the seller told me it is normal on cattleya and vandas. is that so? i'll attach the picture for you to have a look at, thank you!

That blotching is caused by a type of purple/violet pigment the orchid can create when exposed to high light levels. The pigments are called anthocyanins.

Your orchid is fine. There is nothing wrong with it. Yes, it is normal for a Cattleya to produce some anthocyanins in response to exposure to high light levels that will not give it sunburn.

Glad to hear that! Relief! Thank you again

I was curious about mounting orchids...
Would this be suitable? It is quite small and I never mounted one before. Maybe it's better to leave it alone?:scratchhead:
Thank you!

I think you should definitely leave it alone until the newest growth has fully matured...4-5 months?

I have several Cattleya seedlings mounted and they are doing fine. I mist them once or twice a day and they dry out completely between waterings. They seem to be doing well, new roots and new growth on most of them.