Catt in a Tree--Budding
 

I have a large (8 foot) potted Ficus benjamina that I mounted 5 different color Catts in the crook of branches.
But that's all for a different post.

Long story short (I'll share more info on this and other 'tree mounted' stuff in upcoming threads) after 4 years I finally have a pair of buds on one of my catts--first blooming.

This catt has recently sent off 3 very strong looking plants. But it wasn't until the 3rd one matured that I'll finally getting blooms.

Plant #1 and #2 (8" and 10" in length respective) have sent off strong "lower leaves" (these catts are sending off plants vertically) but both failed to fully send out "2nd leaves". Both failed 2nd leaves got damaged with recent cold (for here) weather.

This morning I noticed plant #1 is sending a flower bud out thru the damaged and immature 2nd leave!!!

{Pictures when the light is a little better}

I'm actually gushing!
Not only first blooms from this catt, but TWO plants sending out buds!!

This attached pic I took 3 days old, showing the plant #3's bud...

Congrats! Can't wait to see when they are open.

Where? I see a few Catts, but not a single Cat......

@Subrosa: There are actually a total of 5 Catts and 1 Dendrobium presently 'mounted' in the tree, plus 2 Vanda in baskets hanging from it. ;)
I'll start a post about the tree and the thinks in it soon.

@silken: I know! The blooms be purple, or purple with a bit of white. I have it narrowed down to 2 color variations.

It's mostly cloudy with some wind here today. But I managed to take a few pics when the sun poked out.

1st: a pic of the plant from it's right side..
2nd: a pic of the plant from it's left side...
3rd: a pic of the "new" bud breaking from the dead/failed leaf...

Sorry Chuck you have them misidentified. Those are Cattleya, not Catasetum hybrids......hence they are Catts, not Cats!

Cool.

Thanks Subrosa.
I'll make the necessary corrections.

edit: I see, now, what you did in your post "Catt" verse "Cat".
I know they are cattleya--I just screwed up the abbrev.

Thanks for catching it and letting me know!

Two of the buds cracked open!
Not fully opened yet, but bloom colors are visible...

I really like what you have done with the catts on the tree, it's beautiful. Do you move this tree inside during the winter?


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I live in the middle of the middle of Florida.
Luckily this year the coldest we got was +38*(f) for 2 nights in a row.
The day-time temps got over 50*(f).

All I had to do was cover the individual orchids with some hand towels I purchased (in bulk) from Lowes.

There were a few other nights when I had to cover them, but only for one night at a time.


Now all my other others, pots and baskets, were moved into the shed where I used a portable heater to keep the temperature above 45*(f) in there.