Question for Cattleya growers
 

So this is a first for me. I have 2 Catt's one will be a first time bloomer for me the other I have bloomed at least 3 times before. First time bloomer finished it's new growth I was still waiting to see if it was going to bloom and noticed that the growths 3 and 4 times ago started growing steams in there old brown sheaths. I cute the dried sheaths open and the crazy thing is going to bloom. And now I feel the new one starting. We are talking about psb that are probably 2 years or more old.

Also the Catt I have bloomed before is blooming on it's psb from the last growth not the new one. So it is the growth almost a year or so old.

Question, has anyone else ever experienced this before? I'm hoping this makes sense.

It must have something to do with Wyoming.

Right, we're a little odd you know :biggrin: That's why no one wants to live here.

Anywho I just thought this is so strange and I don't ever remember anyone talking about it. Yes the dry sheaths but not after they have been there for a year or two or perhaps 2 1/2 to 3. Orchids are a strange plant.

That is pretty cool. My knowledge of species Cattleyas is mostly limited to what I have grown and none of my hybrids have ever done this so I cannot really say. I have heard of Cattleya growers preventing orchids from blooming one year so that they bloom more spectacularly the next in hopes of prizes but I am not sure how that works. Good luck and enjoy the blooms!

Thanks Leafmite I hope to. These are both hybrids. How could you stop one from blooming? I have never heard of this before.

I've read somewhere (can't remember where) of Catts blooming from older pbulbs.

I do not remember the details so I don't know if the older pseudobulbs bloom or just that more energy goes into next year's blooms or more growths that can bloom. No idea.

I recall, if I'm correct, Roberta saying somethig about it...she's the expert, maybe she reads this.:)

I think what you're saying is that old bulbs (from a few years ago) are blooming?

Its not uncommon, though having bulbs bloom that are a few years old are less common than having last year's bulbs bloom.

Yes this is what I'm having going on. I can't for sure say how old the 2 that are going to bloom on the one are. The one blooming right now is on last years growth not on the new one. The other one is not open yet and is going to bloom on the new growth not the one from before but then the next 2 from before. So that would mean one of them is at least 2 years old. This is more of a standard Cattleya I think. And I am not sure if it grows 2 or 1 growth a year.