A question I have often heard but never really got a good answer to

[johnblagg]

The question we all ask as new orchid owners is when does the new sheath emerge on a cattleys type orchid....

Every one pretty much says in answer... well it emerges with the new leaf and yes it does but on my brassocattleya Star ruby 'Xanadu" it emerges just shortly after the new leaves not at the same time but after they had stopped growing.It appeared suddenly and grew quickly to a size that it coud be recognised as a sheath instead of a leaf.

One appeared a few days ago and then just a couple of days later two other new growths sent out what I assumed were their second leaves but they grew fast and now are 1 to 2 inches long and definatly not leaves as I assumed but sheaths.

On this one they actually do not emerge at the same time as the leaves develop but just after and much quicker than a leaf would.
I am still waiting to see how a blc and other types of hybrids behave but am going to assume the answer is not with the leaves but shortly after and now do not look for it to be tucked away inside a folded up leaf even before it unfolds...but I guess it could indeed happen this way in fact that is excatly what I was looking for before I saw how this one did.

The growth in the back grew this sheath in just the last two days.The one in the foreground is 4 or 5 days old

[Junebug]

Hey John,

I'm no expert but I don't think there's a definitive answer to your question. It can be difficult to predict how and when or if ever a cattleya will sheath. I have some that bloom from no sheath at all and others that produce a sheath within a sheath before bud production. Then there are some that produce sheaths that dry up and appear inactive for months and eventually produce buds. I have one big noid catt that grows bulbs with sheaths that get dry and crispy...then she has another growth spurt with fresh bulbs and sheaths and all the sheaths both dry and fresh bloom in unison once a year. There are catts that grow sheaths in unison with the pseudobulb as it matures and there are some that pop out a sheath or bud after the bulb matures. Even more frustrating are catts that produce healthy looking non-productive sheaths and at the same time send out buds from no sheaths at all.

It's a mystery to me. I might be wrong but it seems like some hybrids choose to bloom like parent "A" one time and parent "B" the next and some appear to be a confused mixture of the two. Then there are other reliable hybrids that grow, sheath, and bloom like clockwork the same time year after year.

Who knows...maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in with some answers.

[johnblagg]

yes but I am referring to the fact that I was kind of expecting a sheath when one is formed to be already present inside a leaf as it unfolds rather than grow more or less after the leaf had unfolded.I do relize each type or hybrid with many different parents to will behave different.
I was simply suprised to see the sheaths form after the leaves had pretty much finished on this one .....but then this is the very first time watching one develop for me at all.

Every tiem I had asked when does the sheath appear the answer was always pretty much they develop with the new leaf so I was expecting to see a sheath inside the leaf as it unfolded and alreday be good sized at that time.Not to see a sheath emerge later from the center after they unfolded.

Just trying to give other new orchid growers a little more insight and it may only apply to this chid but lol I would have been happy to know even this little bit more about this one when I got it.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

yes but I am referring to the fact that I was kind of expecting a sheath when one is formed to be already present inside a leaf as it unfolds rather than grow more or less after the leaf had unfolded.I do relize each type or hybrid with many different parents to will behave different.
I was simply suprised to see the sheaths form after the leaves had pretty much finished on this one .....but then this is the very first time watching one develop for me at all.

It's my guess that this trait is coming from the Brasso side. Sometimes they behave like they're trying to play "catch up" so that all the growths can bloom in unison. It's almost as if the mature growths who forgot to sheath suddenly remember that they can bloom and compensate by rapid sheath production. Have you experienced any temperature drops lately?

[johnblagg]

In fact we have had some wild drops from the 97 to 100 it has been in the day down to the 80s for several days and the nighttime temps down to 73 or 74 at night from the 85 or 90 it had been

[peeweelovesbooks]

John,

I'm being surprised that my Laelias (the species) are doing this. The new growths have not finished maturing but I can see sheath formation.

My Lc. formed a sheath after the new growth finished maturing. However, the sheath has been in the same stage for about a month now--but I can see a shadow inside. I'm hoping it's a flower.

I had a Cattleya hybrid that formed a sheath but it was empty. It yellowed and fell off on its own.

And, of course, I've had other Laelias that formed a sheath until after the growth matured, but it took a LONG TIME for the sheath to develop buds. Months and months and months.

So, I suppose the short and long answer is that it depends on the plant.

[johnblagg]

Ok I must not have explained very well it is not when or what causes the sheahts to initiate I am refering to but how they emerge ....I think most people new to orchids expect to see the sheath allready formed and just hidden inside a leaf untill it unfolds and then for it to expand in size and develop.

That is what I was expecting when I was told they develop along with the new leaf.So seeing one just suddenly emerge in one or two days after the leaves were done surprised me.It is not fully grown of course but grew 1 or 1 1/2 inches in those two days so wow not what I was expecting at all.

[peeweelovesbooks]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

Ok I must not have explained very well it is not when or what causes the sheahts to initiate I am refering to but how they emerge ....I think most people new to orchids expect to see the sheath allready formed and just hidden inside a leaf untill it unfolds and then for it to expand in size and develop.

That is what I was expecting when I was told they develop along with the new leaf.So seeing one just suddenly emerge in one or two days after the leaves were done surprised me.It is not fully grown of course but grew 1 or 1 1/2 inches in those two days so wow not what I was expecting at all.

I thought this is the exception and not the rule. Meaning, sheaths are "supposed" to form once the growth finishes maturing.

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by peeweelovesbooks

I thought this is the exception and not the rule. Meaning, sheaths are "supposed" to form once the growth finishes maturing.

cool that helps I just kind of got the idea they should be forming along with the leaves not after but like I said still discovering how this works and still amazed at how fast these popped out

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

In fact we have had some wild drops from the 97 to 100 it has been in the day down to the 80s for several days and the nighttime temps down to 73 or 74 at night from the 85 or 90 it had been

The lower temperatures may have triggered the rapid onset of sheath production.