Keep your fingers crossed for me

[Optimist]

Wish you luck! My rescue Miltassa "lavender Lady" has got 3 spikes now (found another this morning) and one of my rescued noid phals, (which I have never seen bloom) has a spike growing! My rescued LCs and BLCs are also growing roots like mad. My only plan has been plenty of indirect light, higher humidity since they are recovering and injured plants, and also keeping excellent drainage and some moisture around the rooting area). I am sure you will do as well.

[LindsayZ]

I think that they were totally worth the price. With extra TLC I think they can recover.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

I saw a cattelya at Lowe's the other day. I'm not sure I have enough light to grow these, or I would have tried. It was on the clearance rack, poor thing looked like it was all but done for.

I shall wish you luck!

If you do well saving yours, maybe I will feel inspired to go save a few from my local hardware store too.

RG, not sure exactly where you are, but there is a member of the board that is in Boston and blooms Cattleyas. It is certainly do-able if you have some grow lights set up. Not trying to talk you into anything, but you can do it if you want to.

[RandomGemini]

I'm in Spokane, WA. We have a bunch of people here that grow Cattleyas too, but it has to be done with artificial lighting.

Where I'm at right now, I just use a few CFLs to supplement the sunlight that my orchids aren't getting because of our shorter days. I've got a variety of different plants that are supposedly shade loving and "good windowsill growers" and I'm gonna go through this winter and see what lives and what thrives. Whatever I have that's thriving, I'll buy more of in the spring. What's not thriving, I will sell or trade to someone else, if its still alive.

My daughter is very interested in growing cattleyas. She has one and she has a wish list with several of them on it. I expect that when she gets her first apartment, one of the first things she'll do, is get a light stand for growing some cattleyas.

[Bulbofett]

Originally Posted by Nanook 2010

Bought this one about 8 months ago.....thought it was a goner....bloomed this week

Just takes a little patience.... Which I lack at times!
LC Star Parade Volcano Queen

Wow! Beautiful cattleya! I suddenly have a surge of hope mine survive to bloom like that.

[Bulbofett]

Ok, checked on my bag babies this morning. Now I have mold starting to grow on them. Wth?!

I didn't soak them in a fungicide like physan 20 or dip them in a rooting hormone. Was this my mistake? I was hoping for a more natural approach as I've heard some rooting hormones can cause deformities during the first bloom.

I'm thinking about getting a heating pad and perhaps allowing more air movement that way they still get the humidity, but more air movement to discourage mold. What say you OB?

[MattWoelfsen]

Good idea--a little more warmth and good air circulation will remedy the mold problem. I have three growth areas in my home and I have oscillating fans and humidifiers. Not only has it been good for my plants but I feel healthy.