Why you NEVER mess with a dry, unbloomed Cattleya sheath!

[Subrosa]

This is an important lesson to learn, and this is chance to show why. I learned it the hard way myself last season on a C. iricolor, this is the good way! I got this plant last season in bud. It also had a smaller growth with a sheath that looked like a dud. It bloomed normally and has done ok since, until I noticed this. Cattleya mossiae var coerulea:

[DeaC]

In my quest for gratification, I'll hold up a sheath so light can pass thru and accentuate any buds developing-a trick I'm sure many folks do. Most times buds will emerge and push up thru the sheath. But I have "helped" things along by splitting the sheath if I think buds are meeting too much resistance. Then the challenge is not to get water inside the sheath. Seems to work for me.

[Leafmite]

I do the same as DeaC and hold them to the light to see what is happening in the sheath. I currently have at least one that blooms from the dry sheath (the others are seedlings).