CAN I GROW THIS CATT. Blc. OUTDOORS?

[kman]

I Bought this orchid two months ago from a grower and it was in bloom. The full tag is Blc. Haw Yuan Beauty'Hong'AM/AOS 8/13/04. I am new to this hobby but I have a green thumb for most plants. The plant has been in my house so far. I re-potted to a box with coconut chips, and secured the plant. My climate is #10 on the Southern Ca. coastal area. Low temps. in the 40's. Mild climate usually! Thankyou for the help.

[Zoi2]

Welcome to the OB.
You shouldn't have a problem growing that catt outdoors. Acclimate to the sun, watch the humidity and pests and you should be fine. I'd move it inside if temps fall below 55.
Joann

[kman]

Thankyou for the advice and your time, kman

[quiltergal]

It will grow equally fine indoors as well. I have Blc. Haw Yuan Beauty 'Spice Girl'. It has 3 buds just about to pop right now. The trick with Catts is making sure they get enough light. 3000-2500 fc should do the trick.

[Oscarman]

In zone 10 would you grow catts outdoors all year round? We can grow them here, but only through the summer where the temps are usually 65 to 78° F. Not so good in winter when it is -13° F here!!

[ToddsterVonCattMan]

Catts have done well for me in Southern California outdoors, under 50% shade cloth. But I do find it important to not stress them anymore than I have to...

I use a very open and draining mix—2 parts Dyna Roks diatomite mixed with one part coco husk chips—this mix combined with clay pots never gives me overly wet roots for one minute in the heart of winter (when it does dip under 50F), and it provides enough fine moisture (vapor almost!) even in the heat of summer. Focusing on not stressing these outdoor Catts anymore than I have to—I religiously only repot when they show active new growth and new roots.

I'm even trying to grow a few warm growing Paphs and Phals outside on heated pads this winter....! We'll see...!?

[kman]

Your soil mix, can you explain what it is and where do you get the components? I have the coc. husks only, thanks.

[ToddsterVonCattMan]

Originally Posted by kman

Your soil mix, can you explain what it is and where do you get the components? I have the coc. husks only, thanks.

Mike, diatomite is a form of diatomaceous earth (fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae) made from freshwater (NOT saltwater!) diatom skeletons, ideally from Australia. Essentially it's a mud that is heat treated to form firm rock-like consistency (about the consistency of pumice). It looks like light-weight rocks, but is really much more—holding a LOT of water that it slowly releases as water vapor for plant roots (some claim up to 150% of it's weight in absorption).

Here is a picture of Dyna-Rok II diatomite:


(Photo courtesy of and credited to Machiela's Orchids)


Diatomite does have some criticisms—it can hold salts (more of an issue if you are using tap water with high TDS's); plus some have said that if you allow diatomite to dry out too much, diatomite is such an effective absorber of water, that it can suck water right from the plant's roots.

However after using it for several months, I am SOLD on it's use for Catts. I use RO (reverse osmosis) water, so the salt build up is not a issue for me. And I have seen for myself how the mix stays just slightly moist (but NEVER wet) for several days, while allowing the most air space of any orchid potting medium I have ever used, with maybe the exception of Florida osmunda (which just isn't around anymore). Using this diatomite/husk chips mix in clay pots, my orchids never stay too wet, a problem when growing outdoors in the winter in subtropical climates like here in Southern California (Catts seem okay with the lower temperatures, but NOT with wet feet!) But yet the diatomite/coco chips stays moist enough in the summer to allow great growth for most Catts that are very actively growing in the warmer months.

I use Dyna-Roks II brand (medium size) although there are several other sources (most are all the same, originating from one source in Australia). Some hydroponic stores stock Dyna-Rock. You can get a large 1.5 cubic foot bag of Dyna-Rok II right here in Southern California, from No Stress Hydroponics in Venice, for $38 (No Stress is HERE). If you want a smaller amount to try out, I know one outfit, Machiela's Orchids, on eBay is selling smaller bags of it for $16 plus shipping...

I mix it 2 parts Dyna-Rok to one one part of the small-medium coconut chips, all rinsed very well (the Dyna-Rok is dusty!!) and then soaked in water.

Another BIG plus with diatomite is that repotting Catts is a breeze—the harder nature of diatomite really holds the plants in the pots extremely well, totally negating the use of rhizome clips or any other form of plant stabilizer.

[kman]

Toddster, great explanation. Very clear with photo. and easy to understand. A link as well. thank you.

[epiphyte78]

I grow quite a few Cattleyas outdoors...here's a photo of a no ID (maybe BLC?) Cattleya blooming on my Cedar Tree. It had no problem with this last winter's low of 33F.



Here's another NOID Cattleya on the same tree...



There's a flickr group that's open to all orchid hobbyists in Southern California.