getting cattleya to bloom?

15 years ago

I've had no luck getting a cattleya to bloom. I on't know what kind it is I've lost the tag. I currently have it on a south facing window in a solarium. There seems to be sufficient variation in the temperature from day to night. The leaves are slightly more yellow than green.

Any suggestions?

AKG

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Comments (13)

arthurm
15 years ago
It is very difficult to give advice without a name. Has it ever bloomed? Is it one that you grew from a baby plant? How many pseudobulbs does it have?

Not sure about of the seasonal variation in temperatures you need because mine get enough with the wimpy winter we get here to bloom.

Then there are the blooming seasons.
Not fussy, make a growth and bloom
Late summer/autumn bloomers
Winter bloomers
Spring bloomers
Some might be more difficult than others in Canada.
dogberry
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi Arthurm,
I've had this plant for about 2 years. It has about 4 pseudobulbs. It was purchased for me from an orchid show in Winnipeg. I t has never bloomed for me. I do have about 15 phalenopsis and these do well. I have a Vanda in my kitchen over the sink and it does just fine.

Two months ago I moved it to our solarium. It's with a cymbidium that has bloomed off and on. The solarium gets pretty hot on warm days 30 degrees or so and I'm not certain if I should have it filtered. I did this as I understand they need the temperature change. I guess I'm doing things randomly. I wonder how long I should leave it in one location hoping for blooms.

AKG
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Hi Donna, Yes, Catts need a lot of light to bloom. If the pseudobulbs are fully mature and not enough light was given during the critical period of sheathing/budding, they will likely never bloom, but will give support (food and moisture) to the plant. Some Catts have dried sheaths that, with proper culture, including light, will bloom eventually. Some Catts take awhile to bloom, even though the light is good. Many hybrid Catts bloom more than once a year, and species Catts usually bloom once a year. The seasons vary, according to the type of Catt and environment. Since you've just installed lights, you can expect to see blooms any time...some might have been waiting for more light and will likely bloom earlier than you'd expect, providing they are receiving the correct amount of light, along with your good culture. Type in Lighting for Cattleyas in the search and you will find quite a bit of help. Here's to Great Blooms! Carol
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If the behavior of empty sheaths goes on and on (some observe it for years on end) it is likely a lack of light. This sounds unlikely in FL but my dad in Cape Coral has killed bucketloads of Catts and Dends forget about them just not blooming because he refuses to make the connection with the orchids in the screened in porch and the Avocado and other fruit trees baking out in the screaming sun just inches away from the shade line at the edge of the porch sill. Maybe that is why I am such an advocate for sufficient light resources, I am trying to overcome some of the major dead orchid juju that is waiting for any Ashley descendants that cross over. If the Cattleya and the Phals are remotely near one another it would explain some of your results as these two groups of plants are nothing alike and conditions that would allow the one to thrive will just barely allow the other to exist. H
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Cattleyas bloom only once from a pseudobulb. A cattleya ususally blooms once a year, but many modern hybrids can bloom twice a year. But only from a new pseudobulb. Depending on species background, a new growth form, basically a leaf, and then a pseudobulb forms and swells as it matures. Some cattleyas will bloom soon after the new growth matures. Others will rest and bloom later. In some cases, like spring bloomers, a plant will produce a new growth and flower sheath in the summer or fall and then rest and bloom in April or May. In some cases the sheath may become brown and dry. In some cases, a psuedobulb may not produce a typical sheath and still produce a bud or buds from the axil of the leaf and pseudobulb. A plant can also branch out along its rhizome and produce multiple growths and blooms at the same time. Large specimen plants do this. However, once a bloom is spent and the infloresence (flower raceme) is cut, the plant will not produce another flower. If the orchid is a phalaenopsis, then if the main flowering stem is cut, and there are a few inches left near the base with intact nodes, these dormant nodes can produce another set of flowers. Or even keikis or baby plants.
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Laura, do your Cattleyas have names?How old are they? Where are you in the USA, Where are you growing them etc, etc, etc.
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orchidguyftl
15 years ago
AKG
What potting mix is it in?
How often do you fertilize?
Sounds like its getting enough light because the leaves are the right color.
Might not be enough fertilizer though.
John
tolumniamatt
15 years ago
It may be that the cattleya is just too young and is not big or strong enough to flower. Is each new growth getting bigger and bigger? Is there any way you can post the name?
jamcm
15 years ago
I'm leaning towards light. Let's face it, Canadian winters are just not that sunny. One year, I decided to count the number of sunny days in December. There were 5. It was off to find some artificial lights for me.

I'd be interested in learning more about your Vanda and your Cymbidium. What kinds are they, how often do they both bloom, do you take them outside for the summer? Going back to your Catt, do you know if it's a "miniature" or is it a "standard"?

Julie
richardol
15 years ago
Two months of improved light isn't enough time. Don't worry until the plant has been in the solarium for a full year. I bet it will bloom there sometime, maybe as early as next fall.
mehitabel
15 years ago
Gosh, Julie. You get 5 sunny days in December? We get about 12. LOL
orchid126
15 years ago
December has sunny days?
jamcm
15 years ago
They were what I would actually term "even remotely sunny days". And that was a few years ago. I'd be surprised if we had 5 this past winter or the one before that.

Julie
aachenelf z5 Mpls
15 years ago
Not this past winter, but the winter before we went for 6 weeks in Dec - Jan with NO SUNNY DAYS. By the time the sun did come out, we had all turned into bat-type creatures. Not pretty at all...

Kevin
vtandrea
15 years ago
I was going to one-up everyone by comparing VT's lack of sunny days, but this March surprised people by providing a number of brilliantly sunny days. Almost all my orchids are growing like crazy or spiking. Dogberry, I only have 2 cattleyas, but I've taken to misting the roots that are above the bark medium with water and a few drops of Super Thrive. I'm seeing lots of new growth. I also move the biggest catt around the sunroom as the direction of the sun moves, trying to catch more rays. This proves I have no life, LOL.
orchid126
15 years ago
Some things you might think about.
Too much nitrogen may prevent blooming and promote mostly top growth.
By the same token they need regular fertilizer.
Cattleyas seem to bloom better if the roots are potbound.
If you can, a spell outdoors for the summer will do wonders for them.
Cattleyas don't need a temperature change as much as they do lots and lots of light.
All the things that arthurm said.
chilover
15 years ago
My mother in law had a cattleya that she brought back from Hawaii as a small seedling over 12 years ago. It was growing fine but never bloomed. I tried to get her to set it outside for the summer but she was afraid of the squirrels. I finally brought it to my house and it went out all last summer. When she got it back in the fall I had her put a compact fluorescent light just a few inches above it. It bloomed finally for the first time a few weeks ago. She was thrilled because it had been so long, she couldn't even remember what the flower was supposed to look like. Maybe yours just needs more light.

Cathy

getting cattleya to bloom?

Comments (13)

arthurm

dogberry
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getting cattleya to bloom?

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dogberryOriginal Author

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