Hi Mehitabel, thanks for your interest. I love Cattleyas and the majority of my orchids are catt hybrids plus maybe 10-15 species. I have approx. 100+ plants growing mostly in my living room. I am fortunate to belong to a great OS which have many growers with large greenhouses in the NY, CT. area. Some dabble in breeding and I am given gifts of plants to try in my conditions. I try various methods, within means and return any plants which obviously struggle or would require too much attention from me. I love to play with various hybrids to see what I can get to flower indoors. Those stay with me. Anything too fussy gets returned or auctioned. But many stay because I 'just want to try another year.' The OP's question is one I have run into and happens mostly in fall. My Catts make great growths over summer outdoors, but depending on when those growths start and mature, many have to continue under lights indoors. I have some large Blcs which will make multiple growths throughout the summer. They all don't mature and flower at the same time. The OP is talking about a flowering growth and other growths still maturing. They obviously started later. Take them away from light for two weeks and they will be finished. Two weeks is too long. A few days is okay, I've done it. Two weeks and growth will stop. I have a large (12") Lc in bloom now. Has 6 spikes, one started flowering 4 weeks ago, the others have followed about a week apart. I still have two spikes with buds which will probably take another week-10 days. That plant is still in full sun to finish those spikes. If I had pulled that plant from sun 4 weeks ago, those spikes would have never finished developing. I'll post a photo of this plant in the Gallery on the weekend. It will show what I'm describing. I think anyone growing Cattleya hybrids knows this. Even some species. I have some in sheath and they are starting new growths off those bulbs. I wouldn't pull those. The original poster is not growing Phals. You can display them in bloom for long periods. Catts need high light to finish growing and to initiate flowering. Jane

I succumbed to orchids when I went to a flower show and finally decided to try one. It was a paph. I stuck with one for about a year or so, moved to a new house with a new roommate. She bought herself an orchid, a phal from Ikea. It did alright. I kept eyeing phals at Whole Foods. It was inevitable. I got one. Then another. Then she got another one. Then I did. Then I started working 3 jobs, 6 days a week. Let's just say there were casualties. Since then, I've tried some oncidium hybrids, more paphs, then discovered species orchids. I got Phal equestris, Phal stuartiana, and Aerangis citrata. With Aerangis citrata, it all went downhill. I became an Angraecoid nut. Today, I primarily grow Angraecoids and Pleurothallids. I have three terrariums, and I do most of my orchid growing within them. I have tried growing seedlings from a flask, and it was great! Except for the part where I can't seem to part with any of the seedlings. Which is why I still have roughly 20 Aerangis modesta seedlings, whoops. Due to an infestation of bush snails and what I can only guess is immature bush snails, my original case is not quite as fun as it used to be, and will probably be cleaned out and rearranged if I ever find the time, but that is where the older angraecoids in my collection live. Two of my cases stay at about 75-80 degrees, 80-90% humidity, with air circulation via a computer fan in each. The last case I don't monitor too closely, and doesn't have a fan, as things seemed to dry out too quickly in there with one going. Most of my orchids grow under CFLs. I also grow about 65 African violets, and about 35 hoyas. I'm trying to cut back on the violets, but I'd like to get them to bloom at least once before I decide, and while growing from leaf cuttings is pretty satisfying in the end, it is also a little slow. Hoyas have been catching my attention a lot lately, because they like to grow! A lot! You can almost see some of them growing, when they get going. So I guess my growing niche is: Hoyas, African violets, and small growing mounted orchids in terrariums. I'm definitely interested in growing more from flask, but we'll see if I have the room.

Just as well you found that caterpillar, Nick, before it did more damage. Do you enjoy your Sharry Baby? I have heard mixed reviews here, although most people seem to like them. I was tempted by one at the Orchid Auction this year, and there will undoubtedly be some at the next one. It was cold and windy here too, Sue, but no snow, thank goodness. The upside down hangers are wonderful for tomatoes, and we have bought more for next year. What we need for orchids is something with a tilt on it, to tip out any excess water. We could patent it! Judy, I wonder just how many orchid stories there are out there, waiting to be made into a collection. Those stories could give you nightmares if you had any orchids with long tendrils... I liked the idea of music to view orchids by, but I think I'd choose something a bit more classical. June

I couldn't agree more, John. Thanks for bringing this up again. CJ's point about the numbers being masters was very well taken, I thought. Also, I actually felt all the greenhouse envy seeping out of me when I read CJ's post. And if you don't know, I've had a severe case of GH envy since my days with tropicals, long before orchids. What's hard for me about indoor growing is the decisions-under-risk that have to be made all the time, every day it seems: is this too much shade? Is 95 too hot for them? Will they burn at 11:30am on July 10? Can I take the shade off at 3:30 or should I wait til 5? Should I turn the heat on now the night temps are hitting 60-61? etc etc etc ad infinitum. You solve one dilemma and another is waiting for you, or it's back in another guise a few days later. Nothing is ever clear and labelled for me. Makes my poor head hurt. You have to just grit your teeth and choose and risk being wrong. I always imagine a greenhouse as a sunlit paradise. To realize they have the same dim days each winter (Duh!), find out they have the *same decisions* to make: How much shade, how hot is too hot, should I turn the heat on, etc etc opened my eyes to a little reality. Every generalization has to be turned into a specific choice by the grower, every day. *Plus* add the worries about systems going out on a freezing night... This is what drove catt hybridizers to CA and FL in the first place. The December issue of the Oak Hill newsletter was all about trying to keep a furnace from breaking down on a cold night. Not much to envy there. I admit I do love to splash water all over, and a greenhouse is great for that-- but so is the concrete floor in my basement, or my deck in summer. So thanks CJ (and John). Now I can relax and enjoy what I do have instead of spending all my energy on what I don't.