Cattleyas light cycles and blooming

[rbarata]

I have a question related with light and Catts' blooming.

In my country we have some distinct periods on which the light is not so strong due to cloud cover and rainy conditions.

Taken from the web:

There is an average of 3023 hours of sunlight per year (of a possible 4383) with an average of 8:16 of sunlight per day.
It is sunny 69% of daylight hours. The remaining 31% of daylight hours are likely cloudy or with shade, haze or low sun intensity.

Between end of Nov till middle Jan we have cloudy and rainy weather, and the rest of the year is mostly sunny, with disctinct seasons of warm/hot weather with high HR and partially cloudy (Sept and April/May).

I'm wondering how this affects the blooming.

Do Catts need high light intensity during the blooming season or in average during the year?

[My Green Pets]

I guess it just depends on the cattleya. Some require a sunny winter dry season to grow and bloom well in the summer wet season.

[tarev]

I am no expert with Catts but this very first one I got to bloom from the said alliance started blooming here when it was into a Fall cool down, after staying in our growcamp outdoors. Like you we get similar cloudy/rainy conditions at that period, so I have moved it by my west facing window, and so far the bloom has held on nicely, did lose one bud, but the remaining stayed. I hope it will do the same next year, now my confidence is back to grow Catts

[silken]

Most growers I know try and provide fairly high light year round. Mine get mostly natural sun in the summer and then in winter they go under T5 lights. even though they are kept cooler and a bit dryer. In some natural environments sun might be more or as much in winter because leaves are off the trees so there is no shade.

[rbarata]

I hope it will do the same next year, now my confidence is back to grow Catts

Well, I don't have any confidence, not because I lost it, but because I've never found it. This is my first one and the only thing I've done was buying and water it.
Since it's not doing anything, I don't have any reason to feel confident, except haven't killed it so far.

The lack of indications from this plant is not helping at all!

[silken]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Well, I don't have any confidence, not because I lost it, but because I've never found it. This is my first one and the only thing I've done was buying and water it.
Since it's not doing anything, I don't have any reason to feel confident, except haven't killed it so far.

The lack of indications from this plant is not helping at all!

I don't blame you for feeling nervous. I think I remember your post about this. Was it a pink spotted bud that wouldn't open? Did you pot it or was it potted when you bought it. Hopefully if it was potted, it was in decent media. A clear pot would be useful to at least some of what's going on in the root zone. Are there any live healthy roots sticking out of the pot anywhere?

Maybe you need to buy a UNI-foliate robust Cattleya to give yourself a little more to work with and get used to

[gngrhill]

Originally Posted by silken

Maybe you need to buy a UNI-foliate robust Cattleya to give yourself a little more to work with and get used to

Is there usually a difference in blooming ease between uni-foliate Catts and bi-foliate Catts ?

[silken]

Originally Posted by gngrhill

Is there usually a difference in blooming ease between uni-foliate Catts and bi-foliate Catts ?

I can't say I see a difference in the ability to get them to bloom better. But bi-foliates have a reputation for being more fussy about when they are re-potted. Even the Baker culture sheets warn not to re-pot unless new growth is showing or it can sulk for up to a year and possibly even die. I am very careful with them. I think a bi-foliate, unless a complex hybrid, is maybe not the best for someone just starting out with Catts. However many bi-foliate hybrids have been crossed with uni-foliate ones and they are likely not as touchy. I always wait until new root growth has started unless it is a new purchase that must be inspected or of course a bare root purchase. But if the media and roots are OK, I wait for new root growth to re-pot all orchids.

[gngrhill]

I actually have one, my Scheherezade 'jewl box' that has both bi-foliate and uni-foliate PBs in the pot. Is that possible ? or are there Maybe 2 plants in the pot. It was a bag baby in 2012, and has been repotted maybe once. It has put up sheaths a few times, but they always dry up and don't produce anything.

[lusenok]

Originally Posted by gngrhill

Is there usually a difference in blooming ease between uni-foliate Catts and bi-foliate Catts ?

Yes, there is a difference. In my experience bifolate cattleyas require warmer growing conditions, higher humidity and quite possibly higher light levels than one can provide indoors in the northern climates. Bifolates are generally more finicky and less forgiving. Those who cultivate orchids in tropical greenhouse environment may not notice but for us people up north it makes a huge difference. In fact, I never successfully rebloomed bifolate cattleya in my upstate New York home.