Need help with watering cattleya seedlings

[estación seca]

Watering is a balance between ambient temperature, humidity and how much the gardener waters.

In warm temperatures Cattleya seedlings grow rapidly (for something that small) and water evaporates faster from the medium. Under these circumstances Catt seedling can use a large amount of water. With temperatures in the 80s F / upper 30s C I can completely soak the sphagnum around my seedlings and know they will use it rapidly. I struggled with Cattleya seedlings in medium to large bark because they would suffer badly when I missed one day of watering.

As ambient temperatures cool such seedlings use less water. The gardener needs to pay attention to the seedlings. I have observed healthy Cattleya seedlings in warm conditions use more water than other kinds of orchids use.

[greyblackfish]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Watering is a balance between ambient temperature, humidity and how much the gardener waters.

In warm temperatures Cattleya seedlings grow rapidly (for something that small) and water evaporates faster from the medium. Under these circumstances Catt seedling can use a large amount of water. With temperatures in the 80s F / upper 30s C I can completely soak the sphagnum around my seedlings and know they will use it rapidly. I struggled with Cattleya seedlings in medium to large bark because they would suffer badly when I missed one day of watering.

As ambient temperatures cool such seedlings use less water. The gardener needs to pay attention to the seedlings. I have observed healthy Cattleya seedlings in warm conditions use more water than other kinds of orchids use.

That's very insightful. I live in zone 9a and I have noticed that mine are all growing fairly quickly. I was thinking of switching them to all bark which I'm very glad I didn't do. In comparison my dendrobium seedlings haven't shown any signs of growth in the past two months.

---------- Post added at 05:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:41 PM ----------

Originally Posted by rbarata

I had good results, when using moss, by misting heavily so that the moss can absorb water without messing with it.

I was using a sprayer before but I'm not sure how to do that without getting water on the leaves which is something I've never seen the benefit of.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by greyblackfish

I was using a sprayer before but I'm not sure how to do that without getting water on the leaves which is something I've never seen the benefit of.

Water on the leaves doesn't help (leaves don't absorb water) but it doesn't hurt them either. It runs off or evaporates. After all, in nature it rains... I water my whole collection with overhead sprinklers and haven't seen any sign of harm, being doing that for years. ('Way too many plants to give each one individual "surgical" watering, or fertilizing for that matter. Everything in a particular area just gets a bath, frequency depending on the weather, more in summer and less in winter)

[greyblackfish]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Water on the leaves doesn't help (leaves don't absorb water) but it doesn't hurt them either. It runs off or evaporates. After all, in nature it rains... I water my whole collection with overhead sprinklers and haven't seen any sign of harm, being doing that for years. ('Way too many plants to give each one individual "surgical" watering, or fertilizing for that matter. Everything in a particular area just gets a bath, frequency depending on the weather, more in summer and less in winter)

I've attached a picture of my first cattleya I got 3 months ago. It died of rot starting from the psuedobulbs and spread until there was nothing left. It didn't come in great shape. The roots were already like that when I got it. So I always wondered what I did wrong and my googling told me that I may have been watering from above into the top of the sheaths. I concluded that it was that reason. The experience has made me confused and extra careful with the cattleyas this time around.

I only have 3 cattleya so I guess surgical watering is possible but yeah not possible in the future for when I will definitely acquire more.