My first Cattleya!

[desirue]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Looks extremely nice - very beautiful. If the tepals happen to remain stuck around the lip area - such as after a day or so, then very slowly and gently ----- use the fingers (very delicately and very slowly) help the tepals get unstuck.

Also check the top-most tepal of the flower on the right-hand-side. Very beautiful photo.

Thank you! That top most petal is okay, I think its just the angle of the photo, but I may have missed it leaning against in the spike in the midst of my beholding it’s beauty, lol. But I will definitely check on it tomorrow and if they haven’t fully opened, I’ll do what you suggested.

I’m attaching another pic, it opened a little more in the time I was at work.

[Shadeflower]

Stunning. Really nice Catt. Well grown

[Roberta]

I think that's just the natural fading of the flowers. A more mature, stronger plant may be able to hang on to its flowers a little longer, but they really don't last long. Also, the plant (and buds) have been through the shipping process, then the plant's environment changed and it had to readjust. All of those factors will also shorten flower life since the stress the plant. Once the flowers fade, it's time to think about those roots...

[desirue]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I think that's just the natural fading of the flowers. A more mature, stronger plant may be able to hang on to its flowers a little longer, but they really don't last long. Also, the plant (and buds) have been through the shipping process, then the plant's environment changed and it had to readjust. All of those factors will also shorten flower life since the stress the plant. Once the flowers fade, it's time to think about those roots...

Thanks Roberta for replying It seemed like it was such a fast transition though, Friday and Saturday the lip of each bloom was fine; although the edge browning was there. And then when I woke up this morning, the darkening/browning of the lip was very noticeable on each one. I moved it out from under the grow lights because I was worried. Do you think I should put it back under them? These are the lights I bought:https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Sunl.../dp/B08NX1N3YJ.

When Odom's sent me this orchid, they told me not to repot until next Spring. My order of potting mixes and pots from repotme is being delivered today (I'm looking to repot a couple of ones that I got from that big Hawaiian order a couple of weeks ago) Do you think I should go ahead and repot this one once the blooms fall? Currently this Cattleya is in a pebble media. The Cattleya potting medium I bought is this: Cattleya Imperial Orchid Mix

– rePotme

Do you think the transition to a new media type will hurt it? Also (sorry for all the questions!) but, on some of the pseudobulbs, they seem to have a mix of lighter and darker areas. Like, the pseudobulbs got "wet" but haven't dried so to speak. I'll take a picture of what I mean when I go home for lunch today.

[Roberta]

If the mix includes pebbles, it is fine, follow Odom's advice - best to pot when you just see new roots. It's all about roots. That's the time to make any transition unless there's an emergency, and there appears that there isn't one. So for now, just leave it alone. Observe, when you see roots just starting, that's the time to repot. (Some of the yellow hybrids, that have a lot of C. dowiana in them, will root in the fall. But this one is likely complex enough that other ancestors dominate the rooting season. So observe, observe, observe.)

I am not familiar with those particular lights, but in general, just give the plant it's regular culture... The first bloom in your care is no indication of any problem. Flowers don't take well to a lot of change, not a big deal.(Often they blast after shipping... you're lucky you got to see the flowers!) The plant has been through a lot, now just care for it, and don't fuss over it too much. (Moving it around doesn't give it a chance to adjust to anything)

[desirue]

Originally Posted by Roberta

If the mix includes pebbles, it is fine, follow Odom's advice - best to pot when you just see new roots. It's all about roots. That's the time to make any transition unless there's an emergency, and there appears that there isn't one. So for now, just leave it alone. Observe, when you see roots just starting, that's the time to repot. (Some of the yellow hybrids, that have a lot of C. dowiana in them, will root in the fall. But this one is likely complex enough that other ancestors dominate the rooting season. So observe, observe, observe.)

I am not familiar with those particular lights, but in general, just give the plant it's regular culture... The first bloom in your care is no indication of any problem. Flowers don't take well to a lot of change, not a big deal.(Often they blast after shipping... you're lucky you got to see the flowers!) The plant has been through a lot, now just care for it, and don't fuss over it too much. (Moving it around doesn't give it a chance to adjust to anything)

I'll move it back this afternoon and just observe the roots like you said and leave it be. I suppose I was probably just worried about the timing of the lights being installed this weekend coinciding with the darkening of the petals.

[Roberta]

Just chant my mantra, "Orchids teach patience" when you are tempted to mess with it.

[desirue]

Roberta, this is the petal tonight. I’m trying my very best to not stress lol but is it normal for the petals to turn black like this?

[desirue]

Another pic.

[YetAnotherOrchidNut]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Just chant my mantra, "Orchids teach patience" when you are tempted to mess with it.

Hah. For sure. Only house plant I can think of that requires more patience is the Lithops family of succulents. At least with orchids you can still get some sense of satisfaction by feeding them regularly, but with Lithops watering them more than a couple of times a year is the kiss of death. :-)