dowiana explosion

[Phyrex]

I probably have to wait forever for this guy to bloom (no optimal lighting here), in the mean time it seems to be growing ok. I has just exploded at once. The young p-bulb covers went black (not mushy) and a few days after roots and a new growth emerged from the old p-bulb. I'm liking this.

Do people "force" growth catts in lower light conditions to prevent them from blooming and when they have half a dozen or more mature unbloomed p-bulbs they allow them to bloom so they can show them? Just wondering since my catts seem to grow fine, it's just that they don't bloom. Heck it's the same with my phals.

[clintdawley]

Richard...

I don't think I've heard growing catts intentionally in lower light levels to discourage blooming...

Your plant looks healthy enough and now is the time to repot if you so wish or if the plant needs it. (Check the bark...)

Now that the warmer months are approaching, find a nice bright space outside (when your temps allow---I would say 55F at nights is probably the low for a pure C. dowiana.)

Dowiana blooms in the summer-July through September...I bet the new growth that is shortly going to be produced will bloom for you (under proper lighting)..Temps will most likely be warmer outside (in the coming months) and the diurnal difference will aid in blooming.

[Phyrex]

It was last repotted when I first got it (about 280 days ago, yes I admit I keep an orchid diary in excel) and the bark seems fine. I did put it in large fir bark though not the preferred medium size, but it seems to be doing ok with it (I only need to water once a week). I might leave it for another year and then chop the old p-bulbs off.

It's getting as low as 63 inside now.....plus it snowed today so I'll wait a little while longer before moving them outside.

I'm hoping the black thing you see sneaking out of the left side of the picture will bloom this summer but I'm not so sure. It's been growing really really slow. The leaf is still almost closed/folded.

PS I always meant to ask "Chinese paper cuts"??

[clintdawley]

The black thing now looks rotted. If the leaf is black then you need to peel back the sheaths and check it out. If it is mushy...smell it...if it smells bad it is rotten and needs to be removed. Black rots begins on the newest p-bulbs in C. dowiana. (Not to panic you, but if it is rot you need to treat it with Physan and/or some triple anti-biotic ointment.)

Chinese paper cuts...hmm.. *GRIN* Lyrics from the song, "Concertina"


I run into your thought from across the room
Just another trick
Can I weather this
I've got a fever above my waist
You got a squeeze box on your knee
I know the truth is in between the 1st and 40th drink
Concertina
Concertina
A chill that bends this
I swear you're the fiercest calm I've been in
Concertina
Concertina
Try infrared
This I swear
You're the fiercest calm I"ve been in the
Soul-quake happened here
In a glass word
Particle by particle
She slowly changes
She likes hanging chinese paper cuts
Just another fix
Can I weather this
I got my fuzz all tipped to play
I got a dub on your landscape
Then there's your policy of trancing
The sauce without the blame
Too far too far too far
It could all get way too cheerful
Concertina
I know the truth lies in

[ischel1]

Nothing wrong with keeping up with your chids. I also use excell for mine. "Great minds think alike"

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Nothing wrong with keeping up with your chids. I also use excell for mine. "Great minds think alike"

True!

Cheers,
BD

[ozorchid]

Hi there Phyrex. Well, as a grower of species Cattleyas I can only advise that you must increase the light levels to get these babies to bloom. As for the mention of people growing them darker to increase P/bulbs thus perhaps increasing blooms, that just does not work, because at a specific moment in the development of the new growth the plant will begin forming the sheaths and flower buds in response to bright light and starch and carbohydrate stores from a season of optimum growth and nutrition. What can work at times is to sever the rhizomes to encourage new growths from old canes and thus creating more stress on plant which in turn will respond by bursting into new growth in all directions. Given excellent lighting and proper observation of rest periods and nutrition, then and only then will all new growths flower.
Hope that helps, and try to move the Catts. to bright light. We here in Melbourne have quite a cold winter and extremely hot summer and my Catts. are in full sun in winter in a glasshouse and in summer only shaded by a couple of layers of white shade cloth.
So as you can see, no sun, no flowers. I have been lucky to see Cattleyas in the wild in Brazil and let me tell you...the plants are sooo burnt by the sun, but they bloom profusely and grow enormous.
Cheers
PS: check out my bowringiana that I posted, hope you like it!!

[Phyrex]

The black thing now looks rotted. If the leaf is black then you need to peel back the sheaths and check it out. If it is mushy...smell it...if it smells bad it is rotten and needs to be removed. Black rots begins on the newest p-bulbs in C. dowiana.

Clint, the leaf is pristine it's just not mature enough to have opened. It's completely green it's just the 'sheaths' that are black but not mushy at all. I'm hoping they are just turning black for the p-bulb to mature within. I could be wrong here though.

Nothing wrong with keeping up with your chids. I also use excell for mine. "Great minds think alike"

I'm kind of a self-acclaimed excel ninja. I prefer using excel over word most of the time.

Well, as a grower of species Cattleyas I can only advise that you must increase the light levels to get these babies to bloom.

What can work at times is to sever the rhizomes to encourage new growths from old canes and thus creating more stress on plant which in turn will respond by bursting into new growth in all directions.

PS: check out my bowringiana that I posted, hope you like it!!

I know I need a light installation of some kind to get my babies to bloom. Maybe I have time after busy season is over

I'm worried about cutting into the rhizomes if it's not for medical/health reasons. Just to scared to infect it.

I'm on my way to check out your bowringiana...