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Thread: A Cattleya for each month-help needed

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  1. #1
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Catts
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Gender
    Female
    Posts
    21

    Default A Cattleya for each month-help needed

    I am looking to get a few Cattleya Orchids that will bloom each month- so 2-3 for January, 2-3 for February, ect.

    Mine was the beginning of Aug, so I would like to find one that is just blooming now and a few that will bloom in Sept.

    Might take me a while to collect them all, but might as well start now!

    Anyone have some recommendations?

  2. #2
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya- anything fragrant
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    idaho
    Posts
    49

    Default

    There is a book regarding the large flowered cattleya species and it says there is one for each month- the problem with thinking we can have one every month (if you want to grow all species) is that they do not all require the same temperatures, light, etc.
    Also, some of them are very hard to find in this country. It took me 3 months to find a blooming eldorado and I paid a very hefty sum of money for this plant (totally worth it though). Since this species is a hot grower, I cannot keep it with the intermediate cattleyas like mossiae etc.
    so- I have built this orchid a hot enclosure where it will never be exposed to temperatures below 70 degrees.
    However- if you are not after cattleya species specifically, you can grow hybrids which come in all kinds of sizes, colors, and many bloom 2x per year, whereas a lot of the species only bloom once per year. Anyway, off the top of my head, mossiae blooms for me in march, maxima blooms November and sometimes in march, purpurata bloomed in spring and fall for me.
    Also, a lot of hybrids have great fragrance (even a lot of the compact almost mini cattleyas) and are easier to grow and more tolerant of varying growing conditions which is why they are so popular.
    Right now I have a c. Mari's magic "h & r" that is only about 6 inches high blooming and it has pretty pink flares and yellow splotches and it smells great. The fragrance is not as powerful as the eldorado which I could smell down the hall from my growing area, but it's definitely really good and I don't mind carrying it around the house with me while smelling it and watching tv. I could never do this with the eldorado because it's a giant mounted monster, but you get the idea. The more mini catts I have, the more I want to get rid of some of my species that are space hogs, but I am a purist and believe that the species need to be preserved.

    Sorry I got a bit off topic there.

  3. #3
    Real Name
    Carol
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Phals, Catts, Onc. Alliance
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    Eastern WA State, USA
    Posts
    1,505

    Default

    I don't know about having Catts that bloom every month, but I do find that the ones I have that are happy and blooming size tend to bloom twice a year, so you ought to be able to have flowers often, if not all the time. I usually have something blooming, but I have Phals, Oncidium family orchids, Catt's and some oddballs. Right now its Onc blooming time, my Wildcat is blooming, Sharry Baby is coming on and another hybrid of Sharry baby is spiking.

  4. #4
    Real Name
    Harvey
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    1-Neo falcata,2-Phal,3-Paph
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Littleton, Colorado
    Posts
    6,039
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    I think you would be lucky to get such a 'system' going. Just my opinion. I don't see them being predictable at all.

    I agree with Carol. Branch out to other types. Personally, I find catts too slow of growers for me. I need more feedback from the plant and catts are slow to give it.

    I have 2 oncidiums (probably post its pics today as the last bud on the spike should be open, Fritz Boedeker 'Witch Doctor') in bloom and 3 others ready to bloom soon. As well as paphs which are coming into bloom now too.

  5. #5
    My Grow Area
    Greenhouse
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    catts, paphs
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Townsville, Qld, Australia
    Posts
    76
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    My exhibition floofy cats flower in the cooler months. There is incidental flowerings in the other 6 months when they are in full growth mode. In this growth period, they put up new leads with sheaths for next season. Smaller flowering cats can flower 3 times a year.

  6. #6
    My Grow Area
    Porch/Patio.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleyas, Phalaenopsis
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Gender
    Male
    Posts
    208

    Default

    Hi CattleyaObsessed

    It will be difficult to pick Catts that bloom like clockwork in given months, but you might do better picking some that bloom reliably in certain seasons. Also, since your location is not in your profile, the months that a plant will bloom for me could be quite different from when they will bloom for you (I live in north Georgia, USA, so this would be especially true if you lived in Australia or Maine, for example).

    Suggestion 1: If you have an orchid society or club near you, join, especially if they meet each month. Most clubs have a show-and-tell part of each meeting, you can see what other members have blooming when they bring in their plants to show. They may be able to tell you where they acquired a certain plant you like. As you get to know people in a club better, they may even be willing to share divisions of their plants with you.

    Suggestion 2: Specific plants to look for. Try looking for Cattleya Llory Ann, I have the specific clone C. Llory Ann 'Paradise'. Bloomed this year for me in March, and again in September. It is compact, plant < 12 inches tall, blooms about 4 inches across, very fragrant. If you live in the USA and have a big-box store near you, this one is available as one of those orchids-in-a-bag ("bag babies") that you sometimes see. Here is a picture:
    Name:  IMG_0419_480x640.jpg
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    Another reliable easy to grow plant, Cattlianthe Golden Wax (intergeneric Cattleya hybrid). Many clonal varieties available, some are a pure solid lemon yellow, mine is more yellow-orange, some shading on the petals, with a red lip. Tall standard plant up to 24 inches tall, not fragrant, but easy to grow and flower (I have had mine nearly 30 years). Mine blooms reliably in November or December, also sometimes at other times of the year. Here is a picture: Name:  user25726_pic6666_1353205629.jpg
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  7. #7
    My Grow Area
    Greenhouse
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya, Laelia types
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Manchester, UK
    Posts
    6
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    Depends on what sort of Cattleyas you want to grow, size, conditions etc is the simple answer!

    Species and primaries generally stick to a seasonal pattern (depending on where you are in the world - I'm in the UK and they certainly seem to stick to a pattern (well most of them! L purpurata, C eldorado and C lueddemanniana aside that is)), complex hybrids are just that, a bit more complex because their heritage is unpredictable. If you stick to species and primaries there are certain plants that will flower according to seasons, you just need to follow the patterns that they live by in their natural habitat. I've found that most hybrids can be induced to put on a new growth and flower using a decent grow lamp, (particularly during the darker winter months in the UK - I just leave them in the greenhouse for a bit then move them into the Vanda growing area and it tricks them into a growth spurt (I move the Vandas inside under lights for winter)) Most of what I grow is species so I've included the following list to help and when they (should!) flower in the US/Northern Europe - I think I've covered pretty much the whole yr (bear in mind some of them need quite a substantial rest after sheath is produced), these are all what I would call large(r) growing Catts, if you're tight for space l suggest some smaller plants such as L sincorana, L dayana or L jongheana :
    Cattleya labiata Sept/Oct
    Cattleya jenmanii Oct-Nov
    Cattleya percivaliana Dec
    Cattleya trianae Dec-Feb
    Cattleya mossiae Feb-May
    Cattleya mendelii April-May
    Cattleya gaskelliana May-June
    Cattleya warneri May-June
    Cattleya eldorado July
    Cattleya dowiana August (only problem with these is whilst the flower is spectacular and deliciously fragranced it only lasts up to a fortnight (and that's if you're lucky)

    Other species that don't seem to stick to a flowering season for me are:
    Cattleya forbesii (I've had one of these flower up to 3 times a year)
    Cattleya purpurata (supposedly flower May to June), but I have quite a few different variations and they certainly don't stick to it!
    Cattleya eldorado (I have 3 - 1 in sheath at the min with buds forming, 1 well on it's way with new growth and 1 just starting a new growth)
    Cattleya lueddemanniana (again, mine seem to have decided that now is a good time to flower!)

    Some nice large hybrids if you can get your hands on them (they're quite rare in the UK, I don't know about elsewhere) are C Bob Betts, C Bow Bells and Cattleya Harold -Cattleya Bob Betts and Cattleya Bow Bells have spectacular white flowers, Harold is a cross between Cattleya gaskelliana and Cattleya warscewiczii so HUGE flowers

    Happy growing!

  8. #8
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya- anything fragrant
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    idaho
    Posts
    49

    Default

    Oh I almost forgot- if you are not interested in only growing species cattleyas, there are some nurseries that have an orchid of the month package and they will send you a budded orchid every month of the year. I believe that you can choose cattleyas at some of these places as well as fragrant ones if that's why you love cattleyas. I personally have never done this, and we are prohibited from listing specific vendors so I cannot give you any good advice on doing this, but if you have a good chunk of money to start your collection, this may be a great route to go. I think some charge the whole sum at once and I think others may charge you monthly. You'll just have to look around and see. The good ones should let you give some kind of input on your growing conditions, though most commonly grown cattleyas fit into the intermediate range.

  9. #9
    Real Name
    Carol
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Phals, Catts, Onc. Alliance
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    Eastern WA State, USA
    Posts
    1,505

    Default

    One caveat regarding the orchid a month thing - they will send you plants in spike or bloom, but that may not be their normal blooming time, they could be forced. I like the idea of joining a club that can give you some ideas and help you.

  10. #10

    Default

    Someone suggested me that if buy them in bloom at different period, they will bloom at different timing & will fill up each calendar month. This idea doesn't work.

    In the end , ended up all of them blooming almost at the same time coz some of them are forced to bloom for sales such as during festivals/show etc.

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