Cattleya bloom(s) on the way!

[JDT]

---------- Post Merged at 08:56 PM ----------

imho,1st impression, is that its over potted. Was it a seedling when you got it? That is a Den. we can see in the pot to the right behind it?

I agree with Chris, over potted!

[Lin Goncalves]

Very exciting. My flower spike is coming along nicely and there seems to be another one on the way, in the centre of the two leaves on the other side which I have had to clip together to give the spike some space! It's still far off though, so once this spike is well on it's way, I might be able to release the leaf and give the next spike the space it will need!! Funny, I never thought it could be a Dendrobium! The lady I got my cattleyas from, with this Den. had no idea, that's why I am wanting to ID them as they flower....thanks everyone for your help and encouragement! And greetings from Zimbabwe!

[paphioboy]

It would be very interesting if dendrobium speciosum could flower in Zimbabwe. What are your lowest temperatures? Do you grow outdoors or with artificial cooling? Usually speciosum and related species (e.g. kingianum, falcorostrum, delicatum) needs cold winters to set spikes.

[Lin Goncalves]

Our winters are COLD!!!! My plants are all outdoors and under shade cloth and get the early morning sunshine and a little late afternoon sunshine too. I would say that early mornings gets right down to 6 degrees C. And day time temps shoot up to around 23-26 deg C. I have two kingianum which flower well! We get no winter rain here and I water once a week during the cold dry months - our winter is very short - barely 3 months, if that! And we have a rainy season from mid Nov to mid March when I hardly have to water at all....

[Chris in Hamilton]

Our winters are COLD!!!! My plants are all outdoors and under shade cloth and get the early morning sunshine and a little late afternoon sunshine too. I would say that early mornings gets right down to 6 degrees C. And day time temps shoot up to around 23-26 deg C. I have two kingianum which flower well! We get no winter rain here and I water once a week during the cold dry months - our winter is very short - barely 3 months, if that! And we have a rainy season from mid Nov to mid March when I hardly have to water at all....

Can't get any better than that for most Dendrobium!

[Lin Goncalves]

Excuse my ignorance - what do you mean by 'over potted' - pot too small/big? Or needing re-potting?

[Sheryl]

---------- Post Merged at 08:56 PM ----------

imho,1st impression, is that its over potted. Was it a seedling when you got it? That is a Den. we can see in the pot to the right behind it?

No. I haven't had it since a seedling. Actually since I moved it to more light it's finally growing some. Would you recommend I just leave it in the pot or transfer it to a smaller one? And yes, that is a dendrobium behind it. Thanks!

[Chris in Hamilton]

No. I haven't had it since a seedling. Actually since I moved it to more light it's finally growing some. Would you recommend I just leave it in the pot or transfer it to a smaller one? And yes, that is a dendrobium behind it. Thanks!

If it were mine I would put it in a smaller pot if it has new roots showing. You don't want to change the medium. I would do it by sliding a sharp knife, not serrated, around the inside of the pot. That will loosen off the attached roots. Don't take off any medium that is stuck to the roots. Truly, I would want that one in a pot half the size but of course we don't know how heavy the root system is. Be sure to take it out of the sun for a couple of weeks.

[JDT]

Excuse my ignorance - what do you mean by 'over potted' - pot too small/big? Or needing re-potting?

The pot is too big for the size of the orchid plant.

[Chris in Hamilton]

If it were mine I would put it in a smaller pot if it has new roots showing. You don't want to change the medium. I would do it by sliding a sharp knife, not serrated, around the inside of the pot. That will loosen off the attached roots. Don't take off any medium that is stuck to the roots. Truly, I would want that one in a pot half the size but of course we don't know how heavy the root system is. Be sure to take it out of the sun for a couple of weeks.

Of course you could wait and see if you get a bloom off the new sheath