I have saw sites that say to use coconut bark, charcoal chunks… And fertilizers… Ugh! 11-35-15, or 20-14-13…

I have a cattleya on the way and I already have a happy phalaenopsis (unless anyone knows a fertilizer I should feed him. )

I already have a planting medium that is supposed to be made for phal’s. Could I use that for the Cattleya? I love the cattleyas, and I want it to grow and be healthy.

Answer:

I had lots of cattleya orchids way back when I was living in a tropical country. every bloom is a sight to behold. I am always gifted with an all-year bloom because I adopted the technique employed by the nanny of my son, which is to put in wood charcoal and coco husks. Once in a while, you have to see though if bugs are comfortably residing amongst these mediums.

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White Cattleya Orchid

We are going to go into some detail about cattleya orchid care of. These orchids are probably the easiest to care for and like all plants need water, light and fertilizer. Playing some nice music or talking to them doesn’t hurt either.

Most of the wild cattleya orchids grow in rain forests of South America, namely in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Mexico. They flourish in the Andes from altitudes near sea level to high altitudes of 9,000 – 10,000 feet. These orchids are truly epiphytes. (An epiphyte is a plant that lives above the ground on another plant, not as a parasite but using the plant for support and deriving nutrition from the air.) They are used to being partly covered by the canopy of the rain forest and get considerable humidity and bright light. These are good conditions to grow Cattleyas. It is important to remember this in Cattleya orchid care.

Growing in the forest they are used to diffuse but bright light. Cattleya orchid care generally does not require direct mid day sunlight. It is bright light which helps them to develop hard pseudobulbs. Pseudobulbs are the orchids main way to hold water which is so important for their growth and life.

In the forest at various heights there is a wide range of temperatures where these Cattleya orchids grow. In the winter and higher altitudes these plants become accustom to temps which can go as low as 50 – 55 degrees F.(10 – 13 C.). In the warm season they can go high as 80-90 degrees F.(27 – 30 C.). The care of Cattleya orchids should have some temperature changes to help them grow and bloom. Temperature variations of at least 10 degrees between day and night are great.

Humidity is a friend to Cattleyas. We can see why since they are native to rain forests. Most Cattleya orchids do well set on humidity trays. These are metal or plastic trays that are filled with pepples and then half full with water. The plant roots cannot sit in water for a long period of time or else they will get root rot. Allow for good air circulation but not sitting in direct aim of a heat or air vent.

Generally, watering is important in Cattleya orchid care, so twice a week does well during their growth and flowering period and once a week during their period of rest. Cattleyas are orchids that can and should get dry between watering after blooming. This aids in the growth of healthy pseudobulbs. Be sure that the potting medium allows the water to drain out fairly rapidly.

To check to see if a plant needs water stick a wooden pencil or your finger about 1 inch into the potting material and see if it comes out dry or damp. If dry it needs watering. If damp it may be able to go another day or two without water.

When watering allow the water to flow into the plant and then drain right out into the sink and not into the humidity tray. You can let the water water flow onto the plant for about 30 seconds. Repeat this several times over a 15 minute period and and the pseudobulbs will get enough water for storage.

If plants blossom in the winter or spring this means that these orchid plants deserve a rest period of about 6 to 8 weeks. During this time water them about once a week and keep the lighting the same.

If the plants blossom in the summer time no rest period is needed.

Fertilizing should take place about every other week with a balanced formula like 20-20-20. The saying is “Weekly, weakly” which means it is good with orchids to dilute the fertilizer to half or one quarter strength and fertilze more often.

With these rather easy steps of Cattleya orchid care you will get many years of joy with your plants.

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A: Each type has its own special needs, but there are a number of general rules for orchids. Usually potted orchids are placed on a pebble tray. Place this tray on a windowsill which is close to a heater. Protect the plant from strong direct sunlight. Houseplant orchids cannot tolerate hot, stuffy conditions so good ventilation is required even in winter. The plant can be taken outdoors on warm, sunny days. Indoors avoid cold draughts. Feed during the summer months.Orchids like to be pot-bound, but after a few years repotting is necessary. Use a special orchid soil mix. Keep the soil moist, reduce watering in winter. With cattleya orchid, miltonia and ocidium let surface dry between waterings. Use warm, soft water- rainwater.Several orchids have a resting phase, usually in the fall. Some plants respond to feeding during the growing season. Consult a nurseryman regarding fertilizing, since each variety has its own need. Plants can be killed by over-feeding.Generally orchids like a day temperature of about 70 deg. F in the summer, 60 deg. F ind winter and a drop at night of 10 deg. F. Cool nights are important.Orchids need 10 – 15 hours of light each day – in winter use artificial light.Vandas need plenty of light all year, but especially from November to February.Phalaenopsis require warmer growing conditions than most orchids. Bathroom and kitchen window good location. Soil mixture as for cattleyas. When cutting flowers, leave part of main stem so another set of flowers can develop from dormant buds. This variety is not easy to grow.

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Important tip to take care of orchids: When I say water, I mean water! A thorough drenching flushes excess salts from the potting mix and assures that the mix and the cattleya orchid roots are adequately wet. The kitchen sink is the best place to drench your plants indoors.

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cattleya orchids are among the easiest orchids to grow and to care of. Their thick pseudobulbs enable them to withstand periods of drought, forgiving the forgetful gardener. Attentive gardeners may need to be careful in the care of orchids by not overwatering them. The growing medium need to dry out almost completely -but not quite- between waterings.

Cattleya orchid grows in fir bark generally need to be watered about once a week when they are in active growth. After flowering, cattleya orchids enter a resting phase lasting a month or two. During this time of semidormancy, the care of orchids means an increase in the intervals between waterings and not fertilizing them at all.

Taking care of orchids means knowing more about their flowers. cattleya orchid flowers last about two weeks on the plant while the cut flowers last about a week. To make them last as long as possible, don’t cut the flowers until they have fully expanded and thickened -about three to five days after they open. Although they may be richly fragrant on the plant, the flowers lose their fragrance when cut. Fingers touching the flowers will prematurely age the petals.

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