# Cattleya rex



## Stone (Jan 3, 2018)

A touchy species and not seen very often. Possibly extinct in the wild?


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## My Green Pets (Jan 3, 2018)

Thank you for posting this. I am currently in my third year of raising seedlings of this species from flask. Yours are beautiful. The rainbow lip is what drew me to buy the flask.

Interesting your choice of the word 'touchy'. Every year I have issues with black patches developing on leaves and pbulbs in November. Hasn't been severe but quite annoying. Not sure what exactly is causing it, but guessing the drops in temp, humidity, and air movement all play a role.

Thanks again for sharing.


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## Stone (Jan 4, 2018)

CambriaWhat said:


> Thank you for posting this. I am currently in my third year of raising seedlings of this species from flask. Yours are beautiful. The rainbow lip is what drew me to buy the flask.
> 
> Interesting your choice of the word 'touchy'. Every year I have issues with black patches developing on leaves and pbulbs in November. Hasn't been severe but quite annoying. Not sure what exactly is causing it, but guessing the drops in temp, humidity, and air movement all play a role.
> 
> Thanks again for sharing.



CW. They have a very strong requirement for strict dormancy with bright light, intermediate temps and low humidity at least during the day. They must always dry completely before water is given. Even seedlings. they are not crazy about tight potting mixes. Use full sized bark even for the young ones so they dry totally at the roots.
Good luck with yours.


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## John M (Jan 4, 2018)

Gorgeous plant, Mike! Not often that we get to see this species. Nice!

CambriaWhat, try reducing the calcium your plants are getting in the fall. When I was overfeeding Calcium, the Cattleyas responded by developing those black patches on the leaves and bulbs. Once I figured out I needed to cut back on Calcium, the Catts stopped having any problems. It could be that the Calcium is at a level that your plants can use during the summer; but, as their dormancy time approaches, the Calcium just makes them stress and have health issues. Good luck!


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## JeanLux (Jan 4, 2018)

:clap: OM., what a BEAUTY !!!! :drool: Jean


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## RandyT (Jan 4, 2018)

Superb!


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## Ozpaph (Jan 4, 2018)

you are growing that really well.


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## Justin (Jan 4, 2018)

Gorgeous!!!


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## My Green Pets (Jan 5, 2018)

Stone said:


> CW. They have a very strong requirement for strict dormancy with bright light, intermediate temps and low humidity at least during the day. They must always dry completely before water is given. Even seedlings. they are not crazy about tight potting mixes. Use full sized bark even for the young ones so they dry totally at the roots.
> Good luck with yours.


Thank you for the advice. Sounds like I'm watering too much towards the beginning of their dormancy.

I am seeing new roots at this time and am expecting this year's growth to begin soon.

I have a special place in my heart for them. As you say, they are not often seen. I hope to visit their place of origin in Moyobamba or Ayacucho, Peru, one day.


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## My Green Pets (Jan 5, 2018)

John M said:


> CambriaWhat, try reducing the calcium your plants are getting in the fall. When I was overfeeding Calcium, the Cattleyas responded by developing those black patches on the leaves and bulbs. Once I figured out I needed to cut back on Calcium, the Catts stopped having any problems. It could be that the Calcium is at a level that your plants can use during the summer; but, as their dormancy time approaches, the Calcium just makes them stress and have health issues. Good luck!



Hmm. I haven't supplemented Ca, could the tap water contain too much? I can switch to rain water only and see if that makes a difference.

The largest seedling looks to be near bloom size. Not getting my hopes up though; mine were only deflasked in March 2014.


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## John M (Jan 5, 2018)

CambriaWhat said:


> Hmm. I haven't supplemented Ca, could the tap water contain too much? I can switch to rain water only and see if that makes a difference.
> 
> The largest seedling looks to be near bloom size. Not getting my hopes up though; mine were only deflasked in March 2014.



Cattleya rex isn't a very large plant. So, if your plants seem to be NBS....for a Catt, you could quite easily end up with a precocious plant that sets a sheath and blooms soon for you.

As for the Calcium. Yes, your tap water could have too much calcium...for this particular plant/species. However, you mention that the black spots show up in November. So, why not just try tweaking the water/fertilizer the plant gets in the fall and through the rest period? Use your regular water most of the time; but, as the summer comes to a close, switch over to rain water through the rest period and until new growth begins again. If you don't get any of that horrible black marking on the foliage and bulbs, then you've probably solved the problem with this plant, simply by knowing that little to no Calcium is what it wants during the times that it is not actively growing. Calcium is a nutrient that can REALLY mess up a plant, in excess or if it's deficient. It depends on the plant and how sensitive it is to any calcium issues.


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## SlipperFan (Jan 5, 2018)

What a beauty! I love this species, but I haven't seen it for sale in years.


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## My Green Pets (Jan 5, 2018)

SlipperFan said:


> What a beauty! I love this species, but I haven't seen it for sale in years.



The Orchid Trail has it listed on their site as 'temporarily out of stock'. Might be worth a look

http://www.orchidtrail.com/sales/species/species.html#C

Divisions of my plants will be available in 3-5 years, hehe.


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## SlipperFan (Jan 5, 2018)

Wow -- this is a vendor I've not heard of before. Thank you!


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2018)

John M said:


> Cattleya rex isn't a very large plant. So, if your plants seem to be NBS....for a Catt, you could quite easily end up with a precocious plant that sets a sheath and blooms soon for you.
> 
> As for the Calcium. Yes, your tap water could have too much calcium...for this particular plant/species. However, you mention that the black spots show up in November. So, why not just try tweaking the water/fertilizer the plant gets in the fall and through the rest period? Use your regular water most of the time; but, as the summer comes to a close, switch over to rain water through the rest period and until new growth begins again. If you don't get any of that horrible black marking on the foliage and bulbs, then you've probably solved the problem with this plant, simply by knowing that little to no Calcium is what it wants during the times that it is not actively growing. Calcium is a nutrient that can REALLY mess up a plant, in excess or if it's deficient. It depends on the plant and how sensitive it is to any calcium issues.


 There was a study were at least one Cattleya hybrid preferred higher Mg levels compared to Cyms and Phals. Maybe too much calcium is interfering with Mg metabolism? Might be worth boosting Mg now and then? I use plain old osmocote for my Catts. In fact for most things. No Ca in it but I supplement with dolomite and organic now and then.


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## My Green Pets (Jan 6, 2018)

Thank you for the insight. Here are some images of the black patches I mentioned. The ones that concern me the most are the blackening of the junction of the pseudobulb and the leaf, because this could lead to leaf drop.

John M, the photo of my hand holding an entire plant is the one I described as NBS.


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## John M (Jan 7, 2018)

Actually, that doesn't look too bad. The problem with my Catts was that young growths would get about 1/3 grown and then while the growing bulb stayed green, the emerging leaf would begin to turn black from the tip, down. It was not brown and it was not rot. The tissue just dehydrated and turned as black as coal...dead. Eventually the bulbs would suffer the same fate and then the plant would have to start all over again by initiating new growth from some old secondary eyes. When I stopped feeing Calcium (at the time, my water had enough already), the problem stopped and the plants new growths began maturing normally again.


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## blondie (Jan 7, 2018)

It's a stunning bloom and a great plant congrats


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## Stone (Jan 7, 2018)

CambriaWhat said:


> Thank you for the insight. Here are some images of the black patches I mentioned. The ones that concern me the most are the blackening of the junction of the pseudobulb and the leaf, because this could lead to leaf drop.
> 
> John M, the photo of my hand holding an entire plant is the one I described as NBS.


 I had a bad case of that (first pic) go through my glasshouse 2 years ago. 
I call it black rot but I'm not convinced it's caused by phytophthora. It could be pythium? It attacked a wide rage of plants and usually the hard bulbs near the leaf junction. It actually killed a few small plants like Neomorroea. In any case I got it completely under control with a regular spray of mancozeb and octave fungicides. All the new growths have been clean after that.


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## Ozpaph (Jan 7, 2018)

Those photos dont suggest a 'deficiency'excess' to me. Looks traumatic or infective.


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## Dandrobium (Jan 7, 2018)

What a wonderful specimen!


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