# C. walkeriana trouble blooming



## Carmella.carey (Mar 10, 2022)

Dose any one have problems flowering walkeriana do to artificial light un-naturally extending day lengths in the fall?
I can't flower seem to bloom some of my walkerianas and someone from my orchid society said that it might be the flood light on the house shining on the greenhouse all night long when the two walkeriana and the nobior in the house flowered just fine.
Patrick


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## monocotman (Mar 10, 2022)

Check out the YouTube channel of Stephen van Kampen-Lewis. 
He has a whole video about this issue with his walkers. 
It was his neighbour’s lights shining on the greenhouse causing the problem.
He had to use a wooden board to shield the plants.


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## Carmella.carey (Mar 10, 2022)

Iv


monocotman said:


> Check out the YouTube channel of Stephen van Kampen-Lewis.
> He has a whole video about this issue with his walkers.
> It was his neighbour’s lights shining on the greenhouse causing the problem.
> He had to use a wooden board to shield the plants.


I've seen Steve's video I'm a subscriber of his and have talked to him about it I was just looking for other opinions.
Patrick


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## My Green Pets (Mar 10, 2022)

I'm currently waiting to see if the newest growth on mine (a division of Stephen's) is a leaf or flowers. If it's flowers, I'll share my conditions from this past winter. It is frustrating when they don't bloom.


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## Carmella.carey (Mar 10, 2022)

J


My Green Pets said:


> I'm currently waiting to see if the newest growth on mine (a division of Stephen's) is a leaf or flowers. If it's flowers, I'll share my conditions from this past winter. It is frustrating when they don't bloom.


Judging by the last video you posted it looks like a spike to me. Have you ever flowered a walkeriana or nobilor before?
Patrick


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## My Green Pets (Mar 10, 2022)

This is the only walkeriana I've ever had, never had a nobilior. It's been challenging to grow so if it blooms it'll be a really big surprise. Putting it in a plastic pot was a big mistake, even with only large chunks of granite for medium. It still stayed too wet. Now it's in a clay saucer with almost no medium, under the fan so it dries quickly. Even so, I water it almost daily. I didn't really do a good job closing the blinds to block light at night during the winter, but I did reduce fertilizer almost to nothing. So if it blooms, I would have to assume the longer nights (even with the streetlights), cooler temps, and lack of fertilizer all played some part.


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## Carmella.carey (Mar 10, 2022)

My Green Pets said:


> This is the only walkeriana I've ever had, never had a nobilior. It's been challenging to grow so if it blooms it'll be a really big surprise. Putting it in a plastic pot was a big mistake, even with only large chunks of granite for medium. It still stayed too wet. Now it's in a clay saucer with almost no medium, under the fan so it dries quickly. Even so, I water it almost daily. I didn't really do a good job closing the blinds to block light at night during the winter, but I did reduce fertilizer almost to nothing. So if it blooms, I would have to assume the longer nights (even with the streetlights), cooler temps, and lack of fertilizer all played some part.


As I've said it sure looks like a spikeing growth to me I don't reduce feed or water in the winter which makes me think that its the light because the walkeriana and nobilior in my bathroom with no light after sunset are flowering beautiful.
Patrick


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## Paphman910 (Mar 10, 2022)

I flowered my two Cattleya walkeriana last year and it was a surprise. They can be difficult to flower from one of my friend who has grown the plant for 25 years and still did not bloom.

I grow them in the south east balcony and my minimum temperature is 20C year round. I grow it in clay pellets in a clay pot and them seem to like it. In the winter I move my walkerianas to my 400 W metal halide. I water them daily and sometimes in the evening if temperatures are hot.


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## LO69 (Mar 11, 2022)

I keep my walkerianas on cork, hang them up high close to the roof of GH. In the winter time when the new bulb Is done I give very Little watering and even less fertilizer if at all. Full sunlight and a good thermal excursion with night time low around 14/15* C.
Walkerianas love to extend their roots on calcareous substrates, I once saw in Brasil a very big clump growing up on a concrete wall.
Read stories of walkerianas growing very well on animal skulls too. However I think high light Is the most important factor to induce flowering along with a good rest in the winter months when she goes dormant.


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## Carmella.carey (Mar 11, 2022)

LO69 said:


> I keep my walkerianas on cork, hang them up high close to the roof of GH. In the winter time when the new bulb Is done I give very Little watering and even less fertilizer if at all. Full sunlight and a good thermal excursion with night time low around 14/15* C.
> Walkerianas love to extend their roots on calcareous substrates, I once saw in Brasil a very big clump growing up on a concrete wall.
> Read stories of walkerianas growing very well on animal skulls too. However I think high light Is the most important factor to induce flowering along with a good rest in the winter months when she goes dormant.


I know about the roots. Francisco Miranda came and did his Brazilian Cattleyas/Laelias talk and showed pictures of walkeriana with roots going up the tree down the tree around the tree hanging out in the air and then growing on the ground just crazy my walkerianas grow roots up over the sides of the pot out the drain holes down through the bench and finally into the gravel of the greenhouse floor. by the way is that by any chance 'Carmela' breed by Carmela Orchids?
Patrick


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## LO69 (Mar 11, 2022)

Carmella.carey said:


> I know about the roots. Francisco Miranda came and did his Brazilian Cattleyas/Laelias talk and showed pictures of walkeriana with roots going up the tree down the tree around the tree hanging out in the air and then growing on the ground just crazy my walkerianas grow roots up over the sides of the pot out the drain holes down through the bench and finally into the gravel of the greenhouse floor. by the way is that by any chance 'Carmela' breed by Carmela Orchids?
> Patrick


No It isn't, never bought from them, as for the cultivar name I need to check It out.


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## Carmella.carey (Mar 11, 2022)

LO69 said:


> No It isn't, never bought from them, as for the cultivar name I need to check It out.


'Carmela' is my second favorite variety of walkeriana first being 'Linwood' a vary nice small alba.
Patrick


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## LO69 (Mar 12, 2022)

Patrick, it's labelled "Tokyo n.1 x Baton"


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