# Cattleya Bob Betts 'White Lightning'



## PeteM (Aug 20, 2020)

Cattleya Bob Betts 'White Lightning', I picked this up online from Hauserman Orchids last December, 2019. 
IMO one of the best deals online. I'm not sure where else you can pick up a few different 5-6 inch mature and famous white Cattleya for these prices. I also tested for virus and everything I purchased was clean. Great to have on display around the house when they bloom. 
WHITE CATTLEYAS: Orchids By Hausermann


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## Pinebark (Aug 20, 2020)

Beautiful!


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 20, 2020)

Good to see a classic cattleya in full glory and virused free! She escaped the pandemic lol.


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## Ozpaph (Aug 21, 2020)

beautiful classic


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## southernbelle (Aug 21, 2020)

PeteM said:


> Cattleya Bob Betts 'White Lightning', I picked this up online from Hauserman Orchids last December, 2019.
> IMO one of the best deals online. I'm not sure where else you can pick up a few different 5-6 inch mature and famous white Cattleya for these prices. I also tested for virus and everything I purchased was clean. Great to have on display around the house when they bloom.
> WHITE CATTLEYAS: Orchids By Hausermann
> 
> ...


Gorgeous. I’ve got one that I’ve almost killed, but it’s coming back slowly. Congrats, great bloom!


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## Guldal (Aug 21, 2020)

Lovely!


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## My Green Pets (Aug 24, 2020)

That's awesome, I love the long, thin tube and pristine white! I have Bob Betts 'White Lightning' x Bow Bells 'Snowflake' = Cattleya José Martí which, as I understand it, tends to bloom in late spring. It's got three new growths on it so maybe I'll get blooms. Even more excited now that you've shared your photos of its gorgeous parent.


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## PeteM (Aug 8, 2021)

She bloomed while I was away on vacation and unfortunately, I was unable to add the needed space between the flowers. But, still a lovely fragrance and I am enjoying the blooms in the grow room. 4 flowers from two sheaths. There was a third sheath that aborted.

Not sure what to do with all these rambling roots. I was thinking to try to divide during the next flush of roots and see if the roots stay in the pot more with a different media.. aiming for a grodan mix.. this could possible help all sheaths complete the bloom cycle next round if there is more access to resources with grodan vs the current kiwi bark mix? TBD,.. I’m open to suggestions / recommendations.


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## southernbelle (Aug 8, 2021)

Wow, those are some roots! I grow it in an orchiata, charcoal and perlite mix in plastic and try to coax new roots down into the mix. Sometimes covering them early on with a little moss helps. I dont know about in clay, but in plastic I could never grow catts in grodan. How about a layer of grodan on top?


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## PeteM (Aug 8, 2021)

southernbelle said:


> Wow, those are some roots! I grow it in an orchiata, charcoal and perlite mix in plastic and try to coax new roots down into the mix. Sometimes covering them early on with a little moss helps. I dont know about in clay, but in plastic I could never grow catts in grodan. How about a layer of grodan on top?


Hmm. Great idea. Who says you can’t mix the two,.. a moss/ grodan like layer on top of the new flush of roots might keep them headed down into the pot. Thanks.


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## Just1more (Aug 9, 2021)

PeteM said:


> She bloomed while I was away on vacation and unfortunately, I was unable to add the needed space between the flowers. But, still a lovely fragrance and I am enjoying the blooms in the grow room. 4 flowers from two sheaths. There was a third sheath that aborted.
> 
> Not sure what to do with all these rambling roots. I was thinking to try to divide during the next flush of roots and see if the roots stay in the pot more with a different media.. aiming for a grodan mix.. this could possible help all sheaths complete the bloom cycle next round if there is more access to resources with grodan vs the current kiwi bark mix? TBD,.. I’m open to suggestions / recommendations.
> 
> ...


I want to show this plant to my Bob Bettes, maybe it’ll know what it’s .supposed to be doing!!!


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## My Green Pets (Aug 9, 2021)

Wow, so cool that it's blooming at the same time as last year. Love that consistency! And the flowers look so much thicker and chunkier this year! Wonderful!


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## Silverwhisp (Aug 9, 2021)

Fabulous! Mine’s spiking now with two sheaths. Got it in-person from Hausermann’s this past March, selected from *hundreds* of Bob Betts’s. No exaggeration.


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 9, 2021)

PeteM said:


> She bloomed while I was away on vacation and unfortunately, I was unable to add the needed space between the flowers. But, still a lovely fragrance and I am enjoying the blooms in the grow room. 4 flowers from two sheaths. There was a third sheath that aborted.
> 
> Not sure what to do with all these rambling roots. I was thinking to try to divide during the next flush of roots and see if the roots stay in the pot more with a different media.. aiming for a grodan mix.. this could possible help all sheaths complete the bloom cycle next round if there is more access to resources with grodan vs the current kiwi bark mix? TBD,.. I’m open to suggestions / recommendations.
> 
> ...


Roots head to where water is most of the time. In your case, it’s likely more in the air or surroundings more than the pot. Either use more water retentive media inside pot like scattered moss on top or cubes/perlite/moss inside pot. 

I grow my catt spp in semi water culture with clay pellets at bottom sitting on little water and roots head inside 85-90 percent of the time.


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## southernbelle (Aug 9, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Roots head to where water is most of the time. In your case, it’s likely more in the air or surroundings more than the pot. Either use more water retentive media inside pot like scattered moss on top or cubes/perlite/moss inside pot.
> 
> I grow my catt spp in semi water culture with clay pellets at bottom sitting on little water and roots head inside 85-90 percent of the time.


So, Leslie, I want to make sure I understand you correctly. Do you put a layer of Leca at the bottom of the pot, then bark mix? I use an Orchiata, charcoal, perlite mix and grow with 55-60% humidity. I have minimal roots that go crazy, but I do try to coax new ones into the mix. It’s mainly the climbing species create problems with air roots. I have used moss on top of the climbing species in an attempt to coast them down.


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## abax (Aug 9, 2021)

I've grown many "rooty" Catts. in baskets, hanging in the gh and let the roots go where
they will. Coco fiber worked well for me. I did have to mist the roots every couple of
days. Water throughly every week or so depending on the weather. Very easy.


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 10, 2021)

southernbelle said:


> So, Leslie, I want to make sure I understand you correctly. Do you put a layer of Leca at the bottom of the pot, then bark mix? I use an Orchiata, charcoal, perlite mix and grow with 55-60% humidity. I have minimal roots that go crazy, but I do try to coax new ones into the mix. It’s mainly the climbing species create problems with air roots. I have used moss on top of the climbing species in an attempt to coast them down.


Yes they are layered: bottom inch or two with LECA clay pellets (this part sits in its own tray of water), middle 2/3 with bark/perlite/charcoal (BPC), and thin moss on top (allow some holes between moss layer for water to pass through).


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## southernbelle (Aug 10, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Yes they are layered: bottom inch or two with LECA clay pellets (this part sits in its own tray of water), middle 2/3 with bark/perlite/charcoal (BPC), and thin moss on top (allow some holes between moss layer for water to pass through).


You mean holes in side of pot between moss layer and bark layer? Thanks!


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## southernbelle (Aug 10, 2021)

abax said:


> I've grown many "rooty" Catts. in baskets, hanging in the gh and let the roots go where
> they will. Coco fiber worked well for me. I did have to mist the roots every couple of
> days. Water throughly every week or so depending on the weather. Very easy.


Angela, I’m doing that now with a B. digbyana. It’s starting to grow quite well after a few months. I did cover new roots on the surface with moss. I just water every 7 days. So far so good. 
I’m not fond of the fact that when it outgrows it’s basket, you have to put the whole thing basket and all in a bigger basket. What happens when there are no more bigger baskets?


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 10, 2021)

southernbelle said:


> You mean holes in side of pot between moss layer and bark layer? Thanks!


No, I mean leave holes on top of bark without moss areas. Like pot holes on moss lol.


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 10, 2021)

southernbelle said:


> Angela, I’m doing that now with a B. digbyana. It’s starting to grow quite well after a few months. I did cover new roots on the surface with moss. I just water every 7 days. So far so good.
> I’m not fond of the fact that when it outgrows it’s basket, you have to put the whole thing basket and all in a bigger basket. What happens when there are no more bigger baskets?


At that point it’s a Godzilla!!


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## abax (Aug 10, 2021)

If you run out of baskets, it's time to divide and you know you've done a good job!


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## My Green Pets (Aug 11, 2021)

Time to get out the chainsaw!!



southernbelle said:


> What happens when there are no more bigger baskets?


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## Greenpaph (Aug 11, 2021)

Oldie but goodie! Love it!


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## My Green Pets (Aug 12, 2021)

Question for Pete, can you say about how much time passed between the growths completing and the buds appearing in the sheaths? I mean, is it a growth ->sheath->bloom situation, or a growth->sheath->rest->bloom situation?


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## PeteM (Aug 12, 2021)

My Green Pets said:


> Question for Pete, can you say about how much time passed between the growths completing and the buds appearing in the sheaths? I mean, is it a growth ->sheath->bloom situation, or a growth->sheath->rest->bloom situation?



Hi William, I don't track the dates in detail, but I do have a few Cattleyas that put out new growths and sheaths this spring at the same time, and I currently seem to be in the 'rest' period with few buds in the sheaths. I would say this plant is a 'growth ->sheath->bloom situation'. It seemed to waste no time. David might be able to provide a more accurate measure of time form growth, sheath to bloom from his clone.. his timeline tracking is world class.


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## NEslipper (Aug 12, 2021)

PeteM said:


> Hi William, I don't track the dates in detail, but I do have a few Cattleyas that put out new growths and sheaths this spring at the same time, and I currently seem to be in the 'rest' period with few buds in the sheaths. I would say this plant is a 'growth ->sheath->bloom situation'. It seemed to waste no time. David might be able to provide a more accurate measure of time form growth, sheath to bloom from his clone.. his timeline tracking is world class.


Great information, thanks! Interesting there’s no rest, considering all the mossiae and trianaei in the background of this plant. Beautiful flowering though, congrats!


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## southernbelle (Aug 15, 2021)

My Green Pets said:


> Time to get out the chainsaw!!


I guess that, or at least a table saw, would work to cut through basket and tree fern slab to divide. You’d have some dieback at the cut edges, but not much if you put it in a new basket and keep doing what you were before.


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## NEslipper (Aug 15, 2021)

For anyone interested, Hauserman’s just re-listed in bud ‘White Lightning’ for sale!


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