Cattleya advice

[cdub]

I am not a huge fan of most of the Cattleya alliance, mostly because I don't have an area to properly grow them. But, a relative recently gifted me a C. mossiae specimen. I guess she told the vendor that I "love growing orchids" and he told her I would appreciate this species. A note accompanied the plant from the vendor and he claims it is a wild collected plant from Venezuela. It'll be difficult to ever determine if it is indeed a collected plant, but due to the interesting fact that it might be and that it is a species, I've decided to keep the plant see if it likes living with me.

My question is this: does anyone else grow mossiae and what conditions seem to be favorable?

PS- the vendor is Michael Sinn of Canaima Orchids in Palmetto, FL. Anyone know anything about him?

 

[littlefrog]

I grow it. Don't treat it any different than anything else in the greenhouse, and it does well. But that is in a greenhouse.

Some things to note about cattleya species (the hybrids are usually less fussy, but you can treat them similarly). First, you want to repot (if you can) when the roots are actively growing. For most species, that means when the new pseudobulb is starting or (ideally) less than an inch or so tall. Sometimes you don't have that option, just remember that you probably won't get any new roots until new growth starts, and you will probably have to baby your plant a bit in the meantime. Use a pot clip or three to hold the plant steady in the pot while it is growing new roots.

For the larger cattleya species, nothing beats a basket for culture. Clay pots come in a close second. I really like to hang both baskets and pots for optimal air movement, if I have enough hanging space. You want bright light, to the point of the leaves having a yellow cast to the green. Not enough light is the prime reason for poor (or no) blooming, in my experience. Water when they dry out.

 

[charlie c]

Here's an interesting article about C. mossiae and its' culture:
http://www.chadwickorchids.com/Cattleya/mossiae.htm

While we grow a number of species of Cattleya, and related genera; we don't grow mossiae, per se. We do, however, grow C. Jose Marti which is primarily mossiae. All have in common a strong seasonal variation of active growth when it's very difficult to overwater or overfed. And a resting period when they need to go dry between waterings, and need much less feed. Very different rhythm and pace than orchids without a pseudobulb storage mechanism that are growing most, if not all, of the time.

Hope that helps a little. Good Luck.

charlie c

 

[cdub]

Thanks Rob and Charlie. It came in a nice basket, so I'll keep it there and slowly introduce it to my front porch area for some serious light.