Cattleya labiata coerulea ‘Anja’

[monocotman]

Showing some nice progress over the years is this clone with a deep lip colour and pale lavender petals.
It has produced two successive growths in the new grow room but only the second one bloomed.
David

 

[GuRu]

Very nice ones and they seem to be huge.
The dorsal of one flower is erected and the one of the other flower curled .... so obviously it's not always a matter of genes but also of other influences.

 

[cborchids]

Labiata, in bloom in February?

 

[monocotman]

They’re average size for a labiata. The natural spread is 14.5 cm.
Last time this flowered one bloom had an erect dorsal and the other a floppy one!
Cborchids- My labiatas are now growing under lights and they seem to grow and bloom whenever they want. The rubra clone in the background of the photos flowered in the late summer and then put up another growth and flowered.
I’ve just been watching one of Stephen van Kampen’s YouTube videos on his cattleyas and he mentions that this is what labiata and maxima can do when they’re grow under lights. I would add lueddemanniana to this list as well.

 

[dodidoki]

Very nice, David! Anja means Asendorfer, does not?

 

[monocotman]

Indeed it does Istavan. It’s a division from Hilmar.
It’s another plant showing a dramatic improvement in flower form as it matures.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Beautiful coloration. Looks like a very large plant (too big for windowsill growing?).

(I met Stephen van Kampen at a work-related conference. Small world. Next year's conference is in Southern CA. Maybe a visit to SVO in the future?)

 

[terryros]

They’re average size for a labiata. The natural spread is 14.5 cm.
Last time this flowered one bloom had an erect dorsal and the other a floppy one!
Cborchids- My labiatas are now growing under lights and they seem to grow and bloom whenever they want. The rubra clone in the background of the photos flowered in the late summer and then put up another growth and flowered.
I’ve just been watching one of Stephen van Kampen’s YouTube videos on his cattleyas and he mentions that this is what labiata and maxima can do when they’re grow under lights. I would add lueddemanniana to this list as well.

You know you have my interest as I travel back from trying to mimic the natural habitat! You did change your lighting a bit for winter, didn't you? Are you changing your water/feeding much during the seasons? Are some of your species (like labiata) blooming more frequently than once yearly? I am trying to understand how "even" your growing conditions are through the year and what cues the species are getting to initiate rooting, new growths, and bud development.

 

[terryros]

Here are the temperature (F) and rainfall (inch) variations during the year in the natural habitats of lueddemanniana and labiata, as reported on the Baker culture sheets.
They are substantially different, but each may grow and flower better under other conditions. I don't know what would happen with unvarying conditions during the year. I want to think that orchids need changes to trigger the different phases of the life cycle, but that doesn't have to be true.

 

[monocotman]

Remember that species like lueddemanniana occur across quite a range of habitats, from coastal to inland at altitude. Those figures look like the coastal one.
Any plants that have been bred in a greenhouse will have been very heavily selected for ability to grow in this environment. They may have quite a different reaction to those growing in the wild.
Last May when I set up this grow room the lights were on 16 hr days and full 100% intensity. The temperature went up to mid to high twenties most days. Nights were around 19c.
I reduced the lights to 12 hrs sometime in November and also reduced their intensity to 75%. Daytime temperatures dropped a bit to around 23c and night to 18c.
That is all I’ve done. The watering and feeding remain the same. I do not reduce feed rate in winter.
So far, all the labiata and lueddemanniana clones have been in continuous growth. The other species seem to be performing more normally. It’s too early to say if it will continue like this.

 

[terryros]

That is no where close to the winter conditions of these species in the wild. No surprise that they are growing differently, but maybe a surprise that they may be growing better. The traditional northern latitude greenhouses did not have artificial lighting. Today they may or may not. The plants usually experience marked decreases in day length and light intensity. They also see substantial drops in temperature in the winter and most growers decrease watering and feeding. So, the plants get a definite winter rest.

I think you may be showing that an indoor, LED grower can have more robust growing conditions all year long and get some more favorable growth and flowering. Keep it up so we can see. I am still going to have some seasonality, but much less severe than I used last year. Why not get more robust growth and maybe flowering more often than every 12 months. Who cares if flowering is at a different time than greenhouse growers or the natural habitat.

 

[monocotman]

Indeed Terry, I don’t know the long term repercussions of growing species under these conditions, we will see. I’d like to think that at least some of them will be capable of twice a year flowering even when the plants aren’t specimens.
What is clear so far is that growth and flowering is far better than on a windowsill.

 

[monocotman]

It’s possible that many cattleya species have been adapted to grow when the conditions are good and shut down when they’re not. I suppose that the grow room will be a test of that.

 

[terryros]

It’s possible that many cattleya species have been adapted to grow when the conditions are good and shut down when they’re not. I suppose that the grow room will be a test of that.

You have stated the hypothesis exactly. Now, we find out, and I think I will be joining your side.

 

[tomp]

WOW
Irrespective of air you technical details that is a truly elegant flower!

 

[My Green Pets]

Love it...really gives me those wild jungle species vibes.

 

[monocotman]

Thanks William, it’s nice enough but may be replaced at some point. It’s not a favourite and I’ve only so much space.

 

[David B]

Not sure what to say, my first impression is of uncertainty for me gaskelliana is a mid summer bloomer and labiata a mid fall bloomer. I have never done a test to see if greenhouse natural light vs. under lights changes the bloom season, but it is a test worth doing. Three labiatas below, note the petal stance.

 

[monocotman]

David, if you’re asking whether it’s a labiata due to the flowering season, then I can assure you it is. The plant put out a nice large growth last spring/summer but failed to bloom, instead producing a new growth which is now flowering. It’s another plant that is taking its time to settle down in the new grow room.

 

[NEslipper]

View attachment 45513View attachment 45514Showing some nice progress over the years is this clone with a deep lip colour and pale lavender petals.
It has produced two successive growths in the new grow room but only the second one bloomed.
David

Lovely, did you happen to take any front-on photos?