Cattleya lueddemaniana forma coerulea flamea

[monocotman]

Guldal,
you could grow any of the unifoliate cattleya species on a south facing window. The two with the highest light requirements for flowering are lueddemanniana and warscewizii. If you’re worried then start with some of the others. Labiata, mossiae, trianae and purpurata would be my recommendations. All easy growers and there are so many different colour forms to chose from.
I grow mine in straight orchiata and water with rain water plus rain mix year round. The trick with catts is knowing when to water. They definitely need a clear wet dry cycle otherwise the roots start to rot. Water heavily then leave the pot until it is dry before watering again. Very different from paphs and phrags,
David

 

[Guldal]

Thank you, Leslie and David!
Kind regards, Jens

 

[setaylien]

Would you, guys, think it possible to grow C. lueddemanianas in a South facing window on these latitudes (Denmark)?

In my experience, C. lueddemanniana needs more light than most other cattleya species to grow and flower properly. In climates other than Florida, southern California and northern South America this is most easily achieved with the use of HID lamps. You also have to watch your temperatures carefully: they need a temperature above 70 F to grow in the day time and at night, not lower than 60 F, preferably not below 64 F, and those low temperatures only when the plants are dry. They are quite cold sensitive when damp. I would not rely on a south-facing window light because you would not get the 10-12 hours of daily light these orchids need. Not only that, but the light on a window sill is too uneven. During high cloud and rainy periods in the Fall and Winter your orchids would adjust to the lower light but, on occasional brilliant days of Winter light, unless shaded your plants will suddenly burn due to the abrupt change in light intensity.
If you use 1000 W HID lamps and maintain the right temperatures with good air circulation, then, yes, you would be able to grow them successfully in Denmark or even in Russia!

 

[monocotman]

I have to disagree with setaylien. I grow my unifoliates in a south facing windowsill in the UK and have no problem flowering lueddemanniana without any form of supplementary lighting. Have a look at some of my posts earlier this year. The temperatures are not a problem as they are grown indoors where I keep the house comfortable. You have to remember that at these higher latitudes we see quite long day lengths which seem to provide the required light, even early in the year when lueddemanniana starts to grow. Of course for the summer growers like labiata, they love these long warm days indoors.
David

 

[setaylien]

I have to disagree with setaylien. I grow my unifoliates in a south facing windowsill in the UK and have no problem flowering lueddemanniana without any form of supplementary lighting. Have a look at some of my posts earlier this year. The temperatures are not a problem as they are grown indoors where I keep the house comfortable. You have to remember that at these higher latitudes we see quite long day lengths which seem to provide the required light, even early in the year when lueddemanniana starts to grow. Of course for the summer growers like labiata, they love these long warm days indoors.
David

monocotman, you are naturally entitled to your opinion but I was trying to indicate to Guldal how Cattleyas, both unifoliate and bifoliate, may be grown successfully even in climates where the Winter light is poor and unreliable.
In my teens (that's many years ago) I experimented growing Cattleya trianae on a South facing window sill and found that, yes, I could bloom it but the result was one glorious flower. The plant tended to grow lop-sided to reach the light source and would suffer from sun scorch in the Winter due to the very uneven light conditions provided by Mother Nature here in Vancouver, British Columbia where, in the month of November it rains almost every day but sun conditions improve irratically in December and January to provide enough light occasionally to burn the plants. All of the problems I experienced with lop-sided growing, low bloom count and scorching can be easily eliminated by using HID lighting, good temperature control and ventilation. Those individuals who switch over to HID lighting seldom look back.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Both points re lights are indeed valid.

Jens, you will have to learn your own way and see if the southern light of your particular location will suffice the needs of the light demands of the lueddemaniana (they have been found on the cracks of cacti, exposed to full sun). If the new growth does not bloom, you can supplement light for next years growth. You can tell if they are getting enough light when the leaves get red spotting.

I grow mine close to the T5’s (25 cm away) in the center of the growing area, at about 2800-3000 fc. They are all tanning nicely lol.

All the other cattleyas seem to happily bloom at 2200 fc.

 

[monocotman]

Leslie, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Mine go red as the growth matures But I do live in a quite sunny spot in the UK.
David

 

[Guldal]

Thank you all for your valuable input! I think, I might give it a try in a southern facing window sill at my work place, but maybe start out with one of the slightly lesser light demanding unifolates, proposed by David!

 

[monocotman]

Gaskelliana is a good start. Summer growing and flowering. It needs less light than most,
David

 

[jokerpass]

I bloom all my Catts species except. C. lueddemaniana. According to "Classic Cattleya" by Chadwick and Chadwick, C. lueddemaniana produces 2 growths a year, once in the spring/early summer, and once in late fall/early winter. The growth that will produce a sheath and flower is the winter growth. To acheive a blooming growth in the winter, the winter temp must be warm and also receives a lot of light.The book says that people living in the northern US states, where winter time doesn't get enough light, people have problem blooming. I live in Toronto Canada and I have not be able to bloom it yet. However, the book says that sometimes in northern US states, when C. lueddemaniana adapts, it is possible to bloom in the fall..........

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I bloom all my Catts species except. C. lueddemaniana. According to "Classic Cattleya" by Chadwick and Chadwick, C. lueddemaniana produces 2 growths a year, once in the spring/early summer, and once in late fall/early winter. The growth that will produce a sheath and flower is the winter growth. To acheive a blooming growth in the winter, the winter temp must be warm and also receives a lot of light.The book says that people living in the northern US states, where winter time doesn't get enough light, people have problem blooming. I live in Toronto Canada and I have not be able to bloom it yet. However, the book says that sometimes in northern US states, when C. lueddemaniana adapts, it is possible to bloom in the fall..........

Have you summered them outside or add winter supplemental T5 lights (up close and personal)? That might do the trick.

 

[monocotman]

Guldal, this is a good time to fire your imagination and find ‘The classic Cattleyas’ by the chadwicks as quoted by jokerpass. It Is one of the best books ever produced on orchids and full of information distilled over a lifetime. I hear that a second edition is about to be released,
David

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Guldal, this is a good time to fire your imagination and find ‘The classic Cattleyas’ by the chadwicks as quoted by jokerpass. It Is one of the best books ever produced on orchids and full of information distilled over a lifetime. I hear that a second edition is about to be released,
David

I agree. It is one of three of my cattleya bibles! The other two are 'Venezuelan Cattleyas' by Aulisi and 'The Colombian Cattleyas' by Toulemonde.

 

[monocotman]

Yes but at least the classic cattleyas is still in print! The other two are pretty much unobtainable,
David

 

[jokerpass]

Yes, all my orchids are summered outside but I have not supplemented lighting in the summer. I believe "The Classic Catleya" by Chadwick & Chadwick is also out of prints.....very sad......

 

[monocotman]

Just checked and it’s available on amazon U.K., both new and used.
David

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Just checked and it’s available on amazon U.K., both new and used.
David

Jens, be quick and snatch that book!

You’re not a Catt-lover till you’ve read it 22 times like me! (Ok maybe more... I might have glanced at it like 100 times lol)

 

[Guldal]

Jens, be quick and snatch that book!

I'm working on it! The ones offered on Am.uk cannot be sent to DK - so I've contacted one of the dealers off Amazon. He is checking whether the book is still available in his business...togehter with Braem, Baker & Baker's book on Cattleya!

 

[jokerpass]

I didn't know that the Baker's wrote a culture book on Catts, I know they wrote the Dendrobium Bible and the Oncidium Bible. What's the name of the Baker's book on Cattleya?

 

[DrLeslieEe]

So five months later, another growth on this plant decided to send one flower without a sheath. Such a keener lol.

Seems like the flamea pattern is larger and darker under cooler autumn nights.

Here she is peeking through... she’s kinda shy.