Cattleya purpurata tipo rosada ‘Brazil’

monocotman · Jun 5, 2024

This is a tall stately clone. Pot plus flowers reaches a total of 36 inches (92cm). The new lead is 25 inches (64cm) high.
It arrived as a select division from Hilmar and has gradually improved over the years.
All my purpuratas are late this year, this one is the first to bloom and it’s a full month late compared to last year when the plants spent the winter in a cool, fairly dim farmhouse.
So the much improved growing conditions for this year, although producing better growths, have so far retarded flowering. None of the other clones have clear buds visible in the sheaths. Maybe I need to tweak the winter conditions and reduce the night time temperatures.
Something similar has happened to the warscewiczii clones. Great growth but so far, no sheaths or blooms.

Ozpaph · Jun 5, 2024

very nice

terryros · Jun 5, 2024

monocotman said:
View attachment 47699 View attachment 47700
This is a tall stately clone. Pot plus flowers reaches a total of 36 inches (92cm). The new lead is 25 inches (64cm) high.
It arrived as a select division from Hilmar and has gradually improved over the years.
All my purpuratas are late this year, this one is the first to bloom and it’s a full month late compared to last year when the plants spent the winter in a cool, fairly dim farmhouse.
So the much improved growing conditions for this year, although producing better growths, have so far retarded flowering. None of the other clones have clear buds visible in the sheaths. Maybe I need to tweak the winter conditions and reduce the night time temperatures.
Something similar has happened to the warscewiczii clones. Great growth but so far, no sheaths or blooms.

That is the experiment, David. Which species require more of a “winter” period with shorter days, lower light, less water and nutrition and which don’t. I have moved my conditions part way toward yours by not having as extreme a winter, but I will still have some. My purpurata bloomed in April and my alba warscewiczii in May.

monocotman · Jun 5, 2024

Indeed Terry! It’s an interesting conundrum. All the labiata and lueddemanniana clones have grown and flowered well. I’m getting double growths on several plants that previously only produced one per year. Just one of three mossiae clones bloomed this spring although they all had sheaths. Neither of the two big warscewiczii clones produced sheaths or flowers. One of the two hardyana clones has a sheath. Two of the three gaskelliana clones are flowering.
It’s possible that the plants are just settling down in their new grow room but I think I’ll try to reduce the night temperatures next winter.

terryros · Jun 6, 2024

monocotman said:
Indeed Terry! It’s an interesting conundrum. All the labiata and lueddemanniana clones have grown and flowered well. I’m getting double growths on several plants that previously only produced one per year. Just one of three mossiae clones bloomed this spring although they all had sheaths. Neither of the two big warscewiczii clones produced sheaths or flowers. One of the two hardyana clones has a sheath. Two of the three gaskelliana clones are flowering.
It’s possible that the plants are just settling down in their new grow room but I think I’ll try to reduce the night temperatures next winter.

Maybe just a month or two months with a modest decrease in day length, temperature, and feeding frequency. William Rogerson wrote that his species did better with winter temps of 75 F - 65F (24 C - 18 C). A day length of 11.5 hours should be enough.