Cattleya Orchids
Cattleya orchids are among the most popular orchids and, because of their longevity, are considered the standard by which other orchids are judged. Named in honor of one of the earliest horticulturalists with an interest in orchids, William Cattley, this beautiful orchid is one of the epiphytes, or a plant which grows happily on another plant without disturbing it in any way.
This orchid, like other epiphytes, has pseudobulbs to store the water and nutrients which feed the plant. They all attach to the rhizome, which is like a stalk that transports the nutrients to and from each of the pseudobulbs. Cattleya can be left to run up trees or be mounted to other objects with success if planted outside, but inside the orchid is going to need a medium mixture of planting media.
You can repot a Cattleya orchid if the plant is starting to grow out of its pot or if the medium it’s in is worn out. Repotting can be done after blooming or in the spring.
Don’t repot unless your orchid is healthy and has a minimum of four or five pseudobulbs. You can divide the plant with a knife, remove any rotten roots and fill the new pots with new planting mix. Cattleya orchids prefer a planting medium that drains well, and one that is in the neighborhood of fifty-percent bark. Also try tree-fern fiber, coconut fiber, rock chips, or some more recent combinations that include osmunda, perlite and peat moss. Fertilize Cattleya orchids regularly, once a month and every two weeks when growing.
One of the toughest things for gardeners trying to grow Cattleya orchids indoors is the fact the plants need to have between fifty and eighty percent humidity at all times. For most, this means that orchid pots need to sit on a tray covered with gravel with water underneath. The orchids must not directly touch the water. It is also necessary to have a good amount of circulating air so that the orchids do not get diseases. In the home, this can often be done by opening a window or turning on a fan.
Keeping the correct temperature for orchids is very important. They usually need to be around fifteen degrees cooler at night. With Cattleyas, this means temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees during the day and 55 to 60 degrees at night. They need plenty of light and a little sun but not direct sunlight. This can be accomplished by using a sheer curtain in the window to block out some of the sunlight.
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make with orchids is over-watering, so wait until your Cattleya orchids have completely dried out before watering. One way to test is to fill an empty pot with planting mixture, see how heavy it is, and then lift your orchid pot for comparison. If the orchid pot is heavier, it means it still has enough water.
They say that the discovery of the Cattleya orchid was largely by mistake. The plants which William Cattley bred came as packing in a shipping box for another plant. The breeding of Cattleya orchids has come a long ways since then. The plants are slow to get an initial bloom, sometimes taking as long as three or four years. Once they do get started they can have up to ten blooms per plant and a well-taken-care-of plant can flower year-round. You can have some gorgeous colors–every type except blue and black!
