Some of my cattleyas that had set sheaths never developed buds. They're
all in the same growing area, and they're pretty much sitting side by
side, so I'm not sure why some developed flower buds and some didn't.
Now, a few of my newer catts have new sheaths. Is there anything I can
do to make sure that they set buds, other than dosing them with
Dyna-Gro "Bloom"?

Often, a Catt just nearing flowering-size will set sheaths and then find
itself not quite able to follow through. We call these "puberty sheaths,"
around here. This is not a cultural problem, you just need to keep growing
the plants until they are ready.

If you have more mature Catts doing this [i.e., they've bloomed before, but
are now setting blind sheaths], then you may have a cultural problem. The
most common is insufficient light [some Catts will get by on less than
others], but there can be other reasons [fluctations in the temps or
humidity, your watering schedule, etc., or even possibly thrips, if tiny
buds try to develop and then brown out] -- and then there is the "sometimes
it just happens" factor :(

I seriously doubt that a bloom-booster fert. will make any major difference,
but as long as you keep using a balanced formula most of the time, an
occasional dose shouldn't hurt.
--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids
http://www.jborchids.com

"OrchidKitty" wrote in message
oups.com...
Some of my cattleyas that had set sheaths never developed buds. They're
all in the same growing area, and they're pretty much sitting side by
side, so I'm not sure why some developed flower buds and some didn't.
Now, a few of my newer catts have new sheaths. Is there anything I can
do to make sure that they set buds, other than dosing them with
Dyna-Gro "Bloom"?

There's nothing I know of to insure bud-set. Lack of buds can be cultural -
too cold, too warm, too dry, roots too wet. It can be genetic - some catts
are programmed to bloom at different times of the year depending on their
heritage. Some catts will produce a sheath and mature a growth but not bloom
from that growth until 3-6 months later even after the sheath has dried. It
can be a combination of the 2 - the plant requires a dry winter rest and
didn't get it; the plant requires short days or low temps and didn't get it.
This is especially true of species, but all hybrids come from those species
and carry with them some of the cultural requirements. Try looking up your
plants to see when they are expected to bloom. Google the name, check the
place you bought it from, or try some of the large online sellers like
Hausermann, Carter & Holmes, Oakhill, Stewart, Carmela, etc. Write this list
with specific names to see if anyone here has experience with that species,
clone or grex.
Catts are beautiful and fairly easy to grow (at least most of them) but then
can be downright frustrating to bloom if you don't know their specific
requirements. Good luck and I'll be glad to help further if I can.
Gary

"OrchidKitty" wrote in message
oups.com...
Some of my cattleyas that had set sheaths never developed buds. They're
all in the same growing area, and they're pretty much sitting side by
side, so I'm not sure why some developed flower buds and some didn't.
Now, a few of my newer catts have new sheaths. Is there anything I can
do to make sure that they set buds, other than dosing them with
Dyna-Gro "Bloom"?

I have a catt that had a sheath, and within that sheath it had a second
sheath, and it didn't do much of anything for several months. Then the
exterior sheath turned dry, and I peeled it off, and the interior sheath
developed, and then that turned dry, but by that time there was a bud
inside. So now about 7-8 months later the bud is growing. I don't know
whether it will successfully flower, but the moral of the story is that even
an empty sheath that looks empty for several months may eventually form a
bud. Mine did.

Joanna (who has just this one catt, and doesn't really understand catts yet)

"OrchidKitty" wrote in message
oups.com...
Some of my cattleyas that had set sheaths never developed buds. They're
all in the same growing area, and they're pretty much sitting side by
side, so I'm not sure why some developed flower buds and some didn't.
Now, a few of my newer catts have new sheaths. Is there anything I can
do to make sure that they set buds, other than dosing them with
Dyna-Gro "Bloom"?

Hum. Thanks everyone for the input. I grow hybrid catts under a MH
light (on a 14-hour-day) timer and in a south-facing window. In summer,
they go outside from June through September. So, perhaps they are not
getting the dry winter rest and short days that they're wanting. I will
do a little research. It seems as though my catts either bloom like
crazy or sulk. Perhaps the sulkers need a different treatment.

Mine did just what some of the others have described. It's my 1st catt
so I didn't even know what it was doing... it grew a funky flat thing
like another leaf, which sat there, green, from March till last fall &
did nothing. Then the flat thing turned brown & dried, & seemed after a
while to be a little puffed up with air. I peeled it open & there was
a teeny little thing at the bottom of it, which turned into a shoot, &
it bloomed in April. I got the plant as a seedling 5 years ago & this
is its 1st flower. So, maybe yours are having a rest before making
flowers. I didn't do anything different with mine except that a while
before I had started using Schultz orchid fertilizer.
Is Dyna-Gro that stuff that advertises in the Farmer's Almanac, that
resurrects dead plants, etc.?

Alisonj

What exactly constitutes a "dry winter rest"? Mine lives on a south
window & gets full sun in the winter, so I feel like it needs to be
watered more because it gets hot & dry there, & actually I don't vary
the watering too much during the year, just based on whether the plant
is dry & if it's growing... It has been making shoots more or less
continuously... Should I be doing something different?

Alison

What apparently makes the difference is the length of the day.My
orchids get supplemental lighting that is controlled by a photocell
that turns on the lights when the sun comes up and off when the sun
goes down. Photo periodicity seem to be very important for good growth
and flowering. Shorter winter day give the rest that is often talked
about. With your natural light you are doing just fine.
Richard




On 8 May 2005 21:35:06 -0700, wrote:

What exactly constitutes a "dry winter rest"? Mine lives on a south
window & gets full sun in the winter, so I feel like it needs to be
watered more because it gets hot & dry there, & actually I don't vary
the watering too much during the year, just based on whether the plant
is dry & if it's growing... It has been making shoots more or less
continuously... Should I be doing something different?

Alison

Many catts exhibit a strong link between flowering and photoperiodicity.
I'm not sure I'd say they are responding to a short day "rest" as much as
responding to the drastic change in day length.

Covering the catts with black cloth for a few weeks is a long-established
technique for forcing catts. It was used extensively back when catts were
the primary corsage flower.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Joe me" shoelessjo@ bree.net wrote in message
...
What apparently makes the difference is the length of the day.My
orchids get supplemental lighting that is controlled by a photocell
that turns on the lights when the sun comes up and off when the sun
goes down. Photo periodicity seem to be very important for good growth
and flowering. Shorter winter day give the rest that is often talked
about. With your natural light you are doing just fine.
Richard




On 8 May 2005 21:35:06 -0700, wrote:

What exactly constitutes a "dry winter rest"? Mine lives on a south
window & gets full sun in the winter, so I feel like it needs to be
watered more because it gets hot & dry there, & actually I don't vary
the watering too much during the year, just based on whether the plant
is dry & if it's growing... It has been making shoots more or less
continuously... Should I be doing something different?

Alison