"Robert Dickow" wrote in message
.. .
"Eric Hunt" wrote in
:

Agnatha,

Most of the time Catasetums bloom male. Higher light and heat
conditions will cause female blooms, which are the boring, massive
helmet shaped blooms. The male blooms are the colorful, eye-catching
ones, and they are produced usually under shadier conditions than
female blooms.


Yes, high light is supposed ot promote female flowers. But here's one of
my experiences that is interesting.

For some years I grew a Ctsm. tenebrosum on a bright windowsill, and it
gave always male flowers. Later I grew the same plant in a greenhouse.
For six years I could only get female flowers, even though I was putting
the plant under a shady bench. In the same greenhouse several other
Catasetums only produced males. This was in a normal mixed collection;
average Cattleya conditions, (with an underrated heater that sometimes
let the greenhouse approach near freezing temps in winter).

--
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* Bob Dickow ) *
* Hampton School of Music *
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IMHO the production of male/female flowers is much more complicated than
just 'light'. Marilyn Light believes production is also dependent on the
robustness of the bulb producing the flower. Now, how does one quantify
"robustness"? Also, people who have grown Catasetums for long periods of
time and pay attention to their flower production note that some bulbs tend
toward male and some toward female. Again, how does one influence a
'tendency' with one's cultural practices? And can that be repeated everytime
with assuredness? So the easy answer is 'light' because as we know light is
the single most influential factor in flower production. But it ain't the
only one.

Are these experiences urban myths? Personally I don't think so. I feel they
exemplify the need for hobbyists to be more attentive to what they are doing
to their plants and recording same until they find out what works for them.
And personally, sometimes I think my head will explode if I have to think
that much about what the plant is doing in response to my care. I guess
that's where a good tag system comes in, *G*.

Flower production (any flower) starts weeks before the first visual signs of
embryo formation. Proper and consistently good culture will give the grower
the nicest flowers that plant is capable of producing. Its also very hard to
provide. (Speaking for myself)

So, Catasetums are not Phals. Sure, most of them you can just put on a bench
and they'll bloom for you. But Catasetums can change flower types (seemingly
at random) and that's where understanding flower production comes in. I
suppose that's why some folks think they are difficult. They aren't
difficult. Its takes time to understand what it takes to make them do what
we want them to do - produce showy male flowers.

Personally, I'm too lazy to keep track and too forgetful to remember what I
learned in the first place. (Gotta get that tag system set up!) I just
accept what the plant does.

K Barrett