Brian Corll wrote:
I am having a problem lately with new flower sheaths on my cattleyas
withering before they can develop. They turn yellow and papery and
they're done. What would cause this ? I fertilize weekly (weakly) and
water twice a week. They are kept in my basement at suitable cattleya
temperatures under 400 watt HID lights. Any suggestions, anyone ?


I also grow in my basement under HID lights. Most of my Catts will bloom
by pushing buds out of a green sheath. A few will have the sheaths turn
brown and dry and have the buds still appear later. There is one other
group that I have to watch. With those, if I let the sheath dry up, the
buds will die in the sheath. I have to watch the sheaths carefully. When
I see one start to turn yellow, I have to open it right away. I usually
just pull the tip apart and press on the top and bottom so I can look in
and see the buds. If I do it in time, the buds will be green and the
sheath will bloom. If I am too late, the moisture that forms inside will
have rotted the buds.
Keep in mind that a Catt that isn't quite strong enough to bloom will
often form a sheath with no buds. If buds are not going to form, the
sheaths will sit there for a while and then dry up. Could something
about your growing conditions be keeping the Catts too weak to bloom? I
wouldn't dare water most of my Catts twice a week or the roots would
rot. That depends on what you are growing in and how well it drains.

Steve