"Alison" wrote in message
om...
"K Barrett" wrote in message
...

Depending on the species that make up the hybrid some catts will
lay over a season until the day/night daylength gets right and then they
start ot develpoe the spike.

Well, I'm really glad I didn't try to pull the thing off when I
thought it was just some mutant dead leaf What day/night length is
supposed to be right for catts? Would it be helped or hindered by
having a tube light on over it for part of the evening through the
winter? (I guess it's fluorescent... it's your basic over-the-counter
tube light...)

Well, I'd stick with mimicing your area's day variation, but not drop below
12 hours a day. As summer comes on I'd increase to 14-16 per day, and as
winter comes around I'd drop back, but never going below 12 hours (the
day/night length at the equator). As to placement, I'd get a light meter,
and put the plant where the amount of light fell in the ranges specified for
the genus. You can get several books that have the general recommendations.
I like Ortho's 'All About Growing Orchids'. Its cheap and readily
available. Recalling from memory, catts fall in the 1500 - 2500 ft-candle
range. BUT! without getting into advanced biology, some plants adapt and do
OK with more, some with less, depending on what you are growing. Since
yours is wanting to flower for you, I'd say you are close to the light range
it wants.

Without knowing where you grow I'd speculate that you probably
have low humidity issues
New Brunswick... latitude 44ish... Average house humidity, I think, is
around 50%, & it can be quite hot & dry in that south window, but it's
also right above the kitchen sink. Maybe I should stick my hygrometer
in the window for a few days & check.
I won't tell it about Dave's catts; maybe it will be nicer to me

IMHO, 50% is fine for catts. Especially above the kitchen sink. And you
*should* tell it about Dave's catts. They can be quite competitive and want
to show Dave's up.

K Barrett