I have not been able to find this cross in OrchidWiz, even though the tag that came with the plant indicates that it is a cultivar that has been awarded. Does anyone know why that would be?
I bought this plant in bloom about four years ago. It has bloomed for me every year, but in the past it has always bloomed only once (usually in January) and it has always had one bloom from the bulb. This season it has bloomed now for a third time with this latest bloom being a double blossom from the same bulb. I think that fact that I have given the plant MORE light has helped the blooming.
The plant is getting very close to being specimen size. It is currently in a 12 inch wooden basket with NO media. It has gotten too large for my Cattleya Pergola, so it hangs under my peach tree.
When I bought this plant, I was just starting out with Cattleyas. It is amazing I did not kill it. At first, it was in a clay pot with a media mix of expanded clay pebbles, charcoal, and coconut husks. While this is a popular mix, it was a disaster for a Cattleya that grows outdoors in South Florida. If I did NOT water the plant all summer long, I could just barely keep it alive in spite of the roots trying to rot away. When I finally moved the plant to a wooden basket with NO media, it took off. I mounted the orchid on a wooden raft and set the raft down inside the basket. The roots have now firmly attached themselves to the entire basket. I think the plant has two or three more years in this basket. At that time it will either have to be split into pieces or I will have to set this basket inside a bigger one. What would you do?
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