Lc. Hsin Buu Lady 'YT' Bloom on Valentine's Day 02 14 2011

What a beautiful orchid for Valentine's Day!  This plant is a cross between L. anceps and C. Wendy's Valentine.  The wonderful shape of this orchid is heavily influenced by the L. anceps species which makes up about 50% of its genetic background.  C. Wendy's Valentine is a wonderful hybrid in its own right.  The brilliant scarlet color is coming from C. coccinea that makes up part of the genetic background of C. Wendy's Valentine.

This orchid had been very easy to grow and has done very well in the heat of South Florida even though  C. coccinea is known for growing on the cooler side of Cattleya culture.

I have one plant in bloom now with two others that have several buds.  This plant is still fairly small; however, when it gets larger and more mature, the number of of blooms will increase.  Another great feature of this orchid is the strong, upright inforescences that the blooms grow on.

I grow this orchid in a wooden basket.  Inside the basket, the orchid is mounted on a tree fern fiber plaque with a few expanded clay pellets around its roots.  During the winter, I water every two or three days.  But in the very hottest part of our very hot and humid summers in Miami, I water every day EARLY in the day.  On DRY, hot days, I water a second time around 10 or 11 AM. 

Would you like to know MORE about growing Cattleyas in your own backyard in South Florida?  You may email any questions you have to remliw@bellsouth.net.  I am glad to help in any way that I can.  Have fun and good growing!