Cattleya Orchid Care
The Cattleya orchid is one of the most popular types in the Orchidaceae family. If you have ever seen a corsage that features an orchid, smelled a perfume that has an orchid scent, heard someone talking about fragrant orchids, etc. that orchid is more than likely a Cattleya. They and their hybrids come in various colors, sizes, shapes, scents, and forms, but they are all epiphytes with pseudobulbs. It used to be understood that if you don’t live in a warm climate, you couldn’t successfully grow orchids but that is ultimately untrue. It’s a lot easier than you might think!
(If you want more info on what an epiphyte is click here and if you want to know more about pseudobulbs click here!)
Photo credit: sunoochi on Visualhunt.com / CC BY
Humidity
The humidity level that Cattleyas need is fairly versatile when you look at the range: 50-80%. If your house’s humidity levels are like mine and fall below that during winter, don’t worry! You can easily remedy that a few ways, such as setting them on a humidity tray or having a humidifier running. A humidity, or pebble, tray is just a shallow dish that has water in it and something, such as pebbles, that will keep the bottom of the plant’s pot from sitting in the water. They’re incredibly easy to make and a really good way to keep the humidity levels up for specific plants , just make sure that the bottom of the pot never touches the water. If you go the route of a humidifier just remember that in general orchids aren’t fans of having water sitting on their leaves, so keep it a good enough distance away that the water droplets won’t be able to pool. It is also very important to make sure that Cattleyas have good air circulation as to help prevent bacterial and fungal diseases.
Water
If your Cattleya is a mature plant, then water it when allow the potting medium to fully dry out before thoroughly watering the plant again. If your plant is a seedling, then you will need to water it more often as their potting medium shouldn’t ever fully dry out. In saying that, a seedling Cattleya shouldn’t ever sit in soggy potting mix either. When it is time to water them, make sure that you fully drench the potting mix and roots. Basically you just let water run through for a minute or so, long enough to ensure that the plant will get enough water. It should also be said that they will require more water during periods of active growth, and that if your temperature gets below 50°F/10°C do not water your plant.
Light
People are often lead to believe that orchids don’t require much light, but this is untrue. Cattleya orchids need a fair amount of light, such as what a Western, Eastern, or lightly shaded Southern (like behind a sheer curtain) window can provide. You want to make sure that they won’t have the midday sun beating down on them, but also provide sufficient lighting. You can also achieve this using grow lights or daylight LED bulbs. If your Cattleya has leaves that are a medium green color, not dark green, and has upright growing pseudobulbs that don’t require staking, then you’re providing ample light.
Temperature
The average household temperature range is just fine for Cattleyas. Overnight temperatures at the range of 55-60°F/12-15°C are preferable, as are daytime temperatures of 70-85°F/21-29°C. If the daytime temperature goes above that, that is also fine as long as you’re able to increase the humidity, air circulation, and shade. Don’t let the temperature go above 95°F/35°C if at all possible, as anything higher is definitely not advised.
Potting/Propagation
Thankfully this isn’t something that you should have to do more often than about every two or three years, when either the rhizome sticks out over the edge of the pot or the potting mix breaks down too much and doesn’t drain well. The best time to repot is during the spring, after the plant has finished flowering, or just before new roots start to growth. Make sure to use a nice course potting mix that allows the roots to breathe and not stay wet. If your Cattleya is a seedling, you can mix some sphagnum moss into the potting medium to help keep the roots damp but not wet. You never want to let your Cattleya’s roots sit in water, or have them exposed to water for too long as that will cause root rot. When picking out a pot make sure to use one that will allow for two or three more years of root growth and that will allow for air flow.
Once you have made sure that all of the roots look good and removed any dead roots, spread them evenly across the potting mix, letting the side of one of the pseudobulbs sit against the side of the pot. Make sure to firmly pack the potting medium around the roots and you may need to stake the plant until the new roots have started to grow to keep it from leaning. To propagate a Cattleya you first need to make sure that yours has at least six mature pseudobulbs. Also, it is important to make sure that each division has at least three to five pseudobulbs. Yes, you can get away with less, but to have better chances it is best to go with divisions of three to five. As for potting them, just pot them as you would any other Cattleya, except make sure to put the cut side of the pseudobulb against the side of the pot.
Fertilizing
Do this on a regular schedule! If your potting mix is a bark mix, it is best to use a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen like a 30-10-10 mix. If you use any other potting mix feel free to use a well balanced fertilizer. Honestly, I just use a well balanced water soluble fertilizer (you know the kind with the blue crystals). You can either water once every two weeks when the plant is actively growing, then slowing down to once a month when not in active growth, or you can fertilize every time you water if you dilute the fertilizer down to 1/4 strength. This means instead of like 1 teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water you would use 1/4 teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water. I personally go the fertilize once every two weeks route, but that’s what I found works best for me and my orchids. Just remember to flush out the potting mix every now and then, about once a month, by running water without fertilizer through it to help prevent/remove the buildup of fertilizer salts. Also, notice how I didn’t recommend using an orchid fertilizer stick or spray?
Photo credit: sunoochi on VisualHunt.com / CC BY
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