How do you care for a Cattleya orchid indoors?

How do you care for a Cattleya orchid indoors?

Always use a clean form of water such as distilled, rainwater or reverse osmosis water for your plants. Cattleyas should be watered when the potting medium feels dry almost to the bottom of the pot. This generally occurs every week or so from the previous watering. If in doubt, don’t water.

How much sun does a Cattleya need?

To grow well and to flower consistently, cattleyas require a good amount of light, preferably in the range from 2,000 to 3,000 foot-candles (about 65-70% shade), although they will tolerate a great deal more light if it is accompanied by sufficient humidity and air movement to keep the leaf-temperature down.

Can cattleyas be grown indoors?

They make lovely houseplants, but they can also live outside year-round in tropical climates and during the warmer months in areas that experience frost. The key to growing them successfully is providing the right amount of light, maintaining the proper temperature and humidity, and watering and feeding adequately.

What is the best fertilizer for Cattleya orchids?

Cattleyas Do Best with an Orchid Specific Fertilizer That is, give them a standard 10-10-10 fertilizer at half strength or a 20-20-20- fertilizer at quarter strength once a week. When your orchid rests after the growing season, the feeding should be reduced to once every two weeks until the next growing season.

Why do Cattleya leaves turn yellow?

Water – Too Much or Too Little. The leaves of overwatered orchids will turn yellow and drop as the orchid tries to shed water by dropping leaves as the roots absorb too much water. Overwatering not only leads to leaf drop but also to root loss.

Can Cattleya grow without soil?

They can cling to a tree crotch or rocky crevasse and need little soil. The plants are long lived perennials and some professional collectors have plants half a century old. Cattleya orchid plants grow well in soilless media, such as bark and rocks or perlite, which mimics this natural growth habit.

What is the best fertilizer for orchids?

Orchids need to be fed regularly. Growers suggest using a “balanced” fertilizer such as 20-20-20 that includes all “necessary trace elements.” Regardless of the fertilizer formulation you choose to use, it should contain little or no urea.