Cattleya bicolor is found in Brazil, where the orchid grows both epiphytic in trees and lithophyte on rocks near water bodies at an altitude of 1000 to 1400 meters above sea level...
Cattleya bicolor also called as Bicolored Cattleya, Cattleya bicolor f. alba, Cattleya bicolor subsp. brasiliensis, Cattleya bicolor subsp. canastrensis, Cattleya bicolor subsp. minasgaerensis, Cattleya bicolor var. caerulea, Cattleya bicolor var. lewisii, Cattleya bicolor var. mearuresiana, Cattleya bicolor var. olocheilos, Cattleya bicolor var. splendida, Cattleya bicolor var. wrigleyana, Cattleya dupontii, Cattleya grossii, Cattleya measuresiana, Cattleya tetraploidea, Epidendrum bicolor, Epidendrum iridee, is a species of the genus Cattleya. This species was described by John Lindley in 1836.
IDENTIFY CATTLEYA BICOLOR ORCHID PLANT
Cattleya bicolor is found in Brazil, where the orchid grows both epiphytic in trees and lithophyte on rocks near water bodies at an altitude of 1000 to 1400 meters above sea level.
It is a medium to large sized, cool to warm growing orchid with long and slender, clustered, jointed, grooved, up to 75 cm long pseudobulbs carrying 2 apical, oblong-lorate, coriaceous, obtuse, about 18 cm in length and 5 cm in width leaves.
Bicolored Cattleya blooms in the spring and early summer and occasionally again in the fall on a terminal, short, 1 to 7 flowered inflorescence arising through a large basal sheath and giving rise to a heavy textured, highly fragrant, long-lived flower. The flowers are fragrant in color from olive-green to olive-brown, measuring 7-9 cm in diameter. Petals is in its form something in between a rhombus and an egg, 4 cm in length and 3 cm in width, wavy along the rim. Lip in the form of a spoon, the side parts are missing, color from pink to carmine red, 4 cm in length and 2 cm in width, the sides are sometimes bent backwards, and under the column often there are bright strokes, the inner part of the lip is white. The front part of the lip in the form of a half-ellipse, on the edge of the lighter (sometimes white), wavy and cut with a light fringe, in the middle vein has a deepening of a darker color. The column is wide, arched, pink in color, reaching up to 3 cm in length.
CATTLEYA BICOLOR ORCHID PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Cattleya bicolor refers to the light-loving orchids and is able to safely grow in direct sunlight up to 65000 lux without burning, but acquiring red-violet freckles or (some subspecies) a yellowish shade of leaves and pseudobulbs that has the property of disappearing in the winter, and also more compact growth. It is sufficient lighting that is the main factor stimulating the flowering of this type of orchids.
Temperature:
This kind of orchid refers to a moderately warm temperature regime, however, in a home culture it adapts perfectly to almost any temperature, while accelerating or (on the contrary) slowing its growth. The most recommended temperature is: Day temperature at 20-28 ° C; Night temperature at 16-20 ° C. For the successful cultivation at home, it is desirable that the night temperature of the content is always at 4-6 ° C (ideally 10-12 ° C) lower than the daytime temperature.
Humidity:
In the natural habitat, the relative humidity of the air rarely falls below 60%. In conditions of high humidity, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room where the plants are kept, since wet, stale air is an ideal medium for the mass reproduction of various fungal and bacterial diseases.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Cattleya bicolor is grown only in pots (massive clay), while laying stones on the bottom that serve not only as drainage, but also imparts a pot of stability. However, landing on blocks is not forbidden. As a substrate, a mixture of the bark of coniferous trees with sphagnum moss, which are laid down in layers: a cortex below, and above moss or alternating layers, proved to be a good substitute. When growing orchids on blocks to prevent rapid drying of the root system of the plant, it is recommended to make a small interlayer of moss between it and the block. Above the roots, you can also put live or dry sphagnum.
Repotting is desirable only when it is really necessary, for example, in cases of severe salinization or condensation of the substrate, at its critically high or low pH (norm from 5.5 to 6.5) or , when the plant will grow very much and the pot will become too small for it (pseudobulbs will begin to hang from the edges of the pot). The best time to transplant is when new orchid sprouts reach a size of about 5 cm and begin to build their own roots.
Watering:
The frequency and abundance of watering the orchids of this species directly depends on the overall temperature of the content and intensity of the illumination, the higher they are, the more often and abundant it is necessary to water. Plants growing on blocks, it is desirable to water daily in the morning, so that by evening their roots could dry out relatively well. When watering orchids in pots, it must be remembered that excess water during watering should flow freely out of the pot, as the stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pallet can quickly lead to decay of the roots and the lower part of the plant (rhizome). The substrate between waterings should dry well.
Fertilizer:
During the period of active growth, this kind of orchids is fertilized for every third watering in 1/2 of the fertilizer concentration indicated on the package. In addition to the usual root top dressing, it is also possible to produce foliar dressing when the outer part of the plant (leaves) is sprayed very much with the diluted fertilizer. It is best to feed the orchid, alternating both these methods. The best fertilizer is fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal parts, for example, NPK = 3-3-3 or 8-8-8. If you do not have such a fertilizer, then at the beginning of the growing season (the emergence of new shoots), feed the orchid with a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, and when the sprout reaches 1/2 of its normal growth - fertilizer with a higher content of phosphorus.
Rest period:
Cattleya bicolor undergoes a winter period of rest, caused by a general decrease in the intensity of illumination and, as a result, cooling. The ideal temperature of the content in the home culture is 16-18 ° C in the daytime and 12-14 ° C at night. When choosing the watering mode, you need to focus on daytime temperatures. In the ideal situation, watering of orchids can be made no more often than once a month, but if you are too hot during the day, then the orchid begins to actively sweat, pulling the juices out of the root system, which due to poor lighting can not suck in moisture. The water drips capillary into the upper layers of the root, but does not go any further, since there is no force pushing it inside. This force appears only under conditions of certain illumination, which in winter is almost completely absent. As a result, the roots begin to dry up. The loss of the root system is fraught with the fact that the new shoots that appeared in the spring, throw all their strength to restore it, bypassing flowering. In view of what, at higher temperatures try to water the orchid according to the principle that the substrate between watering very well dried up and about a week was completely dry. With the advent of new shoots, the rest period ends and the conditions of detention return to normal.
Does Cattleya bicolor go through resting period in a tropical lowland area such as Singpore?
ReplyDeleteRest period is recommended!
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