Cattleya percivaliana occurs in Venezuela and Colombia, where it grows epiphytically on tree tops in moist forests near rivers or lithophyte in moss-covered rocks at an altitude of 1000 to 2000 meters above sea level...
Cattleya percivaliana also called as Percival's Cattleya, Christmas Cattleya, Cattleya labiata var percivaliana, Cattleya percivaliana f. alba, Cattleya percivaliana f. bicolor, Cattleya percivaliana var. alba, Cattleya percivaliana var. bicolor, Cattleya percivaliana var. grandiflora, is a species of the genus Cattleya. This species was described by James O'Brien in 1883.
IDENTIFY CATTLEYA PERCIVALIANA ORCHID PLANT
Cattleya percivaliana occurs in Venezuela and Colombia, where it grows epiphytically on tree tops in moist forests near rivers or lithophyte in moss-covered rocks at an altitude of 1000 to 2000 meters above sea level.
Percival's Cattleya is a large sized, cool growing, largely lithophytic, but sometimes epiphytic species with clavate, broadest in the middle, compressed, green, 15-20 cm long pseudobulbs carrying a single apical, narrowly oblong-elliptic, rigid, suberect, obtuse, 23 cm long and 5 cm wide leaf.
Christmas Cattleya blooms in the summer through the winter on a terminal, to 25 cm long, few flowered, short lived, racemose inflorescence with a large, basal, green sheath that carries 2 to 4, musty, fragrant flowers. Flowers are light-colored, lilac-purple, about 12 cm in diameter. Sepals elongated-lanceolate. Petals are ovoid or elliptical in shape, wavy along the rim, somewhat darker than the main color. The lip is wide and long, in shape resembles a folded paper bag, inside of which is covered a column. Inside the lip is golden yellow, with purple-red veins. The front part of the lip is cut at the edge of the fringe, covered with purple-red long veins and has a purple-brown spot in the middle. The edge is lighter, often carmine or pink. The column is white with a small amount of purple on the tip, about 3 cm in length.
CATTLEYA PERCIVALIANA 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 percivaliana loves bright sunlight and is able to tolerate direct morning and evening sun, however, in the hot summer noon (especially on windows of southern orientation) the orchid should be protected from direct sunlight: put behind a curtain (for example, on a table near the window) or in the shadow of other plants, otherwise the plant can get a sunburn. Bright sunlight is one of the main prerequisites for the flowering of this kind of orchids, and if it is insufficient, then this plan will simply not bloom, as new pseudobulbs grow underdeveloped, i.e. incapable of flowering. During the whole year, the duration of a day of light must be at least 10 hours.
Temperature:
This type of orchid refers to a moderately warm temperature regime, and throughout the year the plants are recommended to be kept under the following temperature conditions: Day temperature at 18-30 ° C; Night temperature is not below 10 ° C. For the successful cultivation at home, it is necessary that the night temperature of the content is always at least 10 ° C lower (ideal 20° C) than the daytime temperature.
Humidity:
Christmas Cattleya needs relatively high humidity, not less than 60%, ideally 75-80%. Too dry air negatively affects the growth and development of the plant: its growth is inhibited and the orchid begins to stagnate and turn yellow.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Cattleya percivaliana can be grow in pot, baskets or placed on blocks. The substrate must be very well breathable, therefore in its quality the mixture of large pieces of bark of coniferous trees with charcoal and sphagnum moss (20-25%) is best. 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. The best time to transplant is the time when new shoots reach a size of 5 cm and begin to build their own roots. As a rule, this period falls on May.
Watering:
During the period of new growth, this orchid needs frequent and abundant watering. Excess water during watering should flow freely out of the pot, as the stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pan can very quickly lead to decay of the roots and the lower part of the plant. The substrate between watering must necessarily dry well, as the roots of the orchid are very sensitive to waterlogging. In the hot summer period, daily spraying of the outer part of the plant is recommended, this will increase the humidity around the orchid and help it to survive the heat better.
Fertilizer:
During the new growth period, this type of orchids is fertilized every 2-3 weeks in 1/2 the concentration of fertilizer indicated on the package. In addition to the usual root top dressing, it is also recommended to produce a foliar dressing, when a very much diluted fertilizer is sprayed on the outer part of the plant. It is best to feed the plant, alternating both these methods.
Rest period:
Cattleya percivaliana needs a clearly defined period of rest. The main feature of the orchids of this species is that in view of their natural features, they have two periods of rest: before and after flowering. The first period of rest begins when the new sprout stretches out well enough and its single leaf begins to unfold, exposing the cover. At home, it is advisable to start all activities to hold a rest period before the appearance of the cover, especially if during the development of a new shoot there were no big fluctuations between night and day temperatures. Irrigation of orchids is reduced and produced a little bit more often than once in 2 months. For plants growing on blocks, breaks between watering should reach at least 14 days. The night temperature of the plant should not be higher than 10-12 ° C. Daytime temperature does not play a special role, only the higher it is, the more difficult it will be for the plant to undergo a period of drought. The most desirable index in this case is 18-20 ° C. At the time of flowering, the watering of the orchid resumes in the usual volume, and the night temperature of the contents should not be extremely low. Immediately after flowering, Cattleya percivaliana begins a second (shorter) rest period during which the orchid is not completely watered and kept at a temperature of 16-18 ° C. And in the first and second case, it is not recommended to fertilize the plant. With the advent of new shoots (as a rule, in May), the second dormant period ends and the plant is transferred to the usual maintenance regime.
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