Cattleya mendelii is native to Colombia. It is found on exposed rock outcroppings and cliffs at an altitude of 2500 to 3500 feet in the Eastern Cordillera.
Cattleya mendelii also called as Mendel's Cattleya, Cattleya bluntii, Cattleya cupidon, Cattleya hackbridgensis, Cattleya labiata var. bella, Cattleya labiata var. mendelii, Cattleya mendelii f. morganiae, Cattleya mendelii var. bella, Cattleya mendelii var. grandiflora, Cattleya mendelii var. morganae, Cattleya morganiae, is a species of the genus Cattleya. This species was described by Henry Honywood Dombrain in 1872.
IDENTIFY CATTLEYA MENDELII ORCHID PLANT
Cattleya mendelii is native to Colombia. It is found on exposed rock outcroppings and cliffs at an altitude of 2500 to 3500 feet in the Eastern Cordillera.
It is a medium sized, cool to warm growing epiphytic and lithophytic species with cylindrical, grooved, shiny pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, oblong, round apically, very leathery leaf.
Mendel's Cattleya blooms in the late spring on a terminal, short, 2 to 5 flowered, long lived inflorescence with fragrant flowers that open well. Sepals and petals large and broad and in the type are white or very pale pink. The lip is the same colour as the sepals and petals, but the spreading portion, which is very broad and has a crinkled and wavy edge, is a rich crimson-purple with a blotch of golden yellow in the throat.
CATTLEYA MENDELII 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 mendelii needs a light level of 25000-50000 lux. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time. No Cattleya will grow sturdily and bloom satisfactorily unless it is grown in a place where it has good light at all times. If you grow them under glass, you should hang them so that they are as close to the glass as you can get them without scorching the leaves and even a little mild sunburn does not seem to do the plants any lasting harm, and, moreover, it appears to encourage them to flower.
Temperature:
In summer, the average day temperature is 25-28 ° C, and the average night temperature is 15-18 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 9-11 ° C. In their natural habitat the nights are cool, always falling to as low as 5° C even in summer time, while in winter the thermometer frequently falls below freezing point.
Humidity:
Mendel's Cattleya need the humidity of 70-80% throughout the year. Too dry air has a negative effect on the development of the plant: its growth is inhibited, and the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out. The higher temperature, the higher the humidity should be, and the higher the humidity, the more often and longer it is necessary to ventilate the room where the plants are contained, otherwise the probability of rotting and various kinds of fungal diseases.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Cattleya mendelii are usually grown in pots or baskets filled with a very thick, loose, quickly drying base that allows the roots to dry quickly after watering (osmunda fibre, sphagnum moss, todea, polypodium fibre and staghorn peat mixed with large lumps of charcoal). It is recommended to use smaller pots sufficient for 1-2 years growth, because the substrate in larger pots stays wet for too long after watering. The result of insufficient quick-drying roots can be their rotting. These plants also grow well attached to pieces of tree fern or cork, but this requires high humidity, and in the summer of daily watering. In the period of extremely hot and dry weather, attached plants may require even several waterings during the day.
Repotting or dividing plants should be done when the growth of new roots begins. This will enable the plant to root in the shortest possible time and avoid weakening. In the event of a violation at the wrong time, many of the two-leafed Cattleya will remain stagnant and eventually die.
Watering:
The state of the air about the plants is a large factor in deciding when and how much to water them. When dry, hot winds are prevalent, frequent and copious waterings will be necessary. On dull days or days when moisture laden winds affect the air, little or no water should be given. On clear, bright sunny days, again, you will need to give your plants a good drenching early in the morning. When it is raining outside the house there is no need for water inside - even if the glass keeps out the actual rain, the air will carry water, which will be absorbed by the plants. When watering, excess water should flow freely from the pot, since stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pan can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant.
A plant on a block or raft can stand practically unlimited water, as the surplus runs off or evaporates very quickly. Baskets also allow very quick drainage, and so can stand liberal water. Pots tend to retain the water, so that a potted plant needs less frequent watering than a basket one. If a pot has its drainage properly arranged so as to allow free exit of surplus water, the plant in it can stand more frequent watering than when the drainage is placed flat in the pot covering the drainage hole.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth of the plant should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. A fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is beneficial from spring to mid-summer, and a phosphorus-rich fertilizer can be used in late summer and autumn.
To prevent the accumulation of mineral deposits, the amount of water equal to 1/10 the volume of the pot must flow freely through the pot at each watering. In order to remove previously accumulated salts, it is necessary to rinse the pot well every 3-4 weeks before next fertilization. First you should normally water the plant and leave the pot for about 30 minutes. The accumulated salts will dissolve during this time. Then rinse the pot once more with clean water in an amount corresponding to the double volume of the pot.
Rest period:
Cattleya mendelii need need a rest period and less water in the winter, especially if they grow under the conditions of a dark, short day that occurs at moderate latitudes. They should dry somewhat between waterings, but they should not be dry for a longer period. Frequent morning fogging and rare, economical watering should allow the plant to go through this period, while providing it with sufficient humidity. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and a more abundant spring watering begins.
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