Cattleya Bob Betts 'White Lightning'

[PeteM]

Cattleya Bob Betts 'White Lightning', I picked this up online from Hauserman Orchids last December, 2019.
IMO one of the best deals online. I'm not sure where else you can pick up a few different 5-6 inch mature and famous white Cattleya for these prices. I also tested for virus and everything I purchased was clean. Great to have on display around the house when they bloom.
WHITE CATTLEYAS: Orchids By Hausermann

 

[Pinebark]

Beautiful!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Good to see a classic cattleya in full glory and virused free! She escaped the pandemic lol.

 

[Ozpaph]

beautiful classic

 

[southernbelle]

Cattleya Bob Betts 'White Lightning', I picked this up online from Hauserman Orchids last December, 2019.
IMO one of the best deals online. I'm not sure where else you can pick up a few different 5-6 inch mature and famous white Cattleya for these prices. I also tested for virus and everything I purchased was clean. Great to have on display around the house when they bloom.
WHITE CATTLEYAS: Orchids By Hausermann

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Gorgeous. I’ve got one that I’ve almost killed, but it’s coming back slowly. Congrats, great bloom!

 

[Guldal]

Lovely!

 

[My Green Pets]

That's awesome, I love the long, thin tube and pristine white! I have Bob Betts 'White Lightning' x Bow Bells 'Snowflake' = Cattleya José Martí which, as I understand it, tends to bloom in late spring. It's got three new growths on it so maybe I'll get blooms. Even more excited now that you've shared your photos of its gorgeous parent.

 

[PeteM]

She bloomed while I was away on vacation and unfortunately, I was unable to add the needed space between the flowers. But, still a lovely fragrance and I am enjoying the blooms in the grow room. 4 flowers from two sheaths. There was a third sheath that aborted.

Not sure what to do with all these rambling roots. I was thinking to try to divide during the next flush of roots and see if the roots stay in the pot more with a different media.. aiming for a grodan mix.. this could possible help all sheaths complete the bloom cycle next round if there is more access to resources with grodan vs the current kiwi bark mix? TBD,.. I’m open to suggestions / recommendations.

 

[southernbelle]

Wow, those are some roots! I grow it in an orchiata, charcoal and perlite mix in plastic and try to coax new roots down into the mix. Sometimes covering them early on with a little moss helps. I dont know about in clay, but in plastic I could never grow catts in grodan. How about a layer of grodan on top?

 

[PeteM]

Wow, those are some roots! I grow it in an orchiata, charcoal and perlite mix in plastic and try to coax new roots down into the mix. Sometimes covering them early on with a little moss helps. I dont know about in clay, but in plastic I could never grow catts in grodan. How about a layer of grodan on top?

Hmm. Great idea. Who says you can’t mix the two,.. a moss/ grodan like layer on top of the new flush of roots might keep them headed down into the pot. Thanks.

 

[Just1more]

She bloomed while I was away on vacation and unfortunately, I was unable to add the needed space between the flowers. But, still a lovely fragrance and I am enjoying the blooms in the grow room. 4 flowers from two sheaths. There was a third sheath that aborted.

Not sure what to do with all these rambling roots. I was thinking to try to divide during the next flush of roots and see if the roots stay in the pot more with a different media.. aiming for a grodan mix.. this could possible help all sheaths complete the bloom cycle next round if there is more access to resources with grodan vs the current kiwi bark mix? TBD,.. I’m open to suggestions / recommendations.



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I want to show this plant to my Bob Bettes, maybe it’ll know what it’s .supposed to be doing!!!

 

[My Green Pets]

Wow, so cool that it's blooming at the same time as last year. Love that consistency! And the flowers look so much thicker and chunkier this year! Wonderful!

 

[Silverwhisp]

Fabulous! Mine’s spiking now with two sheaths. Got it in-person from Hausermann’s this past March, selected from *hundreds* of Bob Betts’s. No exaggeration.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

She bloomed while I was away on vacation and unfortunately, I was unable to add the needed space between the flowers. But, still a lovely fragrance and I am enjoying the blooms in the grow room. 4 flowers from two sheaths. There was a third sheath that aborted.

Not sure what to do with all these rambling roots. I was thinking to try to divide during the next flush of roots and see if the roots stay in the pot more with a different media.. aiming for a grodan mix.. this could possible help all sheaths complete the bloom cycle next round if there is more access to resources with grodan vs the current kiwi bark mix? TBD,.. I’m open to suggestions / recommendations.



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Roots head to where water is most of the time. In your case, it’s likely more in the air or surroundings more than the pot. Either use more water retentive media inside pot like scattered moss on top or cubes/perlite/moss inside pot.

I grow my catt spp in semi water culture with clay pellets at bottom sitting on little water and roots head inside 85-90 percent of the time.

 

[southernbelle]

Roots head to where water is most of the time. In your case, it’s likely more in the air or surroundings more than the pot. Either use more water retentive media inside pot like scattered moss on top or cubes/perlite/moss inside pot.

I grow my catt spp in semi water culture with clay pellets at bottom sitting on little water and roots head inside 85-90 percent of the time.

So, Leslie, I want to make sure I understand you correctly. Do you put a layer of Leca at the bottom of the pot, then bark mix? I use an Orchiata, charcoal, perlite mix and grow with 55-60% humidity. I have minimal roots that go crazy, but I do try to coax new ones into the mix. It’s mainly the climbing species create problems with air roots. I have used moss on top of the climbing species in an attempt to coast them down.

 

[abax]

I've grown many "rooty" Catts. in baskets, hanging in the gh and let the roots go where
they will. Coco fiber worked well for me. I did have to mist the roots every couple of
days. Water throughly every week or so depending on the weather. Very easy.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

So, Leslie, I want to make sure I understand you correctly. Do you put a layer of Leca at the bottom of the pot, then bark mix? I use an Orchiata, charcoal, perlite mix and grow with 55-60% humidity. I have minimal roots that go crazy, but I do try to coax new ones into the mix. It’s mainly the climbing species create problems with air roots. I have used moss on top of the climbing species in an attempt to coast them down.

Yes they are layered: bottom inch or two with LECA clay pellets (this part sits in its own tray of water), middle 2/3 with bark/perlite/charcoal (BPC), and thin moss on top (allow some holes between moss layer for water to pass through).

 

[southernbelle]

Yes they are layered: bottom inch or two with LECA clay pellets (this part sits in its own tray of water), middle 2/3 with bark/perlite/charcoal (BPC), and thin moss on top (allow some holes between moss layer for water to pass through).

You mean holes in side of pot between moss layer and bark layer? Thanks!

 

[southernbelle]

I've grown many "rooty" Catts. in baskets, hanging in the gh and let the roots go where
they will. Coco fiber worked well for me. I did have to mist the roots every couple of
days. Water throughly every week or so depending on the weather. Very easy.

Angela, I’m doing that now with a B. digbyana. It’s starting to grow quite well after a few months. I did cover new roots on the surface with moss. I just water every 7 days. So far so good.
I’m not fond of the fact that when it outgrows it’s basket, you have to put the whole thing basket and all in a bigger basket. What happens when there are no more bigger baskets?

 

[DrLeslieEe]

You mean holes in side of pot between moss layer and bark layer? Thanks!

No, I mean leave holes on top of bark without moss areas. Like pot holes on moss lol.