Cold!

It is predicted to hit 24F tonight.  I am leaving my supplemental CFL lighting on all night in an effort to help keep temps above freezing in the "greenhouse". 

Cattleya labiata

Things are not going well.

Yesterday I found two Cattleya maximas with rot.  On each, the lead pseudobulb started turning brown and soft from the top.  I did radical surgery, cutting below the rot.  Also, you can see my C. labiata semi-alba - a mere shadow of last year's blooming.  Colder than normal temps are setting things back.

Pollination

Cattleya warscewiczii

Cattleya warscewiczii is not the easiest plant to grow, but it is spectacular when grown well.  I am going to give it a try.  This bareroot division arrived yesterday.  I think it will start throwing off new roots soon and then I'll have to decide how to pot it.

Baby it's cold outside...

OK, not really.  But it is cold for Cattleyas.  Temps have been getting to low 30s at night which means my half-baked "greenhouse" heating set-up results in temps in the low 40s.  Too cold, but at least the plants won't freeze to death.  One day I'll have a proper greenhouse and maintain temps in low to mid 50s at night.  I'm sure the collection will be much happier.

Primary hybrids

A primary hybrid is the result of cross between two species.  A secondary hybrid is the result of a cross between two primary hybrids (typically when none of the parents of the primaries are shared - i.e., there are four species represented in a secondary hybrid, each contributing 25% of the genes). 

Modern Cattleya hybrids usually are very complex but obviously in the early days of hybridization it was all primary hybrids.  People are fond of primary hybrids because they retain much of the charm of species but tend to be more vigorous.  Many of these plants were lovely (to read the descriptions from the old gardening literature) but are now lost.  They would have to re-created.

Here is a web site listing several primary hybrids.  You will not recognize most of the names.

Of course, Arthur Chadwick's articles regularly mention primaries that are currently unavailable.