Coucals Garden

Cattleyas include, Laelias, Rhyncolaelia syn Brassavolas and Sophronitis

These orchids belong to the same alliance and have been interbred to form hybrids and are usually labelled SLC or BLC according to their inter-generic breeding.

§Grow well outside in Brisbane and they love air movement

§Are Epiphytic therefore will grow on trees

§Can be grown in pots or hanging baskets

§Require shade in Summer and some require more shade than others

§Orchid bark is used as medium

§They are sympodial, which means they have multiple stems connecting like a rhizome with pseudo bulbs

§Like all epiphytic orchids they like to be wet, then dry, before wet again, but NOT constantly moist.

§They love our summer humidity and will take more water then.

§Like all sub-tropical plants they must be kept drier in winter.

§I NEVER fertilise my orchids. By growing them outside under the Wisteria, the leaves and spent flowers drop into the pots and baskets and then wash through them.

They flower due to the hours of light in a day and will flower at the same time each year.

POTTING
·Is best done between September and March

·Use a pot that will just accommodate their roots

·The plant should be no deeper in the pot than it was previously

·Terracotta pots or wire hanging baskets are best

·Make sure that the pseudo bulbs are above the potting mix

·Align the ‘rhizome’ so that the lead has room for growth

·Keep moist and a little shadier until new growth appears

PROPOGATION
·They are propagated by division

·Once the plant has outgrown the largest size basket

·Shake off all the old potting mix and gently untangle the roots

·It is advisable to have at least 2 leads per plant

·Cut the rhizome cleanly with clean secateurs

·Repot the division into a pot that just accommodates its roots

·If you have ‘bits’ of stems left over, these could be re-potted into very small pots