Looking for an easy way of growing Cattleya Warscewiczii but don’t know where to start?
Don’t worry, as in this comprehensive care guide we take you through a step-by-step approach using decades of experience growing this orchid in greenhouses all over the world.
Contents
Cattleya Warscewiczii: Roots, Flowers, and Stems
Cattleya Warscewiczii is an orchid species originally from the tropic mainland of Colombia.
It is world-famous famous for its large-sized flowers and foliage. Learn how to identify its parts below:
- Cattleya Warscewiczii is one of the largest Cattleya species. The pseudobulbs that arise from its roots being thick, cigar-shaped and about eight to fifteen inches tall.
- It also produces approximately seventeen inches long inflorescences with each flower spike producing around ten flowers each. The flower spikes tend to be vertical rather than horizontal as compared to the rest of Cattleya orchids.
- The flowers of Cattleya Warscewiczii are huge: in full bloom, they will measure twelve inches across from one petal tip to another. These tend to be fragrant and textured to touch.
- Cattleya Warscewiczii petals and sepals are pale rosy pink in color whereas the lip is a contrasting dark purple with yellow spots on it.
Cattleya Warscewiczii Care: Tips for a Healthy Orchid
This orchid is known for being a survivor species and possessing the ability to get by with only the minimum possible care. You can learn to care for them the right way below.
– Light Requirements: How Much Light Do They Need?
All Cattleyas need loads of light to use as an energy source and Warscewiczii are no exception either.
- This orchid needs to be placed somewhere where it is exposed to shaded or indirect light for the most part of the day. You will have to keep them indoors in a brightly lit room.
- You can keep them near an eastern or southern-facing window so that they can get the much-coveted early morning and late evening sunlight.
- Do not place them under direct sunlight or near a western window for extended durations of time. This light is too harsh and will cause sunburn and stunted growth.
- If you cultivate orchids in a basement or live somewhere where natural light is hard to come by, you can easily use LED or fluorescent lights to make up for a lack of natural ones.
- If you plan on putting Cattleya Warscewiczii in a garden, place them strategically near a tree or larger plant that will shade it from direct sun exposure.
- You can easily tell whether your orchids are receiving the right amount of light by observing the color of the leaves. Yellow leaves are a sign of sunburn whereas dark green leaves indicate that the light requirements of your orchid are not being fulfilled. Ideally, your orchid should have light green colored leaves.
– Water Requirements
The only thing you need to be careful of while caring for Cattleya Warscewiczii is to provide regular, copious water to them.
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Water for Potted Cattleya Warscewiczii
- For potted orchids, you should choose a pot and potting medium that allows for rapid and thorough drainage of water.
- Pour copious amounts of water each time. Allow it to drain off the plant completely.
- Let the substrate and the plant dry completely before watering the next time.
- Keeping the orchid and the substrate moist most of the time will lead to root rot and other infections.
- Initially, try to keep a track of how long it takes for your potting substrate to dry after each watering cycle. Then schedule your watering accordingly. You will probably only need to water Cattleya Warscewiczii two or three times per week.
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Water for Mounted Cattleya Warscewiczii
If you keep your orchids mounted bare-rooted on corks or baskets, then you can water them daily as excess water will simply flow off. However, you still need to be careful that the roots and stems don’t stay moist for too long.
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Changing Water Requirements With Surrounding Conditions
The conditions of your surroundings also play a factor in how much water you should give your Cattleyas. If the outside air is dry and hot, Warscewiczii will need to be water more often. Similarly, if you live in a humid, wet location, you will need to water quite judiciously.
– Temperature
A characteristic common to all Cattleyas is the fact that they need a temperature drop from day to night in order to stimulate their flower buds to bloom. Read below to learn the ideal temperatures needed for Cattleya Warscewiczii and how to maintain them during the day.
Ideal daytime temperatures during summer are 77 to 82 Fahrenheit. Whereas nighttime ones are from 59 to 62 Fahrenheit.
During summer, you can get the day to night drop in temperature by keeping them near an open window or under a fan at night. Or you can decrease the daytime temperature to ensure a significant temperature difference from day to night-time.
Keeping them in a temperature-controlled air-conditioned room is a luxury not all can afford but if you can spare the expenses, we highly recommend it.
– Soil
No plant grows or blooms unless you plant it in the soil of its choice. The soil and potting medium requirements of Cattleya Warscewiczii are pretty simple.
You can learn all about it here.
- You can grow Cattleya Warscewiczii by either potting them in pots or mounting them in baskets or corks.
- If you plan on potting them, the first step is to choose the right pot. Your pot should have good drainage and aeration. Choose clay pots or make holes in plastic ones for this purpose.
- Pots should also be of the right size; neither too large nor too small. We suggest you buy a pot that will last you for at least one to two years of future growth.
- Cattleya Warscewiczii grows best in a potting medium that is thick, loose and dries rapidly. Orchid lovers recommend a variety of media that works equally great: osmunda fiber, polypodium fiber, sphagnum moss, staghorn peat all mixed with large chunks of charcoal.
- Alternatively, you can take medium-sized pieces of tree barks or corks and attach your Warscewiczii to them. Or hang them in baskets near a window.
You Can Grow Them at Home
Now that you know the right surrounding conditions for Cattleyas, it is time to finally start growing them by yourself.
– Seeds
- Buy good quality seeds from any nursery or a greenhouse near you.
- Initially keep them in flasks submerged under a nutritional medium under high humidity and temperature conditions.
- Remember that patience is the most important step here because it will take years before the plant grows and starts flowering.
– Blooming Time
Cattleya Warscewiczii bloom during the hot months of summer, bringing a fresh feel to your homes or greenhouses through their vibrant flowers and foliage.
– Repotting
Repotting cattleya warscewiczii should be done either when the orchid stops flowering or when new growths start to emerge from the roots. Choose a pot that is only slightly larger than the last one.
Take special care not to damage the roots during repotting.
In the case of mounted orchids, simply add a new piece of cork or fern to the old one.
– Humidity
Cattleya Warscewiczii requires seventy to eight percent humidity levels at all times.
To provide such high levels at home or even in greenhouses, you should definitely invest in a quality humidifier.
– Fertilizer
Cattleya Warscewiczii should be fertilized every week with a fertilizer high in nitrogen content.
Our florists recommend using only one-half the usual strength of orchid fertilizers.
In pots, fertilizer use can lead to salt build-up in the potting media. You should flush them out once a month by flowing water equal to one-tenth the volume of the pot through the pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the distinguishing features of Cattleya Warscewiczii?
Distinguishing features of Cattleya Warscewiczii include large, showy flowers with a bright lip and a distinctive frilled or ruffled edge, as well as pseudobulbs with one or two leaves.
2. How do I make sure my Cattleya Warscewiczii gets enough air circulation?
To ensure adequate air circulation for Cattleya Warscewiczii, provide good ventilation, avoid overcrowding, and maintain a temperature range of 60-80°F.
3. How do I make sure my Cattleya Warscewiczii gets enough nutrients in a hydroponic system?
To provide sufficient nutrients for Cattleya Warscewiczii in a hydroponic system, use a balanced fertilizer with essential macronutrients, monitor pH levels, and replace nutrient solution regularly.
Conclusion: Let’s Recap
We have now covered everything important there was to know about growing Cattleya Warscewiczii at home. The most important points to remember are as follows:
- Cattleya Warscewiczii is an orchid from Colombia that produces as many as ten large-sized flowers on vertical stems.
- The flowers are pale pink with a purple lip and tend to produce a faint smell.
- It needs a regular amount of abundant watering. Let the plant and the substrate dry in between each watering cycle.
- Provide an average daytime temperature of 77 to 82 Fahrenheit for most of the year. Make sure there is a drop of at least fifteen Fahrenheit from day to night to ensure bud bloom.
- Plant them in a loose, quick-drying potting medium with chunks of charcoal.
- Cattleya Warscewiczii likes to be under indirect bright light for sixty percent of the time. If natural light is scarce, substitute with good quality LED lights.
- Humidity levels up to seventy to eight percent are required at all times. Invest in a good humidifier.
- Fertilize every week. Flush out built-up salts by thoroughly watering
- once a month.
- When cultivating seeds, use a flask.
- Repot when new growth emerges.
Waste no more time. Buy a couple of bulbs of this orchid and get to work! We promise it will be totally worth the effort.
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