How to take care of the newly bought Cattleya

1. Lighting

Newly bought Cattleya should be placed in a room with sufficient diffused light and away from direct sunlight. In summer, at least 50% of the light should be blocked, but not too much shade should be provided. In other seasons, more sunlight should be given to the plant, otherwise it will affect the differentiation of flower buds and make it difficult to bloom.

2. Temperature

The most suitable growth temperature for Cattleya is 25-32℃. It is particularly afraid of cold. It is best to keep the temperature above 16℃ in winter. If it is below 16℃, control the water appropriately. If it is below 5℃, it will probably die.

3. Watering

Merchants often use sphagnum moss to cultivate Cattleya. You can usually put your hand into the sphagnum moss, feel the sphagnum moss become dry, watch the roots of the plant turn white, then slowly water the sphagnum moss thoroughly, or soak the pot thoroughly.

4. Humidity

Cattleya is an epiphytic orchid, which has extremely high requirements for air humidity. It is best to keep the humidity above 60% all year round. You can spray water around the plant frequently to artificially increase the air humidity, but you must ensure that the maintenance environment must be ventilated and avoid stuffiness.

5. Fertilization

Cattleya likes thin fertilizer, and using sphagnum moss as a substrate actually has little nutrients. It is necessary to apply thin fertilizer frequently during the growth period of the plant to help the plant bloom. A small amount of slow-release fertilizer granules can be buried in the sphagnum moss at the edge of the pot, and then provide nutrients to Cattleya as you water it.

6. Matrix

As Cattleya grows, if the plant grows too large and the flowerpot is too small, you can replace the substrate in early spring. Find a ceramic pot, pad the bottom of the pot with expanded clay, replace it with new sphagnum moss mixed with bark and replant it.