White pink Cattleya hybrid with big flowers of 10 cm in diameter.
Light
The best place in the home is a south or east, west or lightly-shaded window where the light is bright but not direct. Direct sunlight for long periods can cause burn on the leaves of most orchids. As long as the foliage is not damaged the brighter the light the better. Sunrooms, bay windows or a screened in porch are also good places to grow these. Sufficient light is important for healthy growth and flower production. In a greenhouse, about 30 to 50 percent full sun. Under lights, four 40 watt fluorescent tubes and two 40 watt incandescent bulbs directly over plants. Plants should be naturally erect, without need of much staking, and of a medium olive-green color. Dark green, limp foliage indicates too little light.
Temperature
Mature plants need a 8 to 11 °C difference between night and day. Provide nights of 13 to 16 °C, days of 21 to 29 °C. Cattleyas can tolerate temperatures up to 35 to 38 °C if shading, humidity and air circulation are increased. Seedling cattleyas need temperatures 3 to 6 degrees higher than mature plants. Large standard cattleya require a night time drop in temps to promote flowering their season. If you keep your thermostat the same year round, day and night, your cattleya may not bloom. Keep out of cold, dry air while in bloom. Cattleyas especially must adhere to the common ‘wet-dry cycle’ many orchids need.
Water
Mature plants must dry out between waterings. Seedlings need more constant moisture. When watering these orchids, it is best to drench the potting mix thoroughly and wait until the center of the pot is relatively dry before watering again. Most mature orchids in fir bark-based mixes will need watering no more than once every 5 to 7 days. Smaller pots and miniatures may need water as often as every 4-5 days. The more overgrown or pot-bound your plant is the more water will be needed. If you consistently keep the potting media wet through the middle of the pot, the roots will eventually succumb to rot and the plant will start to decline.
Humidity
Cattleya Hybrid Pink needs 50 to 60 percent humidity. In the home, place on trays over moistened pebbles. In greenhouse, us a humidifier if conditions are too dry. Some growers use "humidity trays" or trays of wet gravel around or under the plants. Pots should not touch the surface of the water.
Fertilizer
Must be provided on a regular basis because most potting media have little, and the exact fertilizer you use will depend on the mix in which your plant is growing. During the active growth, the plants should be fertilized every week with 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. A fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is beneficial from spring to mid-summer, and a phosphorus-rich fertilizer can be used in late summer and autumn. Always water before fertilizing and remember that it is better to under-fertilize rather than to over-fertilize. With the lower light and drier conditions in the home, orchids cannot use as much fertilizer as they can use in the greenhouse and only every 6-8 weeks might be necessary for happy plants.
Potting
Cattleya Hybrid Pink should be potted in a porous, free-draining medium. The most commonly used are fir bark, shredded tree-fern fiber, various types of rock, processed coconut fiber and/or mixes based on peat moss and perlite. Whenever you repot your cattleya, never allow for more than two years worth of growing room. Sometime this means only changing an inch or so in pot size at repotting time, which should be done every two to three years in spring before mix loses consistency (breaks down). Pot firmly in media that have good aeration and ample drainage, allowing enough room for two years' growth. Miniatures and young seedlings should grow in smaller pots with finer media and larger standard sized cattleyas will prefer bigger more open media.