Question

sick catt   Wayne, I noticed that this cat had 2 bloom spikes in July, I waited and waited...they eventually dried up.. In September i noticed another spike..like the 2 before it also dried up..any ideas? I bought her with blooms and she is healthy looking... its just that the sheaths dry up... the spike to the right of the pic is the latest one... the one in the middle I peeled apart to see whats going on inside..

Answer
Marita, some types of cattleya orchids have a flowering habit of forming a flower sheath.  This will eventually dry up'  Buds will subsequently form inside of the dried up sheath and emerge from it.  This type of orchid, forms its sheath in the fall with buds to emerge in the spring.  Many think that when the sheath dries up the plant will not flower.  The purpose of the sheath is to protect the buds as they develop.  By cutting the sheath, water may get inside and rot thee buds.