Question
QUESTION: I forgot to include in my first question about my catlleyas which are also outdoors.They are in pots, not like the vandas which are just hanging in the breeze. Can I also leave my catlleyas outdoors even in the rainy season where they might get wet more often. I am reading some articles which says that if the roots don't dry out they will rot. Problem is, I do not want to bring them indoors due to space problems.

ANSWER: Steve, the issue here for leaving them outside is the nature and state of the potting mix.  I would go with a poting mix that contains a medium to coarse grade of fir bark. I would also be sure to repot into that type of mix whenever you see new growth coming.  I assume that you are growing the cattleyas in clay pots which also helps to dry out the potting mix.  Again, watch out for temperature drops. Most cattleyas prefer temperatures above 55 degrees.  Growing cattleyas outdoors is a great way to grow them.  Just be sure to keep them well off from the ground where slugs, snails and other pests can damage them.  Be sure to inspect them a couple of times per week for early detection of pests.

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QUESTION: I do what needs to be done I think to care for these plants. I fertilize with 20-20-20 3 times a month weakly and once a month with bloom booster weakly.I have them for almost 2 years now and they only had flowers when I bought them. After that, no more. They are as I've said outdoors, eastern exposure but no direct sun hitting them. I water when the media ,which is coconut husk and charcoal, is almost dry. What keeps them from not flowering . Thank you so much again.

Steve

ANSWER: Tell me more Steve. Do the new growths form sheaths?  Are they bifoliate or unifoliate?  Are the newest growths as large or larger than the previous growths?  When they flowered, what time of the year was it?  Do you have a name tag for these plants and,if so, what are the names?  Are the newest leaves dark green or light green?  What is the annual temperature range to which they are exposed?

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QUESTION: Yes they form sheaths. I do not know what bifoliate means,sorry.Yes the new growths are as large. I can't remember but I'm guessing it was May.No name tag.New leaves are light green. Annual temp is between 20 and 30 degrees centigrade. Lots of windy days, not the ordinary light breeze but windy breeze of maybe 5 to 10 kmh.
Thanks

Answer
The most likely reason for not setting buds is that the temperature was not low enough at the time of sheath formation.  Some cattleyas require a temperature of 10-15 degress C when forming sheaths to set buds. Most likely your cattleyas are intergeneric which means they are a combination of two or more genera.  The Laeliacattleyas (LC) require cooler temperatures than the cattleyas and the sophrolaeliacattleyas (SLC)require the coolest temperatures of all. The latter are usually red flowered as the result of incorporating the cool growing genus sophronitis. See if you can find a way to drop the temperature to at least 15 degrees for several weeks during sheath formation.

Bifoliate cattleyas develop two to three leaves per pseudobulb.