It’s hard to say for sure, but I think since the plant did flower, even if less than expected , you are doing fine.

It could be that the other growths weren’t large enough to flower. Were they smaller than the one that flowered? The new growths might be from dormant buds on older growths and might not be strong enough to flower yet.

Do you have a tag with a name for the plant. Some Cattleyas have a sheath that grows with the new leaf, some produce a sheath after the leaf matures.

No, actually all of the growth was the same size. And I could see the buds developing as the pseudobulbs matured. But they began turning black, and stopped growing. This plant always grows sheaths, which is why I founded strange. Other cattleyas will not grow sheaths if in the shade, but this one can’t have more sun or it will burn. The leaves are as yellow green as they can get.

Can it be the cultivar?

i can’t get the label. It is somewhere deep in the pot.

The pot is really huge. The plant weights about 20 pounds . It’s a large clay pot.. if it is really necessary, I will try finding it tomorrow.

How about not flowering after the sheath dries. This is another thing I am seeing. When blooming time, I would see the Dead dried sheaths getting full inside and then blooms coming out. But now dried sheaths means no blooms. Could this be insects killing the blooms? Why did the buds turn black and died on this plant. Is that normal?

what is the temperature range for your plant?

What is the potting mix and when was the last time it was re potted. Cattleya can be sensitive to calcium and magnesium deficiencies. Decomposing bark can block the plant from absorbing calcium which can effect bud development. I believe a high nitrogen fertilizer can also have the same effect.

I really don’t know the temperature range but I live in central Florida right now. The temperatures here are great for cattleyas. So I really don’t think it’s the temperature.

The potting mix is also good. Is bark and large pieces of perlite. i have seen a lot of thrips come and kill my vanda flowers. So I have a serious thrip problem. So buds turning black is probably the thrips getting to them. But the dried sheaths not coming with flowers. Could trips find a way to get inside the dried sheaths and munch on the dormant buds?

To control thrips I use Listerine. But I am afraid if I use it on tender buds I will end up killing them.

I use orthene, a systemic. It last 15 to 20 days. Use the powder, not the oil! That is your flower problem, thrips. Different cattleyas have different behavior with the sheaths. If you could track down the parentage and the sheath behavior... But it is no big deal. Where in Florida do you live Sam? I live in Stuart, Fl.

Thrips seems like the likely culprit, but it seems odd that the 2 flowers you did get weren't touched. I don't have thrips in my area so maybe that's normal ?

I have never heard of using Listerine as an insecticide, only as an anti fungal or bacterial treatment, I don't know if it would do much as an insecticide.

If you do use an insecticide, remember to rotate the type you use so they don't build up tolerance. I would also check nearby landscape plants and treat them as well.

Actually, when I saw them turning black, I took the plant inside. Then I sprayed it with listerine. That one was saved before it got damage. Oh boy, powder pesticides are really bad for you. You should avoid that. Listening works on most insects. Sometimes you need more than one application if they are too many. But it works.

thank you guys for your help. So what I learn is that some cattleya orchids deploy sheaths when they grow their pseudobulbs and some don’t. Can I know which cattleyas don’t? All of the catleyas I have deploy sheaths. But is that is the case then, my cattleya must be a hybrid between one that does, and one that doesn’t. This can explain why sometimes sheaths are form and sometimes they don’t.

My town a couple of years ago started to be sprayed with some type of pesticide that has killed all of the frogs, snails, slugs, large ants, most earthworms, and almost all of the ladybugs. Probably other good insects too, which is why it is difficult to grow orchid flowers outside now. I used to, but not now. I would have contacted the EPA about this terrible occurrence, but the EPA is basically dead. It is sad to see such a large country that has no environmental police.