Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Cattleya 'Why Not' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Mini Purple Cattleya (Cattleya 'Why Not').

More about cattleya 'why not'

About Cattleya 'Why Not'

Cattleya 'Why Not' · also called Mini Purple Cattleya · flowering

Cattleya 'Why Not' is a popular compact hybrid bearing clusters of vivid purple, fragrant flowers on a small, windowsill-friendly plant. It carries the classic Cattleya look in miniature, blooming readily under bright light with a brief dry rest, making it one of the most rewarding small orchids for beginners.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Reluctant to bloom: Most often too little light; brighter conditions and a slight cool, drier rest encourage this free-flowering hybrid to set buds.

The reasons cattleya 'why not' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming cattleya 'why not' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding cattleya 'why not' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get cattleya 'why not' to flower

Maximise sun. Give cattleya 'why not' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for cattleya 'why not' and get the feeding right with the cattleya 'why not' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Cattleya 'Why Not' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full cattleya 'why not' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Cattleya 'Why Not' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my cattleya 'why not' flower?

Cattleya 'Why Not' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make cattleya 'why not' bloom?

Give cattleya 'why not' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does cattleya 'why not' normally bloom?