Plant of the Month - Cattleya Toshi Aoki ‘Starburst’

Cattleya Toshi Aoki 'Starburst', August 2024 lights/windowsill-grown Plant of the Month

Photo courtesy of Joan Goodman

An interview with the grower, George Titterton

By John Hockberger

George, what’s the name of your plant?

George — Cattleya Toshi Aoki Starburst

How long have you had this plant?

George — Four years.

What spectacular color! What would you tell somebody who says, “Well, I’m not sure whether I can grow Cattleyas.” What are the conditions that you grow in?

George — Bright light. It gets good light all winter as well as summer. It’s always a late summer bloomer and I think that’s because of what is in its background. It’s parentage probably has a little dowiana, which is yellow and red and that’s a species so I’m thinking that’s a summer bloomer and it’s always between now (mid August) and late summer.

Do you remember where you got the plant?

George — I bought it on eBay.

What media is it in?

George — It’s in bark mixed with some perlite.

What’s your watering regimen?

George — Once a week.

Do you run water through it?

George — I water it water in the sink. I soak it at least two times with just water. Then finally a third with food but because it’s outside, it’s been getting more rain water and not as much food outside.

Is there any Particular thing that you think you do that’s unusual because you’re very good with Cattleyas?

George — A lot of sun. I mean they’re in south facing windows. They get a lot of direct sun. Very good bright light.

So this one gets direct until about noon and then just strong diffuse light the rest of the day?

George — Correct. In the afternoon the sun is blocked by the building, but it still gets all that bright overhead light.

Would say it’s an easy or harder plant to keep?

George — Easy

How many blooms do you typically get in a cycle?

George — I can’t really answer that because I used to have a different variety that was more floriferous and had more new growth come out of it and did better. This one’s a little harder than that one.

Is this the only plant of its type that you have?

George — It’s the only one I have now. I lost the other one.

Do you know what went wrong with the other one?

George — It fell 3 floors and crashed and burned!

That would really do in most plants!

George — Yeah. It was not good.