Q: My cattleya are sending up only one flower bud per sheath whereas in the pass there were three or four. I have been fertilizing more often. Also, some plants just don’t want to send out roots from the new growths. They have done downhill. Should I try a rooting material?

A: The paucity of flowers is a sign of poor growth. The “root” of the problem is the poor rooting. If the roots die on entering the medium, it could be soluble salts. Leach the pots and reduce your fertilizing program. If the plants are not producing roots at all, then you may be keeping them too dry.