Maxillaria tenuifolia never flowers.

[Exo]

So here is the deal, 3 years back, I bought a Maxillaria tenuifolia and as of today..it has never bloomed, despite being "blooming size" when it came to me. I grow it in my bedroom in a hanging basket in front of a southwest window, and it is summered outside in dappled shade. The first two years I grew it in a sphagnum/medium bark mix, and it grew well, make tons of roots, but never flowered. the past year, I repotted it into a bigger basket (it really was getting large) with miracle grow orchid mix. it has since gotten absolutely massive, and has enough roots to choke a rhino, but again...no flowers. What gives?...I figured this was one of the easy ones?!?

As far as ferts go...I gave it 20-10-20 urea free once a week at 1/4 strength, but since the repot, have given it none, since the stuff already has plenty in it.

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

[cakedaddy]

HA! I hope someone answers this question . I have one too and like yours, it's huge! I got two flowers over the summer...I have been told they are stingy! I'd love to see mine bloom out fully!
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[Exo]

Well...someone on another forum told me that these things need a ton of water compared to some of the other tree dwellers....so there may be a chance that it's not wet enough...I tend to treat it more like a cattleya or oncidium as far as watering and light exposure.

[leafmite]

No idea what makes these bloom. Last year, mine bloomed. This year, I don't see any signs...not to say it won't. Looking forward to learning a little more, too.
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[Exo]

I think it's kinda funny and ironic....it's a plant that everyone seems to grow, but nobody seems to know exactly what makes it tick....puzzling.

[cakedaddy]

Well...someone on another forum told me that these things need a ton of water compared to some of the other tree dwellers....so there may be a chance that it's not wet enough...I tend to treat it more like a cattleya or oncidium as far as watering and light exposure.

I have noticed that if I allow mine to dry for to long, the leaf tips blacken very quickly.Posted via Mobile Device

[pavel]

...I figured this was one of the easy ones?!?

Easy? Orchid? Isn't that an oxymoron? I've actually heard from a surprising number of people that tenu. is not the easiest of plants to bloom.

If Cin (Mollytaco) should happen along, she might have some pearls of wisdom. Hers is huge and generally puts on quite a show. However, the fact that she lives in Florida and, if memory serves, grows hers outside year round does make for radically different conditions than you or I have. I think hers gets quite a bit of sun.

Mine has not bloomed yet this year though it has every year I've had it so far. I only get 2-3 flowers, but considering how badly it gets abused I can't complain. It is a mounted plant that hangs in front of my unobstructed SW facing glass doors. Between being mounted, my 30% R/H, and that it usually gets watered only once a week the plant does have it rough. (Unfortunately, its location on the plant rack makes it very easy not to notice it and thus I forget about it. ) Not surprisingly, it has not grown as much as it otherwise would but it is a trooper and hangs in there. When buds emerge I increase watering.

[walingwaling]

Im in the same boat, they seem to grow easily enough but fail to flower, and i would like to know the trick as well, anybody?

[smurphr]

yall, it is ridiculously simple... no tricks, no gimmicks, hell, no fertilizer required! the one thing yall are all missing... heat! mine is so big im going to have to get a basket custom made for it... i should have done that already over the winter but i fear its too close to summer now and dont want to mess with it now... i'm seeing michigan, ohio, cali...well, ron, you have no excuse! mine is in a simple pressed coconut fiber lined wire basket, i occasionally throw some slow release granules up in it... i have a shoddy auto sprinkler line that goes off once a day in winter, several times a day in summer... so water is a factor, but its the full summer sun and heat the makes this one do her thang...

her name is tina turner, had her for 5 years starting from a single pseudobulb... she has hundreds, hundreds of flowers every summer... the smell is intoxicating and drifts in from the balcony into the house for over a month...all yall kids is needing is water sun and heat...yall yakees need to be mindful of the winter lows and im sure yall are, but dont know where yall gunna find high heat and humidity!

[walingwaling]

Now thats nicely grown from just one pbulb, congrats Shane!
I gotta find me another excuse, oh....i think i have too much heat, lol!