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Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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Posted by poseyplanter 5A IL (My Page) on Fri, Feb 6, 09 at 21:37
| Hi Everyone!
I bought a Maxillaria tenuifolia a couple months ago from Hausermann’s Orchids in Villa Park, IL. From what I’ve read, they bloom in summer, but I noticed three flower buds while watering today.
Is my Max mixed up? It’s growing in an east-facing window supplemented with fluorescent tubes above and to one side that are burned about 14 hours daily.
Whatever it is, I’m delighted! The more orchids blooming in the house in winter, the better! Yippee!
Regards,
PoseyPlanter |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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| The plant may think it is summer after what is probably a big increase in nighttime temperature. If you are lucky it may bloom again in summer. |
RE: Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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| Hi Richard! Thank you for your reply! Hmm, interesting. I did notice when I was at Hausermann’s that the greenhouse was fairly cool during the day. It would be interesting to find out the temperature range they keep during the winter nights. After I purchased the plant, I was also experimenting with dropping the nighttime temperature in the house to about 62F, hoping to encourage a favorite Aliceara to develop spikes, without distressing the warmer growing plants. I did this for about a month, and then brought the night temps up to 69F because some of the warmer growing plants were beginning to show signs of distress/rot even though I had been careful to keep them dryer through the night. Perhaps, the combination of things has induced the Max to bloom. Regards,
PoseyPlanter |
RE: Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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| I bought a Max. tenuifolia from Oak Hill about three years ago, and it always blooms at this time of year. I had 42 blooms on it last spring! Right now, I see three buds that could open within days, and several other small ones still within the sheaths. Mine is also in an east/slightly south-facing window (we're on a curve in the road) and I also have a few CFL's for supplements. Since I keep it right in the sill, it feels all the drastic temp. changes more acutely. So it's supposed to bloom in early summer-in its native habitat (from Mexico to Nicaragua, whose seasons are different from ours altogether). So? I love the cheer in the gloomy months! Congrats on the blooms! |
RE: Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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| Hi Have no buds on mine (s.florida) but has grown a lot.
New family for me I go more for the floofy orchids as a rule but was given to me last summer.
A neighbor ruined it for me about the aroma. She said it smelled like crayolas when I thought coconut lol Now crayola is all i can smell lol. gary |
RE: Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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| One of mine is starting to bud up. They usually start blooming from Feb through June, here any way |
RE: Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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| Mine blooms the first week in May every year. I guess that's when both night and day time temps in the greenhouse really start to warm up to what it likes. One year, about four or five years ago, it didn't bloom until the end of June for reasons I can't fathom. But I have had this plant for at least ten years and early May is its bloom season. I have heard of another cultivar that doesn't bloom at all. A friend has one at least the same size as mine which has never bloomed to his frustration. Good luck with all your (early) bloomers! |
RE: Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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Hi
Mine was in flower when given to me was in May ,had been hanging in a pool encloure for several years. I put it in my shadehouse with a lot more light Seems to be handling the "cool " weather though I brought it into the house at 35 lol, went through 40 twice .
Since her"early " bloomer is growing in the house under lights I'd bet it got more light and a heck of a lot more warmth than mine lol. I find a lot of orchids don't folllow 12 month cycles even though they are distinctly lowland tropicals. have a C. skinneri in full flower right now though it's always flowered in March.. More cold this year and probably more light I'm thinking?? Anyway, one 8 feet away is not flowering at all. Should be budding if it's going to make March lol gary |
RE: Mixed Up Maxillaria? Blooming Now in N IL?
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Mine blooms in early April. No signs of buds yet on my Max but all of my phals have spiked. One is putting out two spikes of equal length and two other phal spikes produced branches this year. I love branched phals so I'm really excited to see them in full bloom. All are well over a foot long and a few have the buds swelling so maybe in another 3 or 4 weeks:-D
What prompts a phal to branch out their spikes. The two mentioned were both standard spikes last year. One of them missed a bloom period last year but the other one didn't. Both plants are a lot bigger this spring so maybe it's just a maturity thing. They do LOVE Texas sun! |
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