Tolumnia Sylvestris--no blooms

[theanalyst]

Hi everyone! I purchased a tolumnia sylvestris last year (my first tolumnia) in March. It is mounted and the plant itself is doing well, but there have been no blooms over the course of almost a year. Does anyone have light recommendations? All of the sources I've looked at say indirect to bright (that is a big range!). I've had it growing under T5s, but I'm thinking that might be too bright. My other mounted orchid, a gastrochillus, prefers low light. This has me wondering if the tolumnia might as well.

Thoughts?

[Gage]

Originally Posted by theanalyst

Hi everyone! I purchased a tolumnia sylvestris last year (my first tolumnia) in March. It is mounted and the plant itself is doing well, but there have been no blooms over the course of almost a year. Does anyone have light recommendations? All of the sources I've looked at say indirect to bright (that is a big range!). I've had it growing under T5s, but I'm thinking that might be too bright. My other mounted orchid, a gastrochillus, prefers low light. This has me wondering if the tolumnia might as well.

Thoughts?

Tolumnia can take a lot of light. If the foliage hasn't started turning purple, it can take more light. I would give it enough light that you see some purple tinge, but not all of the leaves purple. In my opinion, that should be plenty of light to bloom.

[theanalyst]

Good to know. The leaves aren't dark, they are actually a brighter medium green. I adjusted my timer for the T5 to add a longer period of light.

[Pilot]

I agree with Gage but I'd also like to say that I have Tolies that are purple no matter what and some that stay bright green no matter what! So in the end, experimentation is the only way to reveal what you need to do. I find that my leaves will develop purple spotting along the leave edges when light is high and they enjoy that level. My neostylis does the same thing. It's not bacterial or viral, just reaction to strong light. When they do this I know I hit the sweet spot! I grow mine under t8s so t5s should be able to grow them just fine. May e move the plants and lamps closer to one another?


Ryan

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[glengary54]

sylvestris grows very bright - 3000 - 4000 foot candles, definitely move it closer to the lights

[WhiteRabbit]

I've had one several years, and have grown it with my Tolu hybrids, which do get purple foliage - in high light, however my sylvestris never gets purple foliage and has never bloomed *sigh* IOSPE PHOTOS actually indicates fairly low light for this species, so am trying a keiki in lower light than the parent. Right now the keiki has something which I'm not sure if it's a spike or another keiki coming - it's from between leaf folds rather than base of fan, so hoping perhaps it's a spike, but not holding my breath

[theanalyst]

Thanks everyone! Sonya, I did see that too on orchidspecies.com and that I was wondering if I was giving it too much light. For now, I tried moving it up closer to the light.

Before (you can see it next to the catt):


After:

[WhiteRabbit]

Good luck! Let us know how it goes. Honestly I have never seen posted that someone has got this one to bloom *sigh* Hopefully one of us - hopefully BOTH of us - can get blooms soon!

I left my 'parent' plant outside this winter to see what that may do (I do put it in the garage on the coldest nights) - so far just more keikis. We'll see what the keiki I moved to lower light might be doing - I am trying to not get to hopeful that it may be a spike - I've been fooled before by this plant

[theanalyst]

Well it has been almost a year (end of next month) and still no blooms or purple spotting with the tolumnia in bright light. I'm wondering if I should experiment with lower light.

Anyone else have updates or ideas?


Sarah

[WhiteRabbit]

Wish I could help... I've had one of these several years. Got one bud on it this past spring, for the first time - after leaving it outside and somewhat neglected all winter ... bud dried up without opening . I haven't known anyone that has got this species to bloom