My Brassavola nodosa has NEVER bloomed ! Help !

[NeoNJ]

Has anyone grown and bloomed a Brassavola nodosa?
I've had this plant for about 6-years, and it has never bloomed. The plant is mounted and it is large. I even summered it outdoors last summer. I don't know, maybe I'm not doing something right, but this Orchid has never bloomed for me........Am I missing something here ???

[dounoharm]

nodosa, like all the brassavolas, likes extremely high light, and drying out between waterings....even tho you had it outside, it might have had too much shade....gl this year!

[johnsaquatics]

Agreed, increase the light!

[NeoNJ]

I had this orchid outdoors all summer in Full sunlight. There was no shade. The leaves got purple from the sunlight. So I know it received enough Light. I just don't know what more this orchid needs to Bloom. I've had this orchid for about 6-years and it's never bloomed.....

[lepanthes89]

Try a little fertilizer when in active growth, and continue the good light.

[Lars Kurth]

I have a similar issue with my B nodosa. It's in the gable of the greenhouse and does have reddish leaves from the sun. It grows well and the small flower sheats develop, but it has never flowered. All my other Brassavolas flower regularly. Maybe the plant is not getting enough winter sun. If so, there is little I can do...

[silken]

I just checked Orchid Wiz and one thing that stands out in Charles Baker's info is that most of B. nodosa's habitat experiences a pronounced winter dry spell from 1 to 6 months. He then says that cultivated plants should be given at least a 2 week dry period to mature growths and induce flowering. He also suggests a low nitrogen/high phosphate fertilizer in autumn which encourages new growths to harden before winter and improves blooms the next season. He says humidity should be 80% year round and plants can be mounted so long as high humidity can be maintained and they can be watered at least once daily in the summer.

Hope that helps.

[Cattleya17]

Hey!!!! Buck up! I have a Nodosa ive had for 7 plus years and its just bloomed for me for the first time its medium sized! but when it blooms it will bloom big time!!!! Mine has 5 spikes right now!!! I bought it as a bag baby. it could be that the plant is still slightly immature. Mine did the same thing it grew little sheaths and then nothing! i was about to throw mine out until i noticed the little sheath had buds emerging! Before now i roasted the thing in full sun this summer and nothing! its been sitting in the back of my light shelf with me wanting to throw it out and then boom! It could be immature Give it a little more time and don't give up! even the old sheaths that dried up are sending up stems. they only have one flower but the new sheaths two stems have made 4 flowers each!

[Daethen]

Well, if you give up on it, let me know!! I will give it a try for a few years.

[Lorraine]

You say it's mounted? How much water is it getting on the mount? I have several mounted that get watered in the warmer weather often and fertilized each week. When it's hot they get it every day. Also if it is large take a division off it to give it a little then