Brassavola nodosa .... Newbie needs Help!

[NeoNJ]

I've had this Brassavola nodosa for years....it's never bloomed. It's large. It's mounted. It's grown and grown, but never bloomed. Since I've never bloomed it, I don't know where the flower spike initiate .....right now alot of the leaves have "sheath" and a small green spike (?) appearing under the sheath. Could this be a flower spike or inflorescence ? Right now it is growing in a Southeast window and also under supplemental CFL lighting.......

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[POLKA]

howdy
where the leaf comes out of the "stem" is the top of the pseudobulb in a nodosa -- and it is where that junction is that you will find the sheath, and the spike will come out of the top of that sheath.

If all things being good, and equal, if it doesn't bloom, try more light in the next growing cycle. Mine blooms all at once (usually) in late June, early July -- but it has bloomed at just about any time once it is very large and mature. Keep it warm, moist, and very bright.

You're gonna love it when it bursts forth!

And then take it into your bedroom, at night, with the lights off -- that is when the perfume is intoxicating!!

Take care
May all your orchids bloom like crazy

Rex

[tuvoc]

Light is the key to get these guys to bloom. Mine goes outside for the summer, in almost totally full sun. I always loose a few leaves to sunburn at first, but around July and August, it blooms like crazy.

Kim

[NeoNJ]

Thanks Kim, LOL. Funny thing is, I summered this plant outdoors all of last Summer, and still nothing !
So somehow I'm thinking LIGHT is not the factor that prevented this orchid from blooming....
can you think of anything else that may have caused this to happen ???

Thanks.

[tuvoc]

Hmmm, I'm not sure, but let me give it a try. I feed mine pretty heavily all year, and as Rex mentioned, keep it moist, especially since yours is mounted. A lot of people say let them dry between waterings as you would for Catts, but I treat mine more like Phals, never totally dry. Hope this helps a little.

Kim

[NeoNJ]

Well, I did let it spend the Winter very Dry and Cool - No Water - I don't know if this had something to do with it. I had read that Brassavola needed a "Cool/Dry Rest" over the Winter. I am now feeding it pretty regularly, and the roots are growing like mad...

[POLKA]

Howdy
how long have you had yours?

Mind was a little bitty piece in 2001, and it only bloomed for me in about 2006 -- sometimes it just takes a while for it to build up strength.

I have had other things, not catt family members, tho, that wouldn't bloom because of too much fertilizer. But, not with nodosa. They like to eat and drink, especially in the bright light.

So, I can't say too much more from my own experiences. Let's just hope this is the year for the show for you.

Take care
May all your orchids bloom like crazy

Rex W. Ulmer
aka POLKA

Newsletter editor
Cetos, Tyler, Texas

[POLKA]

by the way (BTW)

for the winter of 2009/2010 I refused to water it and keep it dry all winter in the greenhouse -- just like I read, thinking I would get an even better flower show with literally every growth at the same size, and age. But, it kept trying to grow and put out roots and shoots. I gave up and let it eat and drink.

Sometimes I think they have "minds" of their own LOL.

Tell you another thing, too, I read in other places or in other threads that some folks threaten them with the compost pile -- they swear that it works every time! LOL

Take care
<silly grin>

May all your orchids bloom like crazy
Rex

[POLKA]

Here is an attempt to show my nodosa back in 2009. It was really beginning to fill out and flower all around the pot. Oh, and the scent!

Here's to you and yours!

Rex
aka polka

[POLKA]

okay
hrmpf

let's try just cutting and pasting the flickr page

rex

Flickr: Please wait...