Rooty Brassavola

[dougbraz]

I have two Brassavola Perrinis, both flowered a few years ago. THEN they started growing roots all over the place so I moved them to a cooler spot. Now I have one pot in morning sun only and the other in more almost full sun. Still the leaves are firm and green, they keep growing, but the roots! wow..the roots just keep on growing, and growing. Not a sign of a flower for two/three years now. Just more roots and leaves. Both are in small clay vases, well aerated and well watered (although not drenched). I feed 20-20-20 or 4-14-8 to encourage floration, but so far no luck. Any thoughts? I have another one set in sphagnum on a piece of driftwood in less light than the other two, where here the leaves still grow, but are far thinner. I am stumped right now...would love a bloom or three...

[DeaC]

Can't help you as I need help as well. Have had a David Sander some 4-5 yrs,bloomed once,repotted in slatted basket with bark and moss,grown outside in bright light,inside under lights and lots of roots and very slow leaf growth. If I do any more research I'll publish my own book...so frustrating. Can't speak for you but I know help is on the way.

[dounoharm]

first off, get a piece of newspaper, take the plant out of the pot and wrap it in newspaper....then mail it priority mail TO ME!! lol...I do love brassavolas!


so, if everything looks good as you say, then to get it (or any plant basicly) you need MORE LIGHT! brassavolas particularly need strong light! nothing wrong with loads of roots, you are doing that very well....but you need more light!! they are really hard to grow in a home setting....good luck!....(and message me for my address!)

[isurus79]

Ya, my first thought is also more light.

And where are the pics!?! I wanna see those roots!

[Ray]

1) There is no such thing as a bloom-boosting fertilizer.

2) Light might be a factor.

3) How much are you giving the plants of each formula? Actual amount-per-volume of water, please. Excessive nitrogen is very effective at quashing blooming.

[Ben_in_North_FLA]

what Ray said...

[dougbraz]

correct pics in the next entry..

[dougbraz]

here are my babies...
I have tried Peters 9-45-15 every 15 days for a couple of months. A teaspoon to one liter of water. The one on the bark gets morning sun, the one in the pot (which you can hardly see ) gets most of the sun during the day.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by dougbraz

I have tried Peters 9-45-15 every 15 days for a couple of months. A teaspoon to one liter of water. The one on the bark gets morning sun, the one in the pot (which you can hardly see ) gets most of the sun during the day.

That's very likely the problem.

At that concentration, you're providing:

449 ppm N
987 ppm P
621 ppm K

By contrast, my feedings will typically be 25 ppm N, 1 ppm P, and 2 ppm K, which with several feedings over a 2-week period, is still going to amount to less than 10% of the nutrient mass that you are providing.

For feeding every two weeks, I would recommend no more than a third of what you're currently doing, but you'd actually do better feeding even less, more often - 3/4 tsp/gallon, applied once a week, is a better option.

At this point, your plants are SO overloaded with nitrogen that it will take many months of a reasonable diet before they're likely to bloom.

[dougbraz]

Oh? Wow...
I was told that N was for leaves, P was for encouraging blooms and k was for roots, hence the switch from 20-20-20 t0 the 9-45-15 , more power to the buds and roots than the leaves.
I am not doubting your expertise, just wondering how you reached the breakdown, as to my mind, the P is 5 times more in content than the N - or so I thought...
Thanks, your input much appreciated!
But I see that regardless my feed strength needs to be more diluted, right?