New Orchidphile with a maxillaria tenuifolia questions

[Bud]

The pleating of the leaf means you are either underwatering or overwatering but first of: you need to replant it in a new media. I think the current media is not making the roots breathe. Check if theres a ball of moss under the root with the pleating and remove it or loosen it...soak the pot first so you dont damage any roots...

[Call_Me_Bob]

they will stay like that forever. i have a large max, and some growths are great, some are pleated. idk why.

[kbishkin]

(here are the pictures I failed to upload last post)

Thanks for the advice Bud. It does seem like the first plant is suffocating a bit. I just repotted last spring but lots of debris fell on it this summer and I think there's fungi breaking down the media. Do you think I should go for the full repot again?

[FairyInTheFlowers]

I agree with the above. Pleating can occur from uneven water practices. It can also be cause by consistent underwatering. Or even overwatering, which will give symptoms similar to underwatering, because overwatering kills the roots, which disable the plant from taking up enough moisture.

[Bud]

this latest pictures have the perfect media..but the pot is too large. repot it on a slightly smaller pot...orchids love to be a bit snug but not suffocated...
let me know if you found the ball of moss under the roots of the other pictured plant

[greenbean]

Welcome to the OB!

The leaves become pleated because they lack water at some key stage of growth. The pseudobulbs can plump up if watering is adjusted, but the leaves will stay that way.

I think you may actually have been underwatering it. The moss in the first photo looked really dry to me. I did this to my Max. tenuifolia when I first got it. I started watering whenever the moss just started to get crispy on top, but it was still more than 2 years before the plant had recovered enough to bloom, which it finally did again this last spring! I have mine growing in loosely packed sphagnum in a clay pot and it seems to love it, but that works for my watering habits and in my environment. Yours may be different. But I would advise you to try watering more regularly and use lots of water.

I have a question concerning the last photo you posted. Have you been removing the old sheaths around the stems? I would recommend avoiding this as you risk damaging the fragile new growths (and any flower buds that may develop). Also, as Max. tenuifolia grows up, the roots of the new pseudobulbs grow down through those sheaths. I water mine from the top to make sure water gets in those old, dead sheaths for the roots.

[Merlyn]

Maxillariella tenuifolia (correct name) likes lots of water. I keep mine in a dish so when I water I always leave some in the dish for the "glass of water in the night" preference of these chids ! They like their feet wet !

[kbishkin]

Hi All!

Just wanted to give you an update. I re-potted this max and it seems to be so much happier. The pleated leaf is now growing straight. Thanks to everyone for helping me figure this out!

Katie

[Call_Me_Bob]

good job!