a first blooming on the way, i think

[neophyte]

Well, it's been three years since I made a post on this orchid (last post: here), and I think it may be finally blooming soon! I'm pretty convinced that this is in Maxillaria or a related genus.

Unfortunately, it's also been dropping leaves recently (1 a couple months ago and two recently). I think I may need to water more, since the orchid room is actually warmer in the winter than it is in the summer due to our heating/cooling system.

(edited to fix photo orientation)

[neophyte]

There's also a lot of mineral buildup on the sides of the pot and on the sheaths, which is not great.

[estación seca]

It would be fine when it's time to water to soak the pot in distilled or reverse osmosis water for a few hours, then use a small brush and some vinegar to scrub the minerals off the pot. Rinse it off afterward.

[neophyte]

Thanks! Could I just rinse off the pot if I used vinegar, or would I need to resoak?

---------- Post added 01-02-2021 at 12:34 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-01-2021 at 10:45 PM ----------

I briefly wondered whether this might be M. schunkeana, given the heavily pigmented bud/spike, but it seems that that species typically has bifoliate pseudobulbs. Also, I've never bloomed a Maxillaria before, so maybe that's just how the buds start out.

[estación seca]

I would just rinse it off.