Maxillaria tenuifolia conditions for blooming

[Stray59]

Hello everyone!
Over the last two years I have purchased two Maxillaria tenuifolia and I have a couple of questions-
First - they are growing well, but no blooms. I don;t even get signs of blooms, just more growth. Is the trick fertilizer, water, light or a combo of the above that is my problem - they get pretty strong light, regular feedings and good watering as is evidenced by their good growth. But no blooms.
Second - the tenuifolia that I have has leaves that are about 18 inches long. The local museum greenhouse has one of these that bloom every year - but the leaves are really short - like maybe 8-10 inches long at the most.
Are there two varieties floating around of this plant, or is this related to care also?
Steve

[Leafmite]

I think it needs to be drier in winter...someone was asking about the care at the show Saturday and a few of us chimed in to say this and the vendor agreed. Hope this helps.

[DavidCampen]

The Max. tenuifolia that I purchased October, 2011 is just now starting to bloom for the first time. It had been growing very well but no flowers. I was starting to wonder when it would flower for me so I am happy to see it flowering now.

Mine gets fairly bright light. It is in a mesh basket that is perhaps 8" - 10" in pure sphagnum and with my watering regime that means that it stays pretty wet. I have been thinking I should move it into a media of mixed bark and sphagnum but so far it has been growing nicely staying wet in pure sphagnum.

They say the flowers smell like coconut but mine smells like mint chocolate like my Stanhopea occulata.

[Brooke]

The one with the shorter leaves is probably getting more light. It takes less leaf surface to feed the plant if it gets more light.

My tenuifolia is mounted but in the summer I lay the mount in a tray of water. During the winter I hang it but still water it daily.

Brooke

[katrina]

IME...this particular Max needs a lot of sun to bloom well. Mine sits under HO T5s in the Winter and sits in nearly full sun from morning until about 2pm during the warmer months.

During the warmer months when all the plants are outside it gets watered every day (mounted on a tree fern totem w/sphag and the totem is potted- the plant is growing up the totem). During the colder months when it's inside it gets watered 2-3 times a week. It could take more water in the Winter but I'm not going to water more than 3x a week...I refuse.