Check your Maxillaria tenuifolias!

[DavidCampen]

Originally Posted by Bulbofett

I agree with everything leafmite said. Mine wouldn't bloom for 2 years. I had it growing in a medium bark mix, and watered it regularly, but no matter how much I watered, it would have shriveled bulbs. I gave it Oncidium light.

This past year I gave it Cattleya light, repotted in a fine fir bark with sphagnum top dressing. Lots and lots of water! Voila! Spikes galore!!!

I also have discovered what Bulbofett, leafmite and Camille have said - this species needs Cattleya levels of light and constant moisture. Mine is planted in sphagnum so it was getting lots of water but information I had seen was that it wanted shade, that it what I gave it and for years i have gotten only 1 or 2 blooms a year. Recently I moved it into Cattleya levels of light and now I have many flowers and buds showing.

[camille1585]

Still no sign of spikes on mine, but there's still time!

A question for you all: On my plant, the larger growths (that have a column of 5-6 bulbs) have a tendency to flop over, and in some cases break up from the base. Anybody else have a plant where the big growths having trouble staying upright? I don't like staking plants because it looks ugly, but in this case I don't really have an alternative.

[terracotta7]

The same thing was happening with mine, so I did stake it very discreetly, loosely tying some yarn around the sections that were flopping over and putting the yarn around a green wooden stake. I have all my buds out fully now and I have to take a deep breath of coconut every time that I go by. It is the closest to the tropics this NYer is going to get for a long time.

[Leafmite]

My max-ten just opened its first bloom and I actually see some buds, too.

[RandomGemini]

Saw this in bloom at the local orchid show and I'm thinking I might have to get one. The scent was incredible and what a great flower and a cute plant! I hope you all will post pics of your blooms!

[cbuchman]

Mine is in full bloom. I understand the the leaves should have enough light to be almost yellow. I will try giving mine more water. I think I keep things too dry in general.