Maxillaria tenuifolia (Project 11 - Summer 2010)

[Call_Me_Bob]

i wasnt really worried at first about the pseudobulbs kind of wrinkled, but i am starting to get worried.

they havent gotten any worse. but i thought they would have gotten better by now.

i did read in an old AOS bulletin that max. tenuifolia could take two years after division to bloom again. but i didnt really divide mine. so that made me think that maybe they are a bit sensitive to repotting? but i have new roots growth and the current leads are growing bigger, and, now there are brand-new leads


also, the lc secret love that i got around the same time, has a new lead

[Becca]

Originally Posted by help

i wasnt really worried at first about the pseudobulbs kind of wrinkled, but i am starting to get worried.

they havent gotten any worse. but i thought they would have gotten better by now.

i did read in an old AOS bulletin that max. tenuifolia could take two years after division to bloom again. but i didnt really divide mine. so that made me think that maybe they are a bit sensitive to repotting? but i have new roots growth and the current leads are growing bigger, and, now there are brand-new leads


also, the lc secret love that i got around the same time, has a new lead

I thought i was told at one time that max. tenuifolia doesn't like to have its roots disturbed. Just give it some time, I'm sure it will come around. Just because one p-buld is wrinkling doesn't mean you are going to loose it. It sounds like to me it is doing ok if you have new growths.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by help

i wasnt really worried at first about the pseudobulbs kind of wrinkled, but i am starting to get worried.

they havent gotten any worse. but i thought they would have gotten better by now.

i did read in an old AOS bulletin that max. tenuifolia could take two years after division to bloom again. but i didnt really divide mine. so that made me think that maybe they are a bit sensitive to repotting? but i have new roots growth and the current leads are growing bigger, and, now there are brand-new leads


also, the lc secret love that i got around the same time, has a new lead

I don't know much about tenuifolia, but if they behave the way other orchids with bulbs do, often if the older bulbs get very wrinkled they never plump up very much again. I would say that as long as the new growths are growing fine and putting out roots you have no big cause for concern. All the same, keep a close eye on it for now.

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by Becca

I thought i was told at one time that max. tenuifolia doesn't like to have its roots disturbed. Just give it some time, I'm sure it will come around. Just because one p-buld is wrinkling doesn't mean you are going to loose it. It sounds like to me it is doing ok if you have new growths.

Okay, I will keep an eye on it. If it were one or two p-bulbs that were wrinkled, I wouldn't be worried. Almost ALL of the p-bulbs are wrinkled! But like izzie said, I'll just keep an eye on it

[RosieC]

Camille has a good point. Mine has one or two old bulbs which don't plump and if anything get steadily more wrinkled. I was not concerned as "they're just the old ones".

If it's not all of them then I would say don't worry, it's probably just the oldest that are doing this.

[RosieC]

Ah, my post crossed yours. Most of them is not so good, but hopefully if the roots settle down, the fact that you have new root tips and new growths sounds good.

[Call_Me_Bob]

hopefully they will get better. some are worse than other, so we will see. but like i said before, there are lots of nice new leads and roots, so im just gonna keep an eye on it

[stefpix]

Sometimes I find you get a new orchid the old PB shrivel and die and the new growth gets established. I think sometimes the new conditions are way different from the seller conditions.

I had bought an Enc tampensis last summer. 3 PB and was doing nothing for a year.. the PB shriveled a bit and now it doubled size and it is growing 2 or 3 new growth. Actually yesterday's tornado / crazy storm gave some nice watering [my fire escape was on the protected from the wind by the wall].

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by stefpix

Sometimes I find you get a new orchid the old PB shrivel and die and the new growth gets established. I think sometimes the new conditions are way different from the seller conditions.

Good point. I've discussed this with Harry from H&R Nurseries. His advice was to keep in mind how the plant will have to adjust to it's new environment, and judge any changes accordingly.

My advice- Listen to the plant.

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by Becca

I thought i was told at one time that max. tenuifolia doesn't like to have its roots disturbed. Just give it some time, I'm sure it will come around. Just because one p-buld is wrinkling doesn't mean you are going to loose it. It sounds like to me it is doing ok if you have new growths.

Correct, that has been stated on this thread. It is normal for this species to pout.

George is still pouting, despite my telling him to get over himself. Not going downhill though!

When my Den. aggregatum went through it's two surprise repots (thanks kitties...), it was a few months before it woke back up. But when it woke up, it WOKE UP! Within a month, the root system has doubled and i have a fully formed new pseudo bulb.


Orchids sure know how to teach us patience, hey? They'll get their act together on their own terms.