Maxillaria tenuifolia (Project 11 - Summer 2010)

[Call_Me_Bob]

i wonder what it is that is making your maxs stand still! mine is doing great! it has 7 half-fattened bulbs and around 5 leads. roots are everywhere as well. im not sure if i give it a rest if it will hurt it.

[camille1585]

I think the reason that it has been standing still until recently was because I was unknowingly underwatering it. It seems to have 'woken up' ever since I upped the watering 3-4 weeks ago. Now I water as soon as the slight wrinkles in the bulbs start to deepen.

[RosieC]

Hmm, not sure that's that's the reason on mine. It get's watered every day and the bulbs stay pretty plump.

I wonder about temps, or light. It's cold now, even my house is not that warm, but I've no idea what this guy likes. It was in the greenhouse originally getting lots of light, but it was already starting to get cool out there, with a really cool spell in late August into September. I brought it in and it's in my brightest window. Again I don't know what light it likes though.

[kavanaru]

hehe.. cool to read this.. I was coming back from the greenhouse to write here that my OB-Project plant has started to grow: New PBs and new roots!

My yellow Maxi has also started to produce new PBs

[camille1585]

I'm sure that it's not light that woke mine up. I'm living elsewhere until i get my room back in January (and can put my grow lights back up), and Maxie has been at a north window since early november. It (and the rest of the chids I brought) are basically living in the dark for now. The only different thing I did was keep the bulbs plump...

Ramon, cool that yours is so active, it must really like the greenhouse!

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by RosieC

Hmm, not sure that's that's the reason on mine. It get's watered every day and the bulbs stay pretty plump.

I wonder about temps, or light. It's cold now, even my house is not that warm, but I've no idea what this guy likes. It was in the greenhouse originally getting lots of light, but it was already starting to get cool out there, with a really cool spell in late August into September. I brought it in and it's in my brightest window. Again I don't know what light it likes though.

I looked it up in Orchidwiz just now and here's what it has to say about this plant:

Light: 1500-2000fc, diffused

Temperature:
Summer = 28-29°C with around 19°C at night.
Winter= 23-24°C in the day and 13-14°C at night. This represents the coolest conditions in which it should be grown, and can tolerate about 5°C warmer.

Rainfall is low in the winter, but there is heavy dew/mist. Plants should not be allowed to dry out completely. Plants should be kept moist in the growing season, with watering gradually reduced in autumn.

[RosieC]

Hmm, likely the cold then. I'm keeping the house only a fraction warmer than last year, and all my Phals went dormant last year and didn't spike until it warmed up in the spring.

[Call_Me_Bob]

thats odd! i know people who grow them well and they let them get almost dry before watering, like a phal. i also read somewhere that they light HIGH light. enjoying up to 5000fc! i dont know how acurate that was, becauswe i dont remember where i read that. but mine is getting really high light. its alnost touching the bulbs it gets the same as my higher light catts. and mine is growin great

[camille1585]

Keep in mind that Orchidwiz is just guidelines, largely based on the conditions the plants live in in the wild. If people have grown them successfully under different conditions, I would follow those over those given in OW. Personal experience means a lot more than guidelines.

[Call_Me_Bob]

okay, thanks i planned on keeping it this way, because it is growin so nicely. its happy, im happy!