Help! My Brassia thinks it is a foliage plant.

[piping plover]

Help! My Brassia Edvah Loo 'Nishida" thinks it is a foliage plant.

Have you ever had a brassia or oncidium type bloom once it goes into the new growth or pup stage?


Trying to get this to bloom. Has plenty of light; beyond vanda light. Bulb seems large enough but am disappointed to see a pup showing and seems to be skipping the bloom stage.

[rbarata]

Maybe too much light and lack of water. Most of the pbulbs are shriveled, except one. This might indicate a poor root system.
Is it growing outdoors? Min temp?

A more detailed cultural condition whould be helpful.

[piping plover]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Maybe too much light and lack of water. Most of the pbulbs are shriveled, except one. This might indicate a poor root system.
Is it growing outdoors? Min temp?

A more detailed cultural condition whould be helpful.

Good observations and thank you.

I made 14 divisions from the mother plant in January 2024 because it was not blooming. I thought it was too crowded and couldn’t give it sufficient water. That might explain the older bulbs being shriveled.

The new growth has been outdoors with plenty of water and sunshine. Past 5 days been lows 70 degrees F and high of 87 F; but prevailing temperatures have been lows of 60 and highs of 80 F.

I’m experimenting with the 14 divisions, some inside under cattleya light and others outside.

Maybe they’re getting sufficient light and water this season but my temps are too high at night coinciding with increasing daylight ( up until solstice a few weeks ago) and additionally coinciding with the bulbs maturing keeping them in a vegetative state ?

Photo below of one of the indoor growing ones; with 2 new growths maturing.

[Louis_W]

Sometimes overdoing it with nitrogen causes the plant to grow vigerously but inhibits blooming. How is your fertilizing?

[rbarata]

What caught my attentiin at first was the leaves' colors, some of them yellowing, which means too much light.
Given your info, I think probably the plant is still recovering from the division. It's a well known fact that many times dividing a plant makes it set back and stop flowering for a season or two (or even more if the conditions are not roght).

[piping plover]

Originally Posted by Louis_W

Sometimes overdoing it with nitrogen causes the plant to grow vigerously but inhibits blooming. How is your fertilizing?

I just read the analysis on the liquid fertilizer bottle and it reads 12-4-8, so is heavier on the N. I fertilize weakly every few weeks. Has not hindered my other orchids from blooming but maybe this is more sensitive and I was trying to force things to happen.

---------- Post added at 05:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:05 PM ----------

Originally Posted by rbarata

What caught my attentiin at first was the leaves' colors, some of them yellowing, which means too much light.
Given your info, I think probably the plant is still recovering from the division. It's a well known fact that many times dividing a plant makes it set back and stop flowering for a season or two (or even more if the conditions are not roght).

I’ll have to give them a few growing seasons to see if I can get them to bloom. They grow so vigorously that I feel like I am repotting every other year and disturbing them.definitely a better specimen for growing outdoors space-wise.

[estación seca]

I didn't see this earlier. I don't think you're overfertilizing. I suspect underwatering at critical times for flower formation. Try moving some to fine bark, when new roots are just forming. And they may need more winter light.

[piping plover]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I didn't see this earlier. I don't think you're overfertilizing. I suspect underwatering at critical times for flower formation. Try moving some to fine bark, when new roots are just forming. And they may need more winter light.

Thank you ES. I’ll be taking your advice and picking up more fine orchiata bark at my next orchid society meeting. I’ve just got a better winter setup for lighting, am trying botanicalLED lighting this time. Now that I have several divisions I can experiment with different lighting, temperature and medium scenarios with them to see if any situation is better for blooming.

[Kittyfrex]

I won't talk about where to grow it as i don't have experience with that one, but my brassia is, as of the beggining of this month, been producing pups, a spike and enlarging a previous pup all at the same time. Is it good? No idea, everything is growing strong, roots thick as hell.
So the answer is that just because a plant usually does one or another, doesn't mean it can't do both if it feels like it.

[piping plover]

Thank you for sharing this! It is good to know.

Originally Posted by Kittyfrex

I won't talk about where to grow it as i don't have experience with that one, but my brassia is, as of the beggining of this month, been producing pups, a spike and enlarging a previous pup all at the same time. Is it good? No idea, everything is growing strong, roots thick as hell.
So the answer is that just because a plant usually does one or another, doesn't mean it can't do both if it feels like it.