Do Masdevallia growths rebloom?

[estación seca]

I see these photos of Masdevallia plants covered in flowers, and the M. floribunda I bought from Andy's arrived like this last fall. Do they bloom only on new growth, or do older growths also produce flowers?

[Leafmite]

I believe that they send out just one bloom spike for every new growth but I do not have much experience with these. I have read a little about them, though. Some are sequential bloomers and some are very vigorous growers that constantly put out new growths which bloom upon completion of growth. Some bloom just once a year. Yours blooms in the late summer to autumn from what I have read. I have no idea if it is a sequential bloomer, though. That means that it should begin putting out new growth soon. Good luck!

[Salixx]

As far as I know and it has been true with my plants, they will only spike once per growth. Some as Leafmite said, bloom sequentially on the same spike for a while - how long I think depends on the species. I always leave the spike on until it's completely dried up. My floribunda only had one flower per bloom. I am not sure which you have, but I got the purple one. It was in bloom when I bought it in November and has many new spikes started now. I posted some photos of my Wild Child a little while back, but it now has or is in the process of producing eight spikes - not counting the two I posted.

That said, when they are happy, they grow a lot. It's not unusual for some of my larger (more growth) Masdies to have 6+ new growths at any given time. My chaparensis and rolfeana both have more than 10 currently. That's a lot of potential for flowers when they are ready!

[Salixx]

Originally Posted by Salixx

I always leave the spike on until it's completely dried up. My floribunda only had one flower per bloom. I am not sure which you have, but I got the purple one.

My original post should have said "One flower per spike."


So, I need to correct this observation because it has been proven flat out wrong and I have been humbled, once again, by a plant.

My Masd. floribunda, I am pretty sure, said "Oh yeah? Watch this!" It is now blooming sequentially off the same spikes in which the flowers just faded. Don't cut those spikes, ever!

[bethmarie]

Originally Posted by Salixx

That said, when they are happy, they grow a lot. It's not unusual for some of my larger (more growth) Masdies to have 6+ new growths at any given time. My chaparensis and rolfeana both have more than 10 currently. That's a lot of potential for flowers when they are ready!

Salixx, what mix are you growing your happy Masdevallias in? I'm about to repot and researching mediums.
I grow indoors under lights -- are yours in a greenhouse?

[Salixx]

Originally Posted by bethmarie

Salixx, what mix are you growing your happy Masdevallias in? I'm about to repot and researching mediums.
I grow indoors under lights -- are yours in a greenhouse?

I grow all my masdies either mounted or in semi-hydro. Cool growers are mounted on Kool-Logs or in clay pots with external reservoirs for s/h. Intermediate and warm growers go into standard s/h pots with internal reservoirs or are mounted on regular mounting media (cork or ecoweb). My mounted intermediate and warm growers are also grown exclusively in these miniature indoor greenhouses or in terrariums. It's otherwise just too hard to make sure they stay moist enough.

I will say that my M. chaparensis is no longer "happy." It decided to drop a bunch of leaves. That's, fortunately, stopped and it's got two or three new growths now... we had a heat spell before I was able to get the AC in the window and it decided to have a hissy-fit.

I wish I had a greenhouse! Unfortunately, like you, I am stuck growing in my little apartment - either under lights or using natural lights from my windows.

[No-Pro-mwa]

I'm with the rest, I think they only bloom on new growths. But some do re-bloom from a spike so I never cut them until they have turned brown and dry. I don't have a floribunda however. I have had my Redwing bloom from a spike that was still green after almost a year after the bloom had fallen and then it grew a new one. It has 2 old ones from last year and is growing 2 new ones. I have not cut them off yet but I don't know if they will get buds or not on them. Only time will tell.

[Leafmite]

I absolutely loved your Wild Child.

I was lucky to find an amplexa, a serial bloomer. The thing just keeps putting out more buds. I hope I get even luckier and find a Wild Child.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

I absolutely loved your Wild Child.

I was lucky to find an amplexa, a serial bloomer. The thing just keeps putting out more buds. I hope I get even luckier and find a Wild Child.

Agreed, I am hoping Mountain Orchids will get some more soon. I think that's where it came from. I could be wrong but I'm sure that's where I saw them first.

[DeaC]

My masd. imposter has 3 reblooming spikes,the oldest one being~3yrs old and ~ 12 inches long. Also have masd. portillae with a green spike that I'm waiting for to rebloom,a warmer variety.