Potinara Titan's Fire 'Paradise' 2008
 

My Titan's Fire skipped last year for a bloom (didn't like me?):blushing: But this year completed a blossom. When I purchased it in 2006, there were 3 blossoms on it:

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...s/Potinera.jpg I attribute this to the grower's skills.

Last spring it sent out a new growth, but no sheath :((

This year another new growth, but I had given up on a sheath, but lo and behold, there it was! Here's the first blossom in two years:

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...bs/DSC2891.jpg Color is more accurate in the second photo (I spent more time in post processing). It has a second bud below it (out of site in this photo) but I'm pretty sure it's blasting - it's bright yellow at the base instead of green. Any advice?

Thanks for looking.

Nice flower! I dont know why, but my Catts and Cycnoches often have one 'bad' bud that blasts for no reason that I can see. My only guess is that they get knocked or tapped at exactly the wrong angle by a breeze, lizard or clodding human (such as myself!). I combat it by trying get huge growths which produce floriferous blooms so when I loose a bloom I can :dunno: instead of :(( Just my :twocents: !

Very nice, Ross. At least you are able to get yours to flower...about all I do is produce lots of empty sheaths!!!!

Get your butt up here and I'll show you my growing conditions :biggrin: :evil: :rofl: As we discussed when I was down there, I really have no clue and am still experimenting. Maybe we can compare notes again?

I guess we shouldn't jam up this thread, but I sure don't know what I'm not doing....I changed food to higher K+ and PO4 ... maybe I should restrict water more??????????

Feel free to comment as you see fit (it's my thread) I asked for comments. I really would like to see a banter going on as to what folks think is going on with the buds blasting and with your empty sheaths.) Glad to see Steve's comments. While not, generally, a Cat fan, there are a couple I really like (like this guy) and would like to learn more. Maybe we can turn this into a culture thread? :hmm

Suffice it to say, this Potinara sits on the kitchen table for me and my wife to enjoy till it needs to go back to the window. Right now I don't care about the (potentially) blasting second bud. I really like the colors of the one good blossom (that's why I bought it.)

I've posted this query about my empty sheaths before and about the only thing was changing food....maybe it just takes a cycle or so of new growth with the higher K+ and PO4 to get new sheaths with buds.....Anyway, yes, an educational experience is called for....

I've got a couple that seem to always blast the second bud right out of the gate. One of them is just barely blooming size, still a big seedling, so I thought maybe with a more mature plant it might be able to mature more buds. The other one is recovering from bad culture on my part. It bloomed in April 08. Again one bud blasted right away, and the other one was terribly deformed. I'm guessing it's just starting to get happy with me and eventually will be OK. It's a fairly large clump so maturity isn't an issue. :scratchhead: Dunno Ross. It's a good question.

Wanna trade!?:blushing: :biggrin: