How to bloom Aerangis Mire?

[OrchidLoverSA]

Hey guys,

So I bought an Aerangis Mire in flower about a year ago. So far it hasn't put out a spike yet. Now, I know what you are going to say: Nurseries can force an orchid to bloom... That's all good and well, but as far as I can tell this should be the time for it to at least start on a spike (it's autumn now). Other than not flowering, it's super happy: It's making a new leaf and copius amounts of roots. I've tried threatening it by telling it if I wanted leaves and roots, I would have bought a fern, but that didn't seem to help...

Anyhow, I was wondering if I'm missing something critical: Right now it's warm and snug indoors with loads of light; does it perhaps need a dose of cold, like a phal.? Should I withold water? Does it need even MORE light? Right now it's sitting next to a well-tanned brassavola that is flowering like crazy.

[cbuchman]

I looked it up in OrchidWiz, just because I like to learn things like this. It's parents are ellisii and verdickii. Both the parent bloom in the fall in the Northern Hemisphere. The observation about new roots & leaves would indicate that is is actively growing. So it seems to be confused.

OW says to grow this hybrid in shaded to bright indirect light conditions; in cool to hot conditions, or 58°F to 85°F at night.; and, 70% humidity, 40%-50% in winter, when growth slows. Grow mounted or potted with coarse media. Fertilize twice monthly with normal dose. Common media: tree fern fragments, osmunda, fir bark.

[OrchidLoverSA]

So I guess I should treat it as if it is actively growing until it starts to slow on its own? Or since it flowers in the fall, would you suggest I hang it in a cooler spot to give it it's natural trigger to bloom?

[Discus]

I have no experience with Mire, but many angraecoids have this funny habit of surprising you with a spike just after you've given up on them ever blooming (and usually then give you a lovely looooong wait for the inflorescence to grow ever so slowly); I'm not sure what triggers them to bloom; my small collection of various things seems to pick different times of the year (although for those I've had for a while the time of year that bloom reliably, seems fairly consistent for each type).

[Brooke]

I don't have the one parent but I do grow the ellisii. It spiked in early spring and will probably not bloom until the fall.

I grow it in medium light, temp never below 60 degrees and a little drier during winter. I have it in a net pot with some lava rock and during the warm months I water daily. During the cool time I only water it on a very sunny day.

Hope this info helps.

Brooke