Any tips growing Maxillaria tenuifolia?

[Orchid_lady]

I have just received my Max today and I wanted to know if anybody that has experience growing this plant, to give any tips on growing successfully . Thanks.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I bought one at a fair a year and a quarter ago, so haven't had a lot of experience. The sales perspon told me that I could crop it every so often to keep it short. I did do this for one branch that was getting pretty tall. The small piece rooted well and has already found a new home. Note that this was a small plant in a 2" pot. I would have to go out to the greenhouse to check, but I think I am keeping it to about three bulbs high. There is new growth at the bottom, and I would guess that the cropping helps it to grow at the bottom. Sort of a hormone stimulating thing cutting the plant. Growing in low Catt light or high Phal light and intermediate temps. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[Molly Taco]

Mine is in a basket in Spag and had been so for 3 years it is in a lathe house that is south facing and I water once a week when we don't get rain. I fertilize every other week with a weak solution of the blue stuff. I don't trim and haven't attempted to repot. But it seems happy.

Cin

[captripppp]

I grow my max's mounted on tree freen. They seem grow well that way, and you don't ever have to worry about trimming it. I have grown them in both pots, and mounted, and it seems that with them being mounted they grow faster. I also grow mine just the same as my cattleyas, and also on intermediate side. Aaron

[ijf90]

Mine has been growing really wonderfully. It is mounted on driftwood with a bit of moss inbetween the roots. I also have it essentially on top of a humidity tray. I have had it about 2 months and it has shown phenomenal growth I fertilize very weakly every week and a half to two weeks always making sure the roots are moist before I fertilize. I grow it along with my Cattleya hybrids in a south facing window around 70`F.

[theovercollector]

My Max. tenuifolia has been around for several years and this year has flowered with 9 flowers. It's potted in about a 4 inch hand thrown clay pot, which means good air to the roots, but it does take a lot of water. Light conditions are pretty high for it, almost to the point of burning leaves, but I think that is what makes it reliably bloom... (SW facing window) Since it hasn't gotten too out of control for my windowsill, I haven't tried trimming it...

[hera]

A local grower told me to pot it deeper when it gets too leggy. The idea is to have as many pseudobulbs in a row and you can (no fewer than three) so that the blooms will be supported with enough energy. He keeps potting his in bigger and deeper pots. I ripped mine apart to make a fuller plant. I potted all the new growths together in a pot. I've been told that I set it back for blooming by doing this because I didn't leave enough bulbs intact in a sequence.

[FLaCo]

I have thre Max's...one in a 4 inch clay pot with fir and charcoal, one mounted in a vanda basket with charcoal and some spag (around the main roots), the other is mounted on a chunk of cork bark. They have recently bloomed for me...and they all seem to like their home. The potted Max received or at least maintains more water than the rest but has bloomed less. The cork mounted one has bloom more...could be the lack of moisture that sends it into blooming mode (it also gets more intense lighting). The potted one gets Catt. lighting.

[solay]

I have one that is growing well in a pot of bark mix that I keep in a south facing sliding glass door. I think they are pretty easy to grow/keep alive. Mine however has not bloomed this year. Maybe I will mount it and see if that makes a difference.