# Maxillaria help



## Roy (Feb 20, 2009)

Asking this question for a friend of mine. She has a plant of *Maxillaria **sophronitis *that is roughly 6 - 7 inches across, has no dead parts and has been grown from a seedling in a 2 inch pot. NO flowers as yet.
Mostly I find that flowering is Not one of its great features, occasionally a massive specimen plant in full flower is seen but only occasionally.
Can anyone offer some advice as to how to get some flowers on my friends plant please. I believe from her described cultural conditions, its in the right spot for moisture and light, maybe even a little too much light but its nt burning.


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## cnycharles (Feb 22, 2009)

. Hello Roy,
I've got a piece of the same from a society auction, had growing instructions which were mostly 'bright and moist'. I have a culture sheet myself for maxillaria sophronitis from baker's www.orchidculture.com , which I can't post in whole, but looking at it came up with this very interesting section which I hadn't read before (shame on me!). 



> MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: The bloom season shown in the climate table is based
> on cultivation reports. Maxillaria sophronitis has a reputation of being
> difficult to bloom in cultivation. Dunsterville in Orchid Hunting in the
> Lost World (And Elsewhere in Venezuela) indicated that there are
> ...



Looks like from the culture sheet and then the above note, that growing very cool and moist plus bright and humid is the key to lots of flowers instead of tons of growth. ... or else grow the plant like crazy and then drop the temps and hope for a cultural award ; )
it also lists possible elevations as being very high, so it seems like another one of those 'cold but very bright' plants that give me fits because sometimes I can grow them but rarely flower them! often it isn't the winter temps and such, but the warm season which can often be way too warm


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2009)

Thanks Charles, I'll copy this and send it to her.


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## Ron-NY (Feb 23, 2009)

I have problems blooming mine as well...I am going to up the light again.


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