# inducing blooming in cuthbertsonii?



## ChrisFL (Oct 17, 2012)

Any tips? I purposely kept mine "warm" for the summer, 56-75 F night to day range, and they have grown profusely. Should I try dropping nighttime temps into the high 40's?
Thanks!


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## Kyle (Oct 17, 2012)

Mine bloom when the cold fall weather starts to hit. Try lowering the night temp. Whats your day time high?


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## ChrisFL (Oct 17, 2012)

Kyle said:


> Mine bloom when the cold fall weather starts to hit. Try lowering the night temp. Whats your day time high?



Usually in the mid 70s, highest it's every been is 79.


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## ChrisFL (Oct 17, 2012)

I may try keeping the daytime around 60 then dropping into the 40's at night.


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## Kyle (Oct 17, 2012)

Mine seem to like blooming after getting a warm spell. I grow in an uninsulated basement. In the winter it is quite cold, day and night (single digit C at night). But in the summer, June to August, the daytime highs can get into the mid 20's. 

I don't know what the magic recipe is, but mine like to bloom around now.

Kyle


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## NYEric (Oct 17, 2012)

doesn't it get cool where they come from?


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## Rick (Oct 17, 2012)

Yes these are a high elevation plant.

Chris

I'm pretty sure it will bloom when its ready. It's very encouraging that you are getting "profuse growth" from this tuffy.


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## Kyle (Oct 18, 2012)

I should add that my nighttime lows in the summer can be in the high teens C. That could be the trick, warmish nights? Do you have Baker culture sheets for this species?

Kyle


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## ChrisFL (Oct 18, 2012)

Kyle said:


> I should add that my nighttime lows in the summer can be in the high teens C. That could be the trick, warmish nights? Do you have Baker culture sheets for this species?
> 
> Kyle



No but I'm a climate scientist that works in the PNG region.


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## Kyle (Oct 18, 2012)

So, is there a seasonal variation in night temperatures?

Something triggers all my cutthbersonii to bloom at the same time. Trying to help you figure out want it is.

Kyle


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## ChrisFL (Oct 18, 2012)

Kyle said:


> So, is there a seasonal variation in night temperatures?
> 
> Something triggers all my cutthbersonii to bloom at the same time. Trying to help you figure out want it is.
> 
> Kyle




Essentially none.


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## Rick (Oct 18, 2012)

Even if you are at the equator, monsoon patterns can produce seasonal light level variations (via clould cover).

So maybe brighter or lower light levels may be appropriate.

Significant wet/dry changes could result in TDS changes at the roots (and trigger).


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## ChrisFL (Oct 18, 2012)

Rick said:


> Even if you are at the equator, monsoon patterns can produce seasonal light level variations (via clould cover).
> 
> So maybe brighter or lower light levels may be appropriate.
> 
> Significant wet/dry changes could result in TDS changes at the roots (and trigger).



Cuthbertsonii doesn't come from a monsoonal location. But I understand your point.


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## Tom-DE (Oct 30, 2012)

ChrisFL said:


> Should I try dropping nighttime temps into the high 40's?



Chris, as I mentioned it to you before, some seasonal change is beneficial. If your plant is healthy and still no flower, go for it. Although it is not a high light plant, it may still need 1800~2000FC. Good luck!


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## cnycharles (Oct 31, 2012)

I checked out a culture sheet for cuthbertsonii; for part of the year, it gets less rain. It still gets a fair amount, but when it's raining more, it will be cooler and likely slightly darker at least while it's raining. it looks like it has a three-month period when it's usually not flowering, and these are the months when it has slightly less rain. so, to the plant, though the habitat is pretty much the same temperature, it (the plant) would end up being slightly warmer, possibly, at times, since it has less water on it. either that, or when it starts to rain slightly more, then there will be slightly cooler temps on the plant

if you are going to look at this in another way, when it has less rain but likely more dew, it is getting less nutrients. often in places with heavy rainfall, there is nitrogen in the rain based on an atmospheric process; the rain is then bringing more food constantly at a very low amount. the plant looks to be always getting new moisture in one form or another. there are only slight differences based on what the baker sheets list, but since people's plants aren't randomly flowering in their greenhouse (flowering all at the same time), then either they are 'just flowering at the same time as at home', or there is a definite trigger (so it would seem  )

also the baker's concluded from info from a large grower who grew very large amounts of cuthbersonii, that they highly preferred being potted in sphagnum with very weak fertilizer and flushing


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## slippertalker (Nov 1, 2012)

My plants bloomed when they thought it was time......grow them in masdevallia conditions and they do very well. They seem to be in full glory in the fall and the blooms last for several months.


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