How to get a Chrisnetia to bloom?

[Jeff214]

I've had this Chrisnetia Green Light (Christensonia vietnamica x Neof. falcata) for a while and it's a good size. I haven't had luck with flowering, though.

I grow it outdoors (45 - 100 oF), filtered sun, with regular fertilizer and water year round. It seems happy enough. My cattleyas flower well under the same lighting conditions. Not sure if it needs L. anceps levels (direct sun) to bloom. I wasn't sure if should be withholding fertilizer or water during the cooler months to induce flowering.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

[Roberta]

Can't help you on this one. I also have one, growing under similar conditions, no flowers but vigorous growth. Certainly a shy bloomer! I have bloomed both parents... Christensonia vietnamica in the greenhouse and of course Neof. falcata outside. . So I don't know what it wants...

[estación seca]

I can't find it now, but I read somewhere this hybrid, like its Christensonia parent, needs to be grown with a fair amount of shade to flower well.

[Roberta]

Mine is pretty shady. I am growing it outside, on the assumption that the Neof. falcata parent gives cold-tolerance (since the the Christensonia vietnamica is a warm grower) Maybe it wants more wamth...

[Jeff214]

That's interesting that it may need shade to bloom well. Mine is definitely on the bright side of cattleya level light.

Warmth would be harder to provide for me during the winter. This does so much better for me outside in the wind. I had a hard time getting the roots to dry quickly indoors. hmm...

Maybe in the spirit of fuuki ran, I should just appreciate the foliage for now...

[Fairorchids]

Most V. (Neofinetia) falcata hybrids have significant cold tolerance (I had a Pink Fairy [NF x P. teres] survive 18F).

However, this particular grex seems to be different. Just checked my photo library, and I have never bloomed it either.

[Jeff214]

Is it spiking because it's been gloomy in Southern California? Who knows... glad anyway!







There's so much root on this plant that it's mostly pushed the entire thing out of its pot...

[Roberta]

Guess it just wanted to get big!

[Toadwally]

Looks like the cross strongly favors the fuku ran.