Potting mix for masdies? - Orchid Board

camille1585 · #1 01-30-2009, 07:07 AM

A few months ago I bought my very first masdie, Masdevallia bicolor. It's been growing really well. Except that yesterday I dropped it and lost a good part of the medium, so was thinking to completely repot it.
But I know nothing about these orchids, so what's a good mix for masdies? This one is in something that I can best describe as looking like sawdust with a bit of cocofiber looking stuff. No clue what kind of mix it is, but it works really well, the root system is beautiful.

10010100102 · #2 01-30-2009, 10:43 AM

Hi Camille, I haven't been growing masdies for very long either, but I've had good results so far with 100% sphagnum. There's a guy who sells all kinds of miniatures regularily at my orchid society meetings, and all his masdies are in pure sphagnum and in great shape (I got all of mine from him). Of course, I don't know how well it'd work where you are... Just my

, hope this helps.

Tindomul · #3 01-30-2009, 11:04 AM

I like the pure sphag method, but like even better to put in some bark or hydroton balls, and maybe some small bits of epiweb or tree fern root coir at the bottom of the pot. Only up to about 1/2 way up. The the rest I use sphag. I have a few Masdies in that kind of mix and so far are doing well in terms of root growth.
Just make sure you wash everything really well before hand, as any dust or mineral residue can really hurt your Masdie's roots.

Donald · #4 01-30-2009, 11:35 AM

I agree with Tindomul as this is a mix I have had good results with.

EdinAZ · #5 01-30-2009, 02:22 PM

Hi Camille,

I think sphagnum is a good medium and many people use it successfully for Masdies, but I'm not one of them. For some reason I have just never had good results with sphagnum for anything. So . . .

I pot my Masdies in a mix of coconut husk chips, diatomite and charcoal (equal parts, very fine) with some chopped (but not too fine) spagnum mixed in. This has worked very well for me. I also have a couple that are mounted on cork slabs (they came that way, I tend to prefer potted) which do very well also. They get watered 1 1/2 times per week, once directly, and once with "drip-down" from the shelf above, when it is watered.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this ahead of pure sphagnum, which is very popular, but it is what works best for me.

Ed

kavanaru · #6 01-30-2009, 02:44 PM

Camille, the only Masdevallia, which I ahve been succesful to grow and bloom, is in pure Sphag! and happy!

advice: water frequently with pure water, and fertilize once a month with very diluted solution (1/3 - 1/4 of recommended concentration) <-- advice given to me by a guy who has more than 300 Masdies

Lagoon · #7 01-30-2009, 03:11 PM

Mine is also growing in sphagnum moss but, with 25% small bark. I water 2wice per week with very low calcium water.

unhappykat · #8 01-30-2009, 05:34 PM

I have been successful in growing a few masdies in pure moss but they never seemed to be able to prosper as well as the few that i grew in tree fern fibers and small bark with a little bit of fine perilite in the mixture. I have been transferring, what isn't now frozen to death, the rest of my masdies to this fern bark mix and they seem to like it much more over the moss. I usually keep them in Clay pots and sit those clay pots in plastic pots filled with moss sitting in a tray of water so they can keep the plant constantly moist without waterlogging its roots, Masdies are vengeful when you rot their little roots. They seem to like being in the tiniest clay pots you can find for them so that they can be root bound all the time. When it comes to repotting I don't disturb anything in the pot, Instead i just lift give it a little dip in cool water to wash what will fall off by itself and then I place it in the new pot and fill in any little space with more bark and fern before watering once and placing back in the moss filled plastic pot.

camille1585 · #9 01-30-2009, 05:37 PM

Thanks!
I'll give the sphag a try even though I don't really like it since I never know how to water it. I'll put bark at the bottom. Since I can't find sphag in the garden center, I'll have to get some at the place I'm going to order my new light at...

Ramon, you say '1/3 - 1/4 of recommended concentration'. What does that translate into in terms of ppm N? I think I've been overfeeding mine.... and should problably go buy distilled water ASAP to flush it out!

kavanaru · #10 01-30-2009, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camille1585

Thanks!
I'll give the sphag a try even though I don't really like it since I never know how to water it. I'll put bark at the bottom. Since I can't find sphag in the garden center, I'll have to get some at the place I'm going to order my new light at...

Ramon, you say '1/3 - 1/4 of recommended concentration'. What does that translate into in terms of ppm N? I think I've been overfeeding mine.... and should problably go buy distilled water ASAP to flush it out!

ok, that's in terms of standard orchids fertilzer

and exactly as told by this guy who came to our Orchdis Society Meetings, he said: normally the recommend a cap per liter, and I add a cap per 3-4 liters... he never said wich brand he uses... but he did say he uses "normal/standard" fertilizer...

to be honest, sorry I did not mentionned that before, I use 80 - 100 ppm N (once a month)

for the rest of my plants I use 100 - 120 ppm with every watering (normally once a week)