Dracula not growing - Orchid Board

Purpoh · #1 07-23-2016, 01:34 AM

Hello! I have a Dracula vampira and bella. One is mounted on a kool-log and the other is grown in a basket. I think I have had them for a month after receiving them in the mail, and they haven't grown at all. One has two new growths and the other has one, and neither of them have grown even a little. Could this be due to not a high enough temperature drop? I would guess it is about 5 - 10 degrees F currently. None of the previous leaves are dying except one on the bella. It is drying very slowly, which I hoped/assumed to be natural. What I'm hoping is that they haven't adjusted to my environment yet... Does anyone have experience with these?

Subrosa · #2 07-23-2016, 06:35 AM

I can't speak to those particular species, but too high a temperature and not enough humidity are likely causes. I have 2 species that are currently outside in our summer heat and humidity. Luckily (for my plants anyway!) here in The mid Atlantic region extreme heat is usually accompanied by high humidity. And they do get night time drops of 20-25 degrees F. My anthracina has just about stopped growing, but the soennemarkii is growing steadily. The new leaves aren't as large as those it grew in cooler conditions, but it's growing ok. If you could arrange for a greater temp drop at night it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Purpoh · #3 07-23-2016, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I can't speak to those particular species, but too high a temperature and not enough humidity are likely causes. I have 2 species that are currently outside in our summer heat and humidity. Luckily (for my plants anyway!) here in The mid Atlantic region extreme heat is usually accompanied by high humidity. And they do get night time drops of 20-25 degrees F. My anthracina has just about stopped growing, but the soennemarkii is growing steadily. The new leaves aren't as large as those it grew in cooler conditions, but it's growing ok. If you could arrange for a greater temp drop at night it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Thank you, I will try that.

ShadePlant · #4 07-23-2016, 05:09 PM

My Bella x cordobae isalways a little challenged in the summers here in New Orleans. However it does okay if I spray it in the morning and then twice when I get home and keep a fan in the grow room. I also have it hanging about 4 feet from a window. It does send out flower spikes but they blast in the summer. They survive in the fall and winter. Some people put them In a fish tank or terrarium with an ice pack during the day.

Roberta · #5 07-24-2016, 10:29 PM

I think that a bit of patience is in order... a month is a pretty short time for much of anything to happen, especially if a plant is getting adjusted to a new home - Draculas do like cool and humid, so if it is warm, just keep it wet. And very easy on the fertilizer... Dracs like a lot less than Masdevallias, etc... and those don't like very much.

Purpoh · #6 07-24-2016, 11:36 PM

Should I pull off fertilizer all together until it grows more just to be safe?

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Roberta · #7 07-24-2016, 11:48 PM

Based on the recommendation of Euagenera for most (if not all) Dracula species, and advice from a particularly good Drac grower that I heard at a meeting, just cut back the amount (maybe 14 strength) and only once or twice a month. (I just looked at the Ecuagenera website, and they say "weekly" for D. bella and monthly for D. vampira. You would be safe, I think, splitting the difference, and just reducing the strength. Not so much a hard-and-fast rule as an indication that these are very light feeders. I'd worry more about temperature - I think the "national heat wave" is headed in your direction. Just plenty of shade, good air circulation, and cooling water/mist is about all that you can do in the face of that. Orchids are tough....