Maxillaria rodrigueziana

[Jeff214]

No worries - ask away. The humidity hovers between 45 - 65 % in my home. I grow it under lights. temperature is somewhere between 55 and 80 oF.

[WaterWitchin]

So, highjacking Jeff's thread a bit, but still on topic, hopefully. First, my original pics after jumping into the Max water again back in March.

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Okay guys... Ahem... I don't consider Maxillaria rodrigueziana as a small or "compact" plant now that it's arrived. I want to know how you made it appear to be small in your pictures Jeff.

Camille, I know your plant space situation and you definitely don't need the rodrigueziana!

They arrived a couple of days ago. The lepidota was a 4" basket, the rodrigueziana a 6" basket. Note door stop and steak knife for perspective here folks...





Now I'm trying to find a vessel that I can use for the RJSquirrel method. I'm kinda stupified and a little nervous now...

An update on my recent adventure... back to yet another attempt growing any type of Maxillaria, this time à la the RJSquirrel method. The Max rodrigueza appears to be doing well...





The Max lepidotes unfortunately looks very similar now to my past experiences with Maxillaria. From robust in March to a slow agonizing fail commencing ...





So I pushed it out of pot to see the roots...





And they really didn't look that awful, so I just stuck it back in the pot, and put it downstairs by my desk so I could watch it more closely. That's a lot of loss in a three month time period. It was sitting right next to the MaxRod on same shelf. Average temps 80-85F day, about 10 degrees lower or more at night. RH average 65-75%. Leaves turned black, pbulbs turning black, blech. What the heck am I doing wrong?

[Jeff214]

No worries - I'm glad the rodrigueziana is doing well. Supposedly Maxillarias are stressed if night time temps don't fall below 70 oF - particularly if they are cooler growers. Based on IOSPE, M. lepidotes comes from much higher elevations than rodrigueziana. Likely a much cooler grower. Maybe that's why it's suffering?

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

No worries - I'm glad the rodrigueziana is doing well. Supposedly Maxillarias are stressed if night time temps don't fall below 70 oF - particularly if they are cooler growers. Based on IOSPE, M. lepidotes comes from much higher elevations than rodrigueziana. Likely a much cooler grower. Maybe that's why it's suffering?

Thanks Jeff. I hadn't looked it up yet to see difference in the two. Makes sense... they were downstairs for a couple of months, and went into upstairs orchid space which doesn't stay as cool as first floor of house. Unfortunately, the only place it gets below 70F in summer would be our basement. I've already moved back to first floor, but basement ain't happening for one plant. Maybe I'll put it next to an AC duct. I'm sure glad the rodriguezinia seems to be tolerating it okay... so far. We haven't even begun the three hottest months of year yet. Yikes!

[Roberta]

Good point... Maxillaria is a huge genus, with plants from different elevations. Suggestion is to look for those from elevations below 1000 m. The precise opposite of what I look for, for my outdoor growing where they have to take temps not much above freezing in winter and have generally cool nights. Maybe look for Max reichenheimiana or pseudoreichenheimiana ... neat spotted leaves. I have killed a couple because they got too cold, lower elevation plants. Max lankasteri is a really pretty little thing - definitely warm grower. Max rufescens. Also Max. richii - sort of dusty rose colored flowers, blooms several times a year, really vigorous.

[Jeff214]

It gets too hot in the summer in my area for cool growers. I might take a look at the ones you listed there.

The leaves on Max reichenheimiana look beautiful. Sort of begonia like. I need it....!

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

It gets too hot in the summer in my area for cool growers. I might take a look at the ones you listed there.

The leaves on Max reichenheimiana look beautiful. Sort of begonia like. I need it....!

Andy's ...

[Jeff214]

I checked but he only had the psuedo one! Apparently the spots come off on the psuedoreichenheimiana? I want my spots to stay... haha.

[Roberta]

They don't come off unless you rub hard (and risk damaging the leaves...). (He had a customer who thought that they were some sort of flaw and vigorously rubbed them off! , he has been telling the story for years.) They stay nicely if you leave the plant alone.

[Jeff214]

Originally Posted by Roberta

They don't come off unless you rub hard (and risk damaging the leaves...). (He had a customer who thought that they were some sort of flaw and vigorously rubbed them off! , he has been telling the story for years.) They stay nicely if you leave the plant alone.

That is pretty funny ! Do you know if there are any other major differences between Max. reichenheimiana and Max. psuedoreichenheimiana?