January Status Report - Page 2 - Orchid Board

Tom_in_PA · #11 01-04-2009, 09:47 PM

Ross - All my Masdies are in a treen fern fiber/spagnum moss/sponge rock mixture. This works great for me becasue they stay moist all the time but the treef fern fiber allows air to the roots as well

kavanaru · #12 01-05-2009, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross

Shannon, what medium do you use for your Masdies? I have a couple that I received in sphagnum that constantly pleate the new shoots which then yellow and die. I have several I got from Ivan in Hawaii that are in a bark-based mix that don't do this. Temps are not a problem for me either (60ish F). But I have been using my standard MSU mix and I suspect I am blasting the new shoots with too much nutrients. Does that make sense?

I have one that is totally potbound, in sphagnum, that I fertilize regularly and it hasn't so far pleated or bolted any growths. I suspect that may be the fact it is pot bound and sucking up all the nutrients it can get.

Ross, after several failures with Masdevallias, I had a long conversation with an orchid grower from Germany who has a very large collection of Masdies. He grows most of his plants in pure sphagnum and said that the main trick is to provide them with almost no fertilizer... he water with RO and fertilize only once a month with less than 120 ppm N. He also commented that most plants are very sensitive to high light (it should not be more than for phalaenopsis), to which they react with yellowing of their leave (sometimes also some spots similars to those from fungi infections!) and consequent loss. Also important is that the sphagnum must be moist all the time, but nor dripping wet!

I applied his recommendation to my (currently) ONLY Masdevallia strobellii and it seems to work. I have this plant since May 2008, survived the hot summer here, and is now in buds (My previous Masdevallia Amazona, died within one month!)

cb977 · #13 01-05-2009, 09:07 AM

I keep all my Masdies in the small Exo-Terra tank which gets pretty decent lighting (from about 8am - 11:00pm) The fan is always on and they are all in pure long sphag. They get misted lightly every morning and I fertilize them lightly every 4 weeks as opposed to the other chids in the collection which get it every two weeks in winter.

They all seem to be doing well

Ross · #14 01-07-2009, 02:14 PM

Here is my January Status Report (I'm usually not this late, but with all the snow shovelling

)...

The Tank

Aerangis citrata in spike (10 spikes!)
Aerangis fastuosa in spike (2 spikes)
Aerangis luteo-alba var. rhodosticta 1 small spike with 2 buds
Amesiella monticola 1 spike with 3 large developing buds
Angraecum didieri still in bloom
Ceratocentron fesselii in spike
Dendrobium aberrans in spike (7 spikes on 6 pseudobulbs)
Dendrobium laevifolium – new basil growths
Dendrobium moniliforme Matsushima in flower
Dendrobium oligophyllum still in flower
Haraella ororata in flower

In addition, three of my Jewell Orchids are in bloom: Anoectochilus chapaense, Anoectochilus roxburghii, and Ludisia discolor.

Upstairs grow areas

Beallara Peggy Ruth Carpenter still in bloom with 1 new spike
Dendrobium anosmum has started into bud – earliest this has ever happened, but then it went into complete dormancy early as well. From the looks of the nubbin buds, this will be a spectacular bloom season.
Epidendrum ellipticum in spike
Epidendrum quitensium in spike
Lealia briegeri is possibly in sheath, still waiting to see what the growth is
Masd. Highland Monarch in bloom
Masd. Maui Prince in spike
Maxillaria variabilis (yellow) with multitude of blossoms and buds
Miltonidium Issaku Nagata ‘Volcano Queen’ in spike
Paph. appletonium type in spike (this is a mini)
Paph. fairrieanum in blossom
Paph Golddollar in blossom
Paph Goulterianum ‘France’ x Alma Gavaert ‘Hager’ in spike
Paph gratrixianum x barbigerum ‘Mini’ in blossom
Phal NOID (Pink) in double spike
Phal Mini Mark Holmes in double spike
Potinara Titan’s Fire ‘Paradise’ in sheath
Sedirea japonica in spike
Tolumnia Jairak Rainbow ‘Pink’ in double spike
Tolumnia Sniffen in double spike
Tolumnia Tequila Sunrise in bloom on 2 spikes with ‘spikelets’ forming

Ross · #15 01-07-2009, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kavanaru

Ross, after several failures with Masdevallias, I had a long conversation with an orchid grower from Germany who has a very large collection of Masdies. He grows most of his plants in pure sphagnum and said that the main trick is to provide them with almost no fertilizer... he water with RO and fertilize only once a month with less than 120 ppm N. He also commented that most plants are very sensitive to high light (it should not be more than for phalaenopsis), to which they react with yellowing of their leave (sometimes also some spots similars to those from fungi infections!) and consequent loss. Also important is that the sphagnum must be moist all the time, but nor dripping wet!

I applied his recommendation to my (currently) ONLY Masdevallia strobellii and it seems to work. I have this plant since May 2008, survived the hot summer here, and is now in buds (My previous Masdevallia Amazona, died within one month!)

Ramon, I really think you have the key. I am too likely to soak mine in fertilizer when I know darned well to not do this

. I plan to go entirely to RO water as you suggest with a short spritz of mixed fertilizer every couple weeks or less. But I wonder why it only happens with Masdies from one vendor. The ones I got from Ivan in Hawaii never pleat the growths.

I have Ken Dole hybrid from both vendors and the one from Parkside pleats and the one from Ivan does not. Ivan's is in his original mix (I need to find out what that is) and the one from Parkside is in pure small bark.

Curious.

kavanaru · #16 01-07-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross

...But I wonder why it only happens with Masdies from one vendor. ...

well, no clue about that

all the masdies I have tried so far, no matter where they came from has gone through the same process... except now Masd. strobellii, which open today the first flowers, and I am extremely happy

I think I (finally) did with Masdies... planning to order 3/4 new ones, which I know have similar needs as strobellii, in order to check if the success with thi sone can be extrapolated to other plants...

the wish list is:

Masdevallia Confetti
Masdevallia lilacina
Masdevallia hirtzii
Masdevallia lata

by the way, Masd. strobellii has a great fragrance...