How to water a flowering Dracula?

[Sylorna]

Hi,
Well, I've been taking some advice given to me for my Dracula and giving it lots of distilled water.
I think it may be growing some shoots...to my surprise.

I have been dunking and soaking the basket in the water whenever needed (about once a day right now), but I realize that once the shoots get to be another 2 inches, they will be in danger of breaking.

How do I water my Dracula once the shoots get too long to dunk?

[Ross]

I water mine with a spray bottle solid stream (not mist) just on the sphagnum. I water whenever the sphagnum seems dry. They don't need, or want, much fertilizer. Hope this helps.

[malli252]

Depending on how and where the spikes are coming out you could also lay the plant on it's side in a shallow bowl. I've done this if I've let a budding/blooming drac get to dry. Usually the spikes are fairly flexible, esp. when forming. Careful though!

[Sylorna]

I might use both of those.

careful...yeah...I already accidentally took the end off of one of them with the edge of the bucket (it pressed against it in the bowl)...but I have at least 2 more which are proudly coming out of the top!

Was thinking about hanging it from my shower head and trying to pour through as well.

[vmax3000]

Originally Posted by Ross

I water mine with a spray bottle solid stream (not mist) just on the sphagnum. I water whenever the sphagnum seems dry. They don't need, or want, much fertilizer. Hope this helps.

Ross,
So, I have seen/read this comment from you a couple of times. I have yet to fertilize either of my draculas but was curious as to how one "feeds" them, if they need that at all? My lotax put one bloom on display this year, but the inequalis has been putting off bloom after bloom, though about one in three dries before opening. I am interested in picking your brain...well, not literally, but I am a fan of plants I can't grow (living in central Texas where there's no forgiveness in the summer/hell season). My collection is small, but burgeoning and it lives in the bathroom window during this period. I will return them to the gh as we enter fall/monsoon/spring seasons. I posted about my palliota some time back and you had suggested the heat and, again, my fertilizing regime as possible culprits for my ailing plant. It has started to recover...no new growth, yet, but the leaves that didn't brown and die, have greened back up. Strictly RO with no fertilizer. My masd. have mostly done well, but any help you can offer would be most gratefully appreciated!! How does one feed pleuros? I would love to know, b/c I don't like killing these little plants. Orchids are the WORST at death...they make it look SO bad and then, I have to pay for therapy, making them all the more expensive . Ok, done now and in listening/reading mode! Thanks, again.

[Ross]

You ask a lot about plants I don't grow. I have one Pleuro and it dwells in same tank as the Drac lotax and does pretty well (seems to stay in bloom most of warm season. Dracs seem to like it cooler. My tank stays like 62-65F during winter when the Drac does it's thing. It grows like a weed - I have split it into 3 large sized plants that should all bloom this winter. I do fertilize maybe once a month with the 125ppm MSU mix I tend to use, but most of time it's pure RO water. As long as moss is wet, I don't water or fertilize. My pleuro is mounted and gets fertilizing/water every-other-day along with all the Angraecoides. I'm no expert on Pleuros (having only one) but I have several Dracs and many Angraecoides.

[jmateosky]

Hi,

I have spent many a rainy day ( read this torrential downpour ). The rain drops are big and come down hard. I have several hundred. water them with a hose or watering can or whatever you use for other plants theses little guys are tough. Make sue the plant is in a WELL drained media and pot and water away. I use the strawberry blueberry boxes, with lots of coco hair.

The also really like a nice ( moist ) breeze.

Someone else said the don't fertilize why not, DO it really helps, if you are afraid cut it the "dose" in half. I fert with peters once a week.

[vmax3000]

jmat,
Thanks for the info. My inequalis is blooming like mad, but the lotax is in growth mode. I will try the fertilizer. I use peters (~1 monthly)...or whatever's on sale !

[Ross]

Originally Posted by vmax3000

jmat,
Thanks for the info. My inequalis is blooming like mad, but the lotax is in growth mode. I will try the fertilizer. I use peters (~1 monthly)...or whatever's on sale !

For what it's worth, I tried a regular fertilizer regimen on one of my lotax divisions (same 125ppm Nitrogen - really weak - that the others get) and it dropped all but about 7 leaves! Just like in a week period. I went back to straight RO water and it has quit dropping leaves. I really think these guys are pretty sensitive to chemicals in the water. When some folks say water from the hose, be suspect. What's in that water? For me it's over 300 TDS primarily calcium and it tends to stunt most orchids. Go ahead and try it, but for me I reserve the Dracs and Masdies for pure RO or RO flush after fertilizing. By the way, my lotax's bloomed steadily over last winter 2-3 flowers at a time. Here's one shot:

There are about 6 more spikes if you look close.

[vmax3000]

Ross,
It's gorgeous!! Mine's green and putting on new leaves, steadily, but it's stingy with it's flowers!